Which phone carriers include taxes in the price?
US Mobile, Visible, Cricket Wireless and Total Wireless include taxes and fees in their advertised prices. Mint Mobile, Tello, Xfinity Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Spectrum Mobile add them on top. On a bill that isn't tax-inclusive, taxes and fees average 27.61% in the US, from 16.82% in Idaho to 38.32% in Illinois.
This matters more than it looks. A $25 plan with taxes included and a $25 plan before tax aren't the same price, and comparison tables that put them side by side quietly favour the pre-tax one. Every price comparison on this site adjusts for it.
Carrier by carrier
| Carrier | Taxes and fees | What the page says |
|---|---|---|
| US Mobile | included | usmobile.com/plans |
| Visible | included | visible.com/plans: "Taxes & fees included" |
| Cricket Wireless | included | cricketwireless.com Broadband Facts: "Government Taxes: Included" |
| Total Wireless | included | totalwireless.com/plans: "Taxes and fees included" |
| Mint Mobile | extra | mintmobile.com/plans |
| Tello | extra | tello.com plans |
| Xfinity Mobile | extra | xfinity.com/learn/mobile: "Taxes and fees extra" |
| Verizon | extra | verizon.com/plans/unlimited: "Plus taxes and fees" |
| AT&T | extra | att.com/plans/wireless: "Taxes and fees extra" |
| T-Mobile | extra | t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans: "+ taxes and fees" |
| Spectrum Mobile | extra | spectrum.com/mobile/plans: "taxes may apply" |
How much tax is on a phone bill in each state?
The Tax Foundation publishes the share of an average wireless bill that goes to taxes, fees and government surcharges. The combined figure includes the federal Universal Service charge, which the Tax Foundation works out as 13.36% of a typical bill (a contribution factor applied to the share of the bill treated as interstate); the state and local figure is everything else. The table shows what each rate does to a $30 plan that's advertised before tax.
| State | State and local | Including federal | A $30 plan becomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 24.96% | 38.32% | $37.49 to $41.50 |
| Washington | 21.62% | 34.98% | $36.49 to $40.49 |
| Arkansas | 20.64% | 34.00% | $36.19 to $40.20 |
| New York | 20.61% | 33.96% | $36.18 to $40.19 |
| Kansas | 18.77% | 32.12% | $35.63 to $39.64 |
| Louisiana | 18.54% | 31.90% | $35.56 to $39.57 |
| Nebraska | 18.29% | 31.65% | $35.49 to $39.49 |
| Utah | 18.13% | 31.49% | $35.44 to $39.45 |
| Pennsylvania | 17.85% | 31.20% | $35.36 to $39.36 |
| Texas | 17.48% | 30.83% | $35.24 to $39.25 |
| Oklahoma | 17.20% | 30.56% | $35.16 to $39.17 |
| Maryland | 17.14% | 30.49% | $35.14 to $39.15 |
| South Dakota | 16.74% | 30.10% | $35.02 to $39.03 |
| North Dakota | 16.46% | 29.82% | $34.94 to $38.95 |
| Rhode Island | 15.75% | 29.10% | $34.73 to $38.73 |
| Florida | 15.10% | 28.46% | $34.53 to $38.54 |
| Missouri | 14.92% | 28.27% | $34.48 to $38.48 |
| Colorado | 14.73% | 28.08% | $34.42 to $38.42 |
| Alaska | 14.67% | 28.02% | $34.40 to $38.41 |
| New Mexico | 14.32% | 27.67% | $34.30 to $38.30 |
| Tennessee | 14.00% | 27.35% | $34.20 to $38.21 |
| Puerto Rico | 13.87% | 27.23% | $34.16 to $38.17 |
| South Carolina | 13.61% | 26.97% | $34.08 to $38.09 |
| Georgia | 13.20% | 26.55% | $33.96 to $37.97 |
| Mississippi | 13.15% | 26.50% | $33.95 to $37.95 |
| West Virginia | 13.13% | 26.49% | $33.94 to $37.95 |
| California | 12.86% | 26.21% | $33.86 to $37.86 |
| Arizona | 12.70% | 26.06% | $33.81 to $37.82 |
| Alabama | 12.68% | 26.04% | $33.80 to $37.81 |
| Minnesota | 12.33% | 25.68% | $33.70 to $37.70 |
| District of Columbia | 12.28% | 25.63% | $33.68 to $37.69 |
| Kentucky | 11.74% | 25.09% | $33.52 to $37.53 |
| Indiana | 11.26% | 24.61% | $33.38 to $37.38 |
| Massachusetts | 10.75% | 24.10% | $33.22 to $37.23 |
| Iowa | 10.09% | 23.44% | $33.03 to $37.03 |
| Michigan | 10.08% | 23.43% | $33.02 to $37.03 |
| New Hampshire | 10.00% | 23.35% | $33 to $37.01 |
| Wyoming | 9.37% | 22.72% | $32.81 to $36.82 |
| New Jersey | 9.32% | 22.68% | $32.80 to $36.80 |
| Maine | 9.30% | 22.65% | $32.79 to $36.79 |
| Wisconsin | 9.29% | 22.65% | $32.79 to $36.79 |
| Ohio | 9.20% | 22.56% | $32.76 to $36.77 |
| Oregon | 9.17% | 22.53% | $32.75 to $36.76 |
| Vermont | 9.16% | 22.51% | $32.75 to $36.75 |
| North Carolina | 9.13% | 22.48% | $32.74 to $36.74 |
| Delaware | 8.66% | 22.01% | $32.60 to $36.60 |
| Connecticut | 8.42% | 21.77% | $32.53 to $36.53 |
| Hawaii | 8.17% | 21.52% | $32.45 to $36.46 |
| Virginia | 7.82% | 21.17% | $32.35 to $36.35 |
| Montana | 7.05% | 20.40% | $32.12 to $36.12 |
| Nevada | 5.57% | 18.93% | $31.67 to $35.68 |
| Idaho | 3.46% | 16.82% | $31.04 to $35.05 |
| US average | 14.25% | 27.61% | $34.28 to $38.28 |
From the Tax Foundation's 2025 wireless tax table, rates as of July 2025, read September 22, 2026. The report doesn't say how prepaid plans are taxed; many states collect a prepaid fee at the point of sale instead of on a monthly bill, so treat these as a guide for a prepaid plan rather than an exact figure.
What this site assumes
Where a carrier advertises before tax, the comparisons on this site add an estimated 18%. That sits between the state and local average (14.25%) and the full average with the federal charge (27.61%), because it isn't clear how much of the federal charge a prepaid plan carries. It's the one number on the site that isn't read off a carrier's page, and it's labelled wherever it's used. If you live in a high-tax state, the pre-tax plans will cost you more than the tables show; in a low-tax state, less.
To compare plans against your own bill, use the calculator. For the regular price of every plan with the estimate applied, see the price cliff table.