ARTICLE 1. Imposition of the Surcharges [41020. - 41028.]

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC 1.

in effect

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 41020. Section 41020.

(a) (1) (A) On and after January 1, 2020, a 911 surcharge is hereby imposed on each access line for each month or part thereof for which a service user subscribes with a service supplier, at an amount determined under Article 2 (commencing with Section 41030). Beginning January 1, 2023, a separate 988 surcharge is hereby imposed on each access line for each month or part thereof for which a service user subscribes with a service supplier, at an amount determined under Article 2 (commencing with Section 41030). (B) The surcharges shall be paid by the service user as hereinafter provided. (2) On and after January 1, 2020, the purchase of prepaid mobile telephony services in this state shall be subject to the 911 surcharge set forth under Article 2 (commencing with Section 41030). The surcharge shall be paid by the prepaid consumer in accordance with Section 41028 and remitted and administered in accordance with this part. Beginning January 1, 2023, a separate 988 surcharge is hereby imposed on the purchase of prepaid mobile telephony services, at an amount determined under Article 2 (commencing with Section 41030). (b) The surcharges imposed shall not apply to either of the following: (1) In accordance with the Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act (Public Law 106-252), which is incorporated herein by reference, to any charges for mobile telecommunications services billed to a customer where those services are provided, or deemed provided, to a customer whose place of primary use is outside this state. Mobile telecommunications services shall be deemed provided by a customer’s home service provider to the customer if those services are provided in a taxing jurisdiction to the customer, and the charges for those services are billed by or for the customer’s home service provider. (2) To any charges for VoIP service billed to a customer where those services are provided to a customer whose place of primary use of VoIP service is outside this state. (c) For purposes of this section: (1) “Charges for mobile telecommunications services” means any charge for, or associated with, the provision of commercial mobile radio service, as defined in Section 20.3 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on June 1, 1999, or any charge for, or associated with, a service provided as an adjunct to a commercial mobile radio service, that is billed to the customer by or for the customer’s home service provider, regardless of whether individual transmissions originate or terminate within the licensed service area of the home service provider. (2) “Customer” means (A) the person or entity that contracts with the home service provider for mobile telecommunications services, or with a VoIP service provider for VoIP service, or (B) if the end user of mobile telecommunications services or VoIP service is not the contracting party, the end user of the mobile telecommunications service or VoIP service. This paragraph applies only for the purpose of determining the place of primary use. The term “customer” does not include (A) a reseller of mobile telecommunications service or VoIP communication service, or (B) a serving carrier under an arrangement to serve the mobile customer outside the home service provider’s licensed service area. (3) “Home service provider” means the facilities-based carrier or reseller with which the customer contracts for the provision of mobile telecommunications services. (4) “Licensed service area” means the geographic area in which the home service provider is authorized by law or contract to provide commercial mobile radio service to the customer. (5) “Mobile telecommunications service” means commercial mobile radio service, as defined in Section 20.3 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on June 1, 1999. (6) “Place of primary use” means the street address representative of where the customer’s use of the mobile telecommunications service or VoIP service primarily occurs, that must be: (A) The residential street address or the primary business street address of the customer. (B) With respect to mobile telecommunications service, within the licensed service area of the home service provider. (7) (A) “Reseller” means a provider who purchases telecommunications services or VoIP service from another telecommunications service provider or VoIP service and then resells the services, or uses the services as a component part of, or integrates the purchased services into, a mobile telecommunications service or VoIP service. (B) “Reseller” does not include a serving carrier with which a home service provider arranges for the services to its customers outside the home service provider’s licensed service area. (8) “Serving carrier” means a facilities-based carrier providing mobile telecommunications service to a customer outside a home service provider’s or reseller’s licensed area. (9) “Taxing jurisdiction” means any of the several states, the District of Columbia, or any territory or possession of the United States, any municipality, city, county, township, parish, transportation district, or assessment jurisdiction, or any other political subdivision within the territorial limits of the United States with the authority to impose a tax, charge, or fee. (10) “VoIP service provider” means that provider of VoIP service with whom the end user customer contracts for the provision of VoIP services for the customer’s own use and not for resale.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 41021. Section 41021.

(a) A service supplier shall collect the surcharges from each service user at the time it collects its billings from the service user. The duty to collect the surcharges from a service user shall commence with the beginning of the first regular billing period applicable to that person which starts on or after the operative date of the surcharge imposed by this part. If the stations or lines of more than one service supplier are utilized in furnishing the telephone communication services to the service user, the service supplier that bills the customer shall collect the surcharges from the customer. (b) Only one payment per month under this part shall be required with respect to the surcharges on an access line.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 41022. Section 41022.

(a) The surcharges required to be collected by the service supplier shall each be added to and stated separately in its billings to the service user. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a service supplier may elect to combine the 911 and 988 surcharges into a single-line item on the service user billing. If the service supplier elects to combine the surcharges, the combined surcharge shall be labeled as the “911/988 Surcharge” on the service user’s bill. The service supplier shall remit the combined surcharges to the department in separate amounts for each surcharge on forms prescribed by the department.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 41023. Section 41023.

The surcharges required to be collected by the service supplier, and any amount unreturned to the service user that is not owed as part of the surcharges but was collected from the service user under the representation by the service supplier that it was owed as part of the surcharges, constitute debts owed by the service supplier to this state. A service supplier that has collected any amount of surcharges in excess of the amount of surcharges imposed by this part and actually due from a service user, may refund that amount to the service user, even though the surcharge amounts have already been paid over to the department and a corresponding credit or refund has not yet been secured. The service supplier may claim credit for that overpayment refund against the amount of surcharges imposed by this part that is due upon any other return, providing that credit is claimed in a return dated no later than three years from the date of overpayment.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 41024. Section 41024.

Every service user in this state is liable for the surcharges until they have been paid to this state, except that payment to a service supplier registered under this part is sufficient to relieve the service user from further liability for the surcharges. Any surcharge collected from a service user that has not been remitted to the department shall be deemed a debt owed to the state by the person required to collect and remit that surcharge. Nothing in this part shall impose any obligation upon a service supplier to take any legal action to enforce the collection of the surcharges imposed by this part. The service supplier shall provide the department with amounts uncollected which total three dollars ($3) or more on a cumulative basis with respect to a single service user along with the names, addresses, and reasons of the service users refusing to pay the surcharges imposed by this part.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 41027. Section 41027.

Nothing in this part shall be construed as imposing a surcharge upon access lines or on the purchase of prepaid mobile telephony services if imposition of that surcharge would be in violation of the Constitution of the United States, the United States Code, or the laws of the state.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 41028. Section 41028.

(a) (1) On and after January 1, 2020, the surcharge amounts imposed by Section 41020 on the purchase of prepaid mobile telephony services in this state shall be collected by a seller from each prepaid consumer at the time of each retail transaction in this state. The surcharges shall be imposed at an amount as determined under Article 2 (commencing with Section 41030) on each retail transaction that occurs in this state. (2) (A) The amount of the surcharges shall be separately stated on an invoice, receipt, or other similar document that is provided to the prepaid consumer of mobile telephony services by the seller, or otherwise disclosed electronically to the prepaid consumer, at the time of the retail transaction. (B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a seller may elect to combine the 911 and 988 surcharges into a single-line item. If the seller elects to combine the surcharges, the combined surcharge shall be labeled as the “911/988 Surcharge” on the invoice, receipt, or other similar document that is provided to the prepaid consumer of mobile telephony services by the seller, or otherwise disclosed electronically to the prepaid consumer, at the time of the retail transaction. The seller shall remit the combined surcharges to the department in separate amounts for each surcharge on forms prescribed by the department. (b) (1) The surcharges that are required to be collected by a seller and any amount unreturned to the prepaid consumer of mobile telephony services that is not owed as part of the surcharges, but was collected from the prepaid consumer under the representation by the seller that it was owed as part of the surcharges, constitutes debts owed by the seller to this state. (2) A seller that has collected any amount of surcharge in excess of the amount of the surcharges imposed by this part and actually due from a prepaid consumer may refund that amount to the prepaid consumer, even though the surcharge amounts have already been paid over to the department and a corresponding credit or refund has not yet been secured. The seller may claim credit for that overpayment refund against the amount of surcharges imposed by this part that is due upon any other return, providing that credit is claimed in a return dated no later than three years from the date of overpayment. (c) (1) Every prepaid consumer of prepaid mobile telephony services in this state is liable for the surcharges until they have been paid to this state, except that payment to a seller registered under this part relieves the prepaid consumer from further liability for the surcharges. Any surcharge collected from a prepaid consumer that have not been remitted to the department shall be a debt owed to the state by the person required to collect and remit the surcharges. Nothing in this part shall impose any obligation upon a seller to take any legal action to enforce the collection of the surcharge imposed by this section. (2) A credit shall be allowed against, but shall not exceed, the surcharge amounts imposed on any prepaid consumer of mobile telephony services by this part to the extent that the prepaid consumer has paid surcharges on the purchase to any other state, political subdivision thereof, or the District of Columbia. The credit shall be apportioned to the charges against which it is allowed in proportion to the amounts of those charges. (d) A seller is relieved from liability to collect the surcharges imposed by this part that became due and payable, insofar as the base upon which the surcharges are imposed is represented by accounts that have been found to be worthless and charged off for income tax purposes by the seller or, if the seller is not required to file income tax returns, charged off in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A seller that has previously paid the surcharges may, under rules and regulations prescribed by the department take as a deduction on its return the amount found worthless and charged off by the seller. If any such accounts are thereafter in whole or in part collected by the seller, the amounts so collected shall be included in the first return filed after such collection and the surcharges shall be paid with the return. (e) For purposes of this section, a retail transaction occurs in the state under any of the following circumstances: (1) The prepaid consumer makes the retail transaction in person at a business location in the state (point-of-sale transaction). (2) If paragraph (1) is not applicable, the prepaid consumer’s address is in the state (known-address transaction). A known-address transaction occurs in the state under any of the following circumstances: (A) The retail sale involves shipping of an item to be delivered to, or picked up by, the prepaid consumer at a location in the state. (B) If the prepaid consumer’s address is known by the seller to be in the state, including if the seller’s records maintained in the ordinary course of business indicate that the prepaid consumer’s address is in the state and the records are not made or kept in bad faith. (C) The prepaid consumer provides an address during consummation of the retail transaction that is in the state, including an address provided with respect to the payment instrument if no other address is available and the address is not given in bad faith. (3) If an address is not available to the seller to determine whether any of the circumstances in paragraph (2) exist, the transaction will be deemed to be a known-address transaction occurring in this state if the mobile telephone number is associated with a location in this state. (f) The surcharge amounts imposed under this section shall be remitted by every seller, except a service supplier, as prescribed under Part 1 (commencing with Section 6001), along with a return filed using electronic media. The department shall administer such remittance and returns as prescribed under Part 1 (commencing with Section 6001). (g) Notwithstanding Article 1.1 (commencing with Section 41060) of Chapter 4, any seller, except a service supplier, required, or that elects, to remit amounts due under Part 1 (commencing with Section 6001) by electronic funds transfer pursuant to Article 1.2 (commencing with Section 6479.3) of Chapter 5 of Part 1 shall remit the surcharge upon prepaid mobile telephony service amounts due under this section by electronic funds transfer. (h) The purchase in a retail transaction in this state of prepaid mobile telephony services, either alone or in combination with mobile data or other services, by a prepaid consumer is exempt from the surcharges if all of the following apply: (1) The prepaid consumer is certified as eligible for the state lifeline program or federal lifeline program. (2) The seller is authorized to provide lifeline service under the state lifeline program or federal lifeline program.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026