Grant County phone taxes increase

EPHRATA - Grant County residents will see a tax increase on their phone bills starting this month.

The county and state are increasing the excise tax on cellphones and land lines by 25 cents starting Jan. 1. 

A new 95-cent tax is being applied to Internet phone lines, including services such as iFiber and Vonage. 

The money is slated to fund the Multi Agency Communications Center.

The commissioners approved the tax increase in October after the state passed a new law in 2010, allowing the county to increase their portion of the tax by 20 cents. Along with the county's increase, the state is increasing its portion of the tax by 5 cents. 

The changes increase the tax to $1.28 for land lines and 95 cents for cellphones and Internet phone lines, according to state records.

Commissioners Richard Stevens and Cindy Carter said the state forced them to change it or the county would lose the money.

"They made a move to reduce some of the other money coming into MACC," Stevens said. "I just know what we were asked to do,  that if you didn't pass it you would lose the 50 cents you had, as I understand it."

The law states the state will not distribute the excise tax if the county isn't charging the maximum amount.

Treasurer Darryl Pheasant said the move will increase the amount the center receives from the tax from about $500,000 to about $542,000. This doesn't include the new revenue from the Internet phone lines.

"I had no idea about the (Internet phone lines,)" he said. "I didn't want to over-inflate the numbers, so I don't know what they'll be until we start seeing the numbers from the state."

The new law also allows companies to pay the tax directly to the state, rather than paying it to each individual county, Pheasant said. The money will be distributed by the state to the individual counties.