Watch Your Cell Phone–Budget Taxes On The Way?

A new study by the non-partisan Tax Foundation Group shows that cell phones are becoming the new "gravy" bowl for states looking to shore up huge defecits in their budgets...

The Average US cellphone user now pays an average of a 16.26 percent tax of which 11.21 percent are state and local.  Nationally, cell phone taxes are now estimated to be at 146 billion dollars annually, up six percent since 2003.  Nebraska is the worst state, hitting cell phone users with taxes in excess of 23%.  Our Evergreen State is in a four way tie for second with Florida, Illinois and New York.  The Tax Foundation reports many of the fees and taxes you pay on your phone have nothing to do with cellular use, upkeep or technology.  Call your cell provider with your bill, run through the taxes, and you will be amazed where your wireless money is going.  Utah uses cell phone tax money to fund poison control centers.  Wisconsin uses the money to pay for police stations.  Even local governments hit their people with taxes.  Baltimore cell phone users are hit with a $4 a month line tax.  the National Taxpayers Union notes it's surprising and even deceiving the number of fees and taxes levied on cell phones that are not readily apparent to the users.