Telecommunications Surcharges and User Fees
All telephone corporations, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers, offering telephone service to the public in California are required to assess surcharges and User Fees, and to remit the collected funds to the CPUC.
Consumer Notice(s)
Beginning April 1, 2023, California is moving from six separate surcharges to one flat rate for funding California's six Universal Service Programs. These critical programs make affordable telephone and internet services for low-income, deaf or hearing impaired, rural and underserved customers, schools, libraries, hospitals, and other non-profit organizations.
As a result, California phone bills will now be more transparent and include one flat-rate surcharge of $1.11 per access line. This surcharge applies to all telephone customers regardless of whether they subscribe to traditional wireline phone (landlines), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or wireless service.
Telecommunications Surcharges (YouTube link)
For more information about this change, go to the Surcharge Information for Consumers Page.
Carrier Notice(s)
Beginning April 2024, you will have access to the January 2015 - March 2023 data in new TUFFS, as follows:
- Starting April 1, 2024, to view or report for periods from January 2023 through March 2023, please use your new Telecommunications and User Fee Filing System (new TUFFS) account: TUFFS Login.
- Starting April 11, 2024, to view or report for any report period from January 2015 through December 2022, please use your new TUFFS account.
In addition, access to MTS data will be subject to the following process for wireless carriers on an ongoing basis:
- As of March 13, 2024, data reported by wireless telephone corporations which was subject to “The Prepaid Mobile Telephony Services (MTS) Surcharge Collection Act” for January 2016 through December 2018 has been archived. MTS data is ONLY available upon request to CPUC Communications Division’s Staff at telcosurcharge@cpuc.ca.gov.
Surcharge Mechanism:
On October 24, 2022, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) adopted a new surcharge mechanism to fund the state’s universal service Public Purpose Programs (See Decision 22-10-021). The new mechanism will assess surcharges based on the number of active access lines that a telephone corporation serves in California. Effective April 2023, all telephone corporations (carriers) will be required to report their access line data as defined in Section 5.2.2 of D.22-10-021.
User Fee rate:
Effective January 1, 2024, the standard user fee rate for all telephone corporations was adopted at 1.2% of gross intrastate revenues. Resolution M-4870 outlines the Public Utilities Commission Utilities Reimbursement Account for 2024 User Fees in more detail.
TUFFS
Telecommunications and User Fee Filing System (TUFFS)
For the electronic reporting and remittance of surcharges and user fees due to the CPUC by telephone corporations.
NEW TUFFS for reporting periods beginning April 2023. Surcharge is assessed on the number of active access lines:
- TUFFS Login [NOTICE: A new TUFFS account has been created for each telephone corporation. To login into the new TUFFS, you must first set up your password through a link. The link was sent to the primary regulatory contact on May 2, 2023 with the subject line "Welcome to the new Telecommunications & User Fee Filing System." If you are the primary contact and have not received the welcome e-mail, please contact us at telcosurcharge@cpuc.ca.gov.]
- TUFFS User Guide
- Definition of Access Line
Legacy TUFFS for reporting periods prior to April 2023. Surcharges are assessed on total intrastate revenue:
- Legacy TUFFS login
- Legacy TUFFS Quick Reference
- Legacy TUFFS User Guide
- Refund Claims Process
- Refund Request Form
Remitting Surcharge Payments, U.S. Bank (EFT) Banking Instructions
Surcharges
Complete directions for the treatment of CPUC telecommunications surcharges including assessment, collection, disclosure and remittance.
User Fee
Complete directions for the treatment of the CPUC telecommunications reimbursement account fee (User Fee)
- User Fee Directive
- User Fee Rates (applies to all Telco beginning January 1, 2019)
Other Telecommunications Taxes and Fees
These taxes and fees are not administered by the CPUC but may be assessed on telecommunications services in California
Questions, Comments, and Concerns
For inquiries related to telecommunications surcharges, user fees or MTS surcharges please use the contact information provided below:
| Surcharges: |
Lucia Magana Danny Tse Nancy Lee |
Phone: (415) 696-7308 Phone: (415) 355-5494 Phone: (415) 703-2714 |
Email: TelcoSurcharge@cpuc.ca.gov |
| User Fee: |
Fabiola Robles |
Phone: (415) 696-7362 |
Email: userfees@cpuc.ca.gov |
Telecommunications Surcharges and User Fees
- Consumer Information - Telecommunications Surcharges
- CPUC Telephone Surcharges Reporting and Payment Filing Directions
- CPUC User Fee
- Federal Universal Service Fund (USF)
- Local- Utility User Taxes and 911 Fees
- Surcharge and Fee Proceeding
- Surcharge Rates
- TUFFS FAQs
- TUFFS U.S. Bank Payment System
- User Fee Rates
- 911 & 988 Telecommunications Surcharges