Cell phone taxes by state
Taxes, fees and surcharges take an average of 27.6% of a US wireless bill, and where you live changes that enormously: from 16.8% in Idaho to 38.3% in Illinois. On a $60 plan that gap is worth $12.90 a month.
Most carriers advertise prices before tax, which is why your bill never matches the ad. AT&T, Verizon, Mint Mobile and T-Mobile's Experience plans add these charges on top. Cricket, Visible and US Mobile include them in the advertised price.
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Our free plan finder applies your state's rate to every carrier that bills tax separately, so the totals you compare are what you would actually pay.
Find my real priceEvery state, ranked
| # | State | Tax rate | On a $60 plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | 38.3% | +$22.99/mo |
| 2 | Washington | 35% | +$20.99/mo |
| 3 | Arkansas | 34% | +$20.40/mo |
| 4 | New York | 34% | +$20.38/mo |
| 5 | Kansas | 32.1% | +$19.27/mo |
| 6 | Louisiana | 31.9% | +$19.14/mo |
| 7 | Nebraska | 31.6% | +$18.99/mo |
| 8 | Utah | 31.5% | +$18.89/mo |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 31.2% | +$18.72/mo |
| 10 | Texas | 30.8% | +$18.50/mo |
| 11 | Oklahoma | 30.6% | +$18.34/mo |
| 12 | Maryland | 30.5% | +$18.29/mo |
| 13 | South Dakota | 30.1% | +$18.06/mo |
| 14 | North Dakota | 29.8% | +$17.89/mo |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 29.1% | +$17.46/mo |
| 16 | Florida | 28.5% | +$17.08/mo |
| 17 | Missouri | 28.3% | +$16.96/mo |
| 18 | Colorado | 28.1% | +$16.85/mo |
| 19 | Alaska | 28% | +$16.81/mo |
| 20 | New Mexico | 27.7% | +$16.60/mo |
| 21 | Tennessee | 27.4% | +$16.41/mo |
| 22 | Puerto Rico | 27.2% | +$16.34/mo |
| 23 | South Carolina | 27% | +$16.18/mo |
| 24 | Georgia | 26.6% | +$15.93/mo |
| 25 | Mississippi | 26.5% | +$15.90/mo |
| 26 | West Virginia | 26.5% | +$15.89/mo |
| 27 | California | 26.2% | +$15.73/mo |
| 28 | Arizona | 26.1% | +$15.64/mo |
| 29 | Alabama | 26% | +$15.62/mo |
| 30 | Minnesota | 25.7% | +$15.41/mo |
| 31 | District of Columbia | 25.6% | +$15.38/mo |
| 32 | Kentucky | 25.1% | +$15.05/mo |
| 33 | Indiana | 24.6% | +$14.77/mo |
| 34 | Massachusetts | 24.1% | +$14.46/mo |
| 35 | Iowa | 23.4% | +$14.06/mo |
| 36 | Michigan | 23.4% | +$14.06/mo |
| 37 | New Hampshire | 23.4% | +$14.01/mo |
| 38 | Wyoming | 22.7% | +$13.63/mo |
| 39 | New Jersey | 22.7% | +$13.61/mo |
| 40 | Maine | 22.7% | +$13.59/mo |
| 41 | Wisconsin | 22.7% | +$13.59/mo |
| 42 | Ohio | 22.6% | +$13.54/mo |
| 43 | Oregon | 22.5% | +$13.52/mo |
| 44 | Vermont | 22.5% | +$13.51/mo |
| 45 | North Carolina | 22.5% | +$13.49/mo |
| 46 | Delaware | 22% | +$13.21/mo |
| 47 | Connecticut | 21.8% | +$13.06/mo |
| 48 | Hawaii | 21.5% | +$12.91/mo |
| 49 | Virginia | 21.2% | +$12.70/mo |
| 50 | Montana | 20.4% | +$12.24/mo |
| 51 | Nevada | 18.9% | +$11.36/mo |
| 52 | Idaho | 16.8% | +$10.09/mo |
Where the money goes
Every bill carries the federal Universal Service Fund charge (13.36%, identical nationwide, adjusted quarterly), which subsidises phone and internet service for rural areas, schools and libraries. Everything above that is state and local: sales tax, telecom-specific taxes, 911 fees and, in a growing number of states, a 988 crisis-line fee. That local layer is the entire reason an Illinois bill carries more than twice Idaho's tax burden.
Source: Tax Foundation, “Taxes on Wireless Services: Cell Phone Tax Rates by State” (2025 edition, rates as of July 2025). Local rates vary within each state, so these are close estimates of a typical bill rather than quotes. We are independent and not affiliated with any carrier.