Survey: Majority of wireless phone customers oppose new fees and taxes
By Josh Peterson | Watchdog.org
A majority of American consumers say that not only are wireless communication taxes too high, but that they should be significantly lower than they are now, according to a recent survey.
HANG ON: Most Americans probably don’t realize that the components in the cell phones they use are mined elsewhere, in places not always friendly to the U.S., the environment or human rights.
A recent survey conducted online by McLaughlin & Associates and Penn Schoen Berland found that 84 percent of U.S. consumers surveyed say that a combined state and local tax rate wireless services is too much.
Fifty-four percent of consumers, according to the survey, say the tax rate on their monthly cell phone bill should be lower than 7 percent.
The survey of 1,000 adult participants who said they are likely voters was conducted between Dec. 2-6. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent
The survey also found that 81 percent of respondents considered wireless services an essential part of daily life; 65 percent said that they used a wireless tablet or mobile phone for things related to work, school and personal management.
Rob Schrum, director of political advocacy at MyWireless.org, said while the results of the survey represented an overall consumer satisfaction with wireless services, consumers were highly dissatisfied with how they were being taxed to use those services.
The Wireless Tax Fairness Act, sponsored by in the House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., would place a five-year moratorium on state and local governments from imposing any new taxes on wireless services.
Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents, 61 percent, said that they favored such a moratorium being passed by Congress.
Contact Josh Peterson at jpeterson@watchdog.org. Follow Josh on Twitter at @jdpeterson
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