With stunning new discoveries.
That will be sure. This morning on today.
This morning on today.
>> Gas electricity dining out.
We pay sales tax on just about
everything. But did you know
Internet service providers are
not allowed to charge sales tax
for Internet access is true.
And our investigator, Amy Davis
uncovered. Some of them are
doing it. She’s here now with
2 ways to save.
>> How to get back the money
that well, you should never
been charged. Amy?
>> Yeah, I know. So question.
What can you do with an extra
100 or 200 bucks? Think about
that. Several 100 Internet
customers will get refunds and that amount thanks to one savvy
that amount thanks to one savvy
consumer who questioned his
Internet bill. ♪
>> The year was 1998. Titanic
was on the big screen.
>> A gallon of gas was a buck
O. >> And this is what it sounded
>> And this is what it sounded
like. Every time we
>> the Internet was just
starting up. And so there was a
concern about imposing taps
on the Internet access charge. >> That’s when the feds ban
>> That’s when the feds ban
states from charging sales tax
on Internet access unless they
were already doing it. Texas was every time the act was
was every time the act was
extended. States already
charging that acts were
grandfathered until President
Obama signed the Internet Tax Freedom Act of 2016, it gave
Freedom Act of 2016, it gave
all state still charging taxes
on Internet access until June.
30th Twenty-twenty to stop a
full year later in Patrick McCracken in Kingwood. Notice
McCracken in Kingwood. Notice
the sales tax on his phone, a
scope, Internet bills, $98 in
taxes. He called scopes
customer service to question it.
>> They they were not familiar
at all with with the act made
the comment that, you know,
we pay taxes and, you know, we charge those taxes to you
we charge those taxes to you
as well.
>> When the Kraken called me,
we called phone a scope and got
this response in part upon
review, it does appear that photo scope had not yet
photo scope had not yet
corrected its sales tax
accounting up accordingly.
The company says it will begin
the process of getting the tax
is paid back from the state so it can refund customers if your
it can refund customers if your
Internet services are bundled
with cable or anything else,
you can legally be tax on those other services. Just not on
other services. Just not on
Internet service. It may be
difficult. Looking at a bill
>> to know exactly what is
being charged because if part of it is a cable charge that
of it is a cable charge that
might be subject to a different
type of tax part of it is
telecommunications, which may
be subject to get a different
type of tax at different rates as the president and founder of
as the president and founder of
the sales Tax Institute die and
get her help businesses
understand which taxes they
have to collect and pay.
>> She says the sales tax phone, a scope collected from
phone, a scope collected from
Kuz summer’s over the last 2
years was a pass through tax.
Only meaning a phone. Isco
didn’t keep any of the money.
It simply Senate to the state. But now the company is required
But now the company is required
to help get it back. If the
estimate was $100 for the year
might be a $200, which
certainly today’s time a bonus check of $200 would be very
check of $200 would be very
helpful to many of your viewers
nowadays, everybody wants to
auto
>> I’m I’m always.
>> Stayed away from that
because I like to look at my bills you know, make sure we’re
bills you know, make sure we’re
we’re being billed properly.
>> So now hundreds of phone, a
scope customers can thank
McCracken for checking his bills and noticing the sales
bills and noticing the sales
tax that no one should have
been charged. If you’re one of
those people you’ll be
receiving some forms from
photos, scope that they need
you to sign so that they can send you your refund. We’ve
send you your refund. We’ve
explained all of that on click
2 Houston dot com. We also
reviewed dozens of bills and
contacted several internet
service providers to see if
any others were still charging sales tax. We did not find any
sales tax. We did not find any
other companies doing it, but
you should look over your own
bills again. It can be
difficult if you’ve got bundled
services to know exactly what
you’re what you’re being charged, sales tax on. But
charged, sales tax on. But
we’ll we’ll pointing out online
look which custom companies