Comments on: ‘Tis the Season of Surcharges & Fees http://blog.roychowdhury.org/2006/04/08/tis-the-season-of-surcharges-fees/ Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:18:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Elusive Cheese http://blog.roychowdhury.org/2006/04/08/tis-the-season-of-surcharges-fees/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Elusive Cheese Fri, 14 Apr 2006 15:39:00 +0000 http://iconverged.wordpress.com/2006/04/08/tis-the-season-of-surcharges-fees/#comment-25 Apparently one portion of the tax, the federal excise tax for long distance, is set to vanish and $60B refunded if the gov't loses the third case in court.<br/><br/>Interestingly, the WSJ writes,<br/><br/>The law -- originally enacted to help pay the costs of the Spanish-American War -- taxes telecom services based on both the duration of a call and the distance it travels. But the changing nature of technology now lets phone companies offer flat rate per minute or monthly plans. The government, however, has continued to assess the tax under the old services, sparking widespread protest. Apparently one portion of the tax, the federal excise tax for long distance, is set to vanish and $60B refunded if the gov’t loses the third case in court.

Interestingly, the WSJ writes,

The law — originally enacted to help pay the costs of the Spanish-American War — taxes telecom services based on both the duration of a call and the distance it travels. But the changing nature of technology now lets phone companies offer flat rate per minute or monthly plans. The government, however, has continued to assess the tax under the old services, sparking widespread protest.

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