Mercatus on Policy: The Case Against Taxing Cell Phone Subscribers
– Federal, state, and many local governments tax cell phone subscribers at a variety of rates that almost always exceed tax rates on other goods and services. In some states, consumers now pay as much as a quarter of their total cell phone service bills to government entities.1 And some local governments are aggressively increasing taxes and fees.2There is no economic justification for these high tax rates: reducing cell phone ownership is not a public policy goal, cell phone use by one customer does not affect other customers or other people, and these taxes fall disproportionately on lower-income households. Governments at all levels should bring cell phone taxes in line with taxes on similar goods and services and avoid discriminatory taxes on new and emerging wireless communication products.
THE STATE OF CELL PHONE TAXES
Both the federal and state governments, as well as many county and local governments, levy taxes on cell phone plans, and the providers almost always pass these fees on to users. On the federal level, one fee the government levies on telecom providers finances the Universal Service Fund (USF). The USF subsidizes telecom services for low-income households, schools and libraries, and in high-cost areas. The USF rate changes quarterly; it is currently 14.9 percent of interstate end-user revenues.3 Wireless customers pay a fraction of this amount—currently 5.5 percent of a bill’s voice charges.4
State and local taxes vary widely in form and rate. The population weighted average combined state and local tax rate is 11.21 percent, ranging from a low of 1.81 percent in Oregon to a high of 18.64 percent in Nebraska.5 While many wireless subscriber taxes are ad valorem taxes (that is, they are calculated as a percentage of the bill), others are excise or specific duty taxes that levy a flat fee on each active cell phone line. Examples include Virginia’s 75 cent E-911 fee and Baltimore’s $4 per line fee.6 Some of these taxes fund specific services, such as 911 assistance or poison control centers; others go to general funds.
FIGURE 1: WIRELESS TAXES COMPARED TO OTHER SALES AND EXCISE TAXES7
Wireless taxes are particularly excessive compared with many other federal and state excise taxes (see figure 1). Wire- less subscriber taxes are on par with gasoline taxes, and the national median rate imposed on wireless bills is more than twice the national median rate imposed on general sales.
Home Equity Line Hawaii - News
HR EDITOR'S NOTE: One of the cell phone taxes that Hawaii users pay 66 cents to the state per month in taxes and the money is put into a special fund for the 9-1-1 emergency services electronic tracking system. The fund was raided this legislative
When Harrison got a phone call from the Honolulu PD that his father (whom he hadn't been in contact with in ten years) was a homeless drug addict who'd been arrested, it was Cramer who picked up the phone and called all his contacts in Hawaii to get
Over time, if you lock in a fixed interest rate, that payment is never going to go up if you don't borrow, you know, borrow more against it and take a home equity loan, whereas rents, in the vast majority of places, your rent is going to go up,
Among middle-income whites, the average household in 2007 held $74000 in financial assets—bank deposits, home equity, stocks, and the like. That was more than four times the $18000 in assets of blacks who earned high incomes.
Kohl's operates about 1100 stores that are in every state but Hawaii, focusing on mid-priced apparel, accessories, beauty and home products. It has benefited from cost cutting, store remodeling and new stores with smaller, more productive square
Indymac Leases Charter Branches in Hawaii « refinance home equity ...
Indymac Bank announced that it will lease at least five former Charter locations in Hawaii as it expands its recent retail push beyond the contiguous United States.
Charter Funding recently halted operations when First Magnus Financial closed several weeks ago amid secondary market woes.
Indymac will also rehire 100 Charter employees in conjunction with the new leases, and will focus on both wholesale and retail loans, including construction and lot loans.
Former vice president and regional manager of Charter Funding, now regional president, applauded the decision to be taken over by a large bank such as Indymac.
Earlier this month, another Hawaiian branch was resurrected when Indymac reopened a former American Home Mortgage office.
Look for Indymac to continue to acquire at-risk and defunct mortgage lenders as it goes after more market share.
Aloha.
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