A surcharge is an extra charge for something other than what you are buying. Here are some, but not all, of the taxes, fees, and surcharges you may see on your bill:
- Federal Universal Service Fee (USF)
- State Telecom Relay Service Surcharge
- State Universal Service Charge
- State Cost Recovery Charge
- Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge
- Sales and use taxes
- E911 Charges
- Administrative Fees
- Cost Assessment Charge
- Other AT&T surcharges
Good to know: Charges depend on the type of tax, who is taxing, and your physical address (place of primary use), which may not be the same as your billing address. Learn how to
move your service to a new address.
Federal USF - customer responsibilityThe Federal USF makes sure everyone has affordable telecommunications service. It also has discounted services for schools, libraries, and rural healthcare facilities. We may bill this fee to recover Federal USF contribution costs from customers buying interstate service. You’ll see this on your bill in theÂ
Surcharges & Fees section.
Each quarter, the government updates the total Federal USF we’re required to pay. So we may also adjust the amount we recover from our customers each quarter. Your USF won’t be more than the rate set by the government, and, in many cases, it may be lower.
State Telecom Relay Service SurchargeYour state may use this surcharge to fund services like relay calls for people with hearing or speech impairments. Â
Regulatory Cost Recovery ChargeWe pay certain government fees so we can give you service. We charge you the Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge to cover some of those costs. This isn’t a tax or charge that the government requires us to collect.Â
This charge may change if our costs and the government fees change. Parts of the Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge include the Federal Regulatory Fee, Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fee, North American Numbering Plan Fee, and support for Local Number Portability administration.
State Cost Recovery ChargeWe pay certain taxes to state governments give you service. We charge you the State Cost Recovery Charge as a percentage-based fee to cover some of these costs. This isn’t a tax that the state requires us to collect.
AT&T Phone Administrative FeeThe Phone Administrative Fee is a per-line, per-month fee. It isn’t a tax or charge that the government requires us to collect. It’s a fee that helps defray certain costs associated with providing phone services.Â
Cost Assessment ChargeThe Cost Assessment Charge is a per-line, per-month fee. It isn’t a tax or charge that the government requires us to collect. It helps us recover the costs of supporting and administering government programs and requirements.
See all fees