(a)
(1)On and after January 1, 2016, a prepaid MTS surcharge shall be imposed on each prepaid consumer and shall be collected by a seller from each prepaid consumer at the time of each retail transaction in this state. The prepaid MTS surcharge shall be imposed as a percentage of the sales price of each retail transaction that occurs in this state.
(2)
The prepaid MTS surcharge shall be in lieu of any charges imposed pursuant to the Emergency Telephone Users Surcharge Act (Part 20 (commencing with Section 41001)) and the Public Utilities Commission surcharges for prepaid mobile telephony services.
(b)
The prepaid MTS surcharge shall be
annually calculated by the board by no later than November 1 of each year commencing November 1, 2015, by adding the following:
(1)
The surcharge rate reported pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 41030.
(2)
The Public Utilities Commission’s reimbursement fee and telecommunications universal service surcharges, established by the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 319 of the Public Utilities Code.
(c)
(1)The board shall post, for each local jurisdiction, the combined total of the rates of prepaid MTS surcharge and the rate or rates of local charges, as calculated pursuant to Sections 42102 and 42102.5, that each local jurisdiction has adopted, not later than December 1 of each year, on its Internet Web site. The posted combined rate shall be the rate
that applies to all retail transactions during the calendar year beginning April 1 following the posting.
(2)
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if a local agency notifies the board pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 42101.5 that the posted rate is inaccurate or it no longer imposes a local charge or local charges or that the rate of its local charge or local charges has decreased, the board shall promptly post a recalculated rate that is applicable to the jurisdiction of that local agency. The change shall become operative on the first day of the calendar quarter commencing more than 60 days from the date the local agency notifies the board of the inaccuracy or that it no longer imposes a local charge or that the rate of its local charge has decreased. Nothing in this section modifies the notice obligations of Section 799 of the Public Utilities Code. However, beginning January 1, 2016, the notification and implementation requirements of
paragraphs (5) and (6) of subdivision (a) of Section 799 of the Public Utilities Code shall not apply to prepaid mobile telephony services.
(3)
The board shall also separately post on its Internet Web site the individual rates for each of the following:
(A)
Each of the Public Utilities Commission surcharges that make up the Public Utilities Commission surcharge portion of the prepaid MTS surcharge, as reported pursuant to Section 319 of the Public Utilities Code.
(B)
The rate for the emergency telephone users surcharge reported pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 41030.
(C)
Each of the individual local charges reported pursuant to Section 42101.5.
(4)
A seller collecting the prepaid MTS
surcharge and local charges pursuant to this part and Part 21.1 (commencing with Section 42100) may rely upon the accuracy of the information posted on the board’s Internet Web site in collecting and remitting all amounts of the prepaid MTS surcharge and local charges.
(d)
(1)Except for amounts retained pursuant to subdivision (e), and except as provided in subdivision (f) for a seller that is a direct seller, all amounts of the prepaid MTS surcharge and local charges collected by sellers shall be remitted to the board pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 42020).
(2)
A seller that is authorized to provide lifeline service under the state lifeline program or federal lifeline program, that sells prepaid mobile telephony services directly to the prepaid customer, shall remit the prepaid MTS surcharge to the board, less any applicable exemption from
the surcharge that is applicable to the retail transaction pursuant to Section 42012.
(e)
A seller that is not a direct seller shall be permitted to deduct and retain an amount equal to 2 percent of the amounts that are collected by the seller from prepaid consumers for the prepaid MTS surcharge and local charges, on a pro rata basis, according to that portion of the revenues collected by the seller for each of the following:
(1)
The emergency telephone users surcharge.
(2)
The Public Utilities Commission surcharges.
(3)
Local charges.
(f)
A direct seller shall remit the prepaid MTS surcharge and local charges as follows:
(1)
That portion of the prepaid MTS surcharge that consists of the Public Utilities Commission surcharges shall be remitted to the commission with those reports required by the commission. The amounts remitted to the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited into the respective universal service funds created pursuant to Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 270) of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code and to the Public Utilities Commission Utilities Reimbursement Account described in Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 401) of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code.
(2)
That portion of the prepaid MTS surcharge that consists of the emergency telephone users surcharge shall be remitted to the board pursuant to the Emergency Telephone Users Surcharge Act (Part 20 (commencing with Section 41001)) for those retail transactions with a prepaid consumer in the state, with a return
filed with the board using electronic media. The amount remitted to the board pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited into the State Emergency Telephone Number Account in the General Fund.
(3)
Local charges, if applicable, shall be remitted to the local jurisdiction or local agency imposing the local charge. Remittance of the local charges shall be separately identified from any other local taxes or other charges that are remitted to the local jurisdiction or local entity imposing the local tax or other charge. The amounts remitted to the local jurisdiction or local agency imposing the local charge pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited into the respective local jurisdiction or local agency account.
(g)
A direct seller shall utilize the amounts posted by the board pursuant to subdivision (c) when determining what amounts to remit to the Public Utilities Commission,
board, and each local jurisdiction or local agency.
(h)
A prepaid MTS provider shall offer prepaid consumers the option to make payment for additional prepaid usage directly to the prepaid MTS provider at the provider’s retail location or Internet Web site.
(i)
The amount of the combined prepaid MTS surcharge and local charges shall be separately stated on an invoice, receipt, or other similar document that is provided to the prepaid consumer of mobile telephony services by the seller, or otherwise disclosed electronically to the prepaid consumer, at the time of the retail transaction.
(j)
The prepaid MTS surcharge that is required to be collected by a seller and any amount unreturned to the prepaid consumer of mobile telephony services that is not owed as part of the surcharge, but was collected from the prepaid
consumer under the representation by the seller that it was owed as part of the surcharge, constitute debts owed by the seller to this state. The local charge shall be collected by a seller, and any amount unreturned to the prepaid consumer of mobile telephony services that is not owed as part of the local charge but that was collected from the prepaid consumer under the representation by the seller that it was owed as part of the local charge constitutes a debt owed by the seller jointly to the state, for purposes of collection on behalf of, and payment to, the local jurisdiction and to the local jurisdiction imposing that local charge.
(k)
A seller that has collected any amount of prepaid MTS surcharge and local charges in excess of the amount of the surcharge imposed by this part and actually due from a prepaid consumer may refund that amount to the prepaid consumer, even though the surcharge amount has already been paid over to the board
and no corresponding credit or refund has yet been secured. Any seller making a refund of any charge to a prepaid consumer may repay therewith the amount of the surcharge paid.
(l)
(1)Every prepaid consumer of mobile telephony services in this state is liable for the prepaid MTS surcharge and any local charges until they have been paid to this state, except that payment to a seller registered under this part relieves the prepaid consumer from further liability for the surcharge and local charges. Any surcharge collected from a prepaid consumer that has not been remitted to the board shall be a debt owed to the state by the person required to collect and remit the surcharge. Any local charge collected from a prepaid consumer that has not been remitted to the board shall be a debt owed jointly to the state, for purposes of collection on behalf of, and payment to, the local jurisdiction and to the local jurisdiction imposing
the local charge by the person required to collect and remit the local charge. Nothing in this part shall impose any obligation upon a seller to take any legal action to enforce the collection of the surcharge or local charge imposed by this section.
(2)
A credit shall be allowed against, but shall not exceed, the prepaid MTS surcharge and local charges imposed on any prepaid consumer of mobile telephony services by this part to the extent that the prepaid consumer has paid emergency telephone users charges, state utility regulatory commission fees, state universal service charges, or local charges on the purchase to any other state, political subdivision thereof, or the District of Columbia. The credit shall be apportioned to the charges against which it is allowed in proportion to the amounts of those charges.
(m)
(1)A seller is relieved from liability to
collect the prepaid MTS surcharge imposed by this part that became due and payable, insofar as the base upon which the surcharge is imposed is represented by accounts that have been found to be worthless and charged off for income tax purposes by the seller or, if the seller is not required to file income tax returns, charged off in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A seller that has previously paid the surcharge may, under rules and regulations prescribed by the board, take as a deduction on its return the amount found worthless and charged off by the seller. If any such accounts are thereafter in whole or in part collected by the seller, the amount so collected shall be included in the first return filed after such collection and the surcharge shall be paid with the return.
(2)
The board may by regulation promulgate such other rules with respect to uncollected or worthless accounts as it shall deem necessary to the
fair and efficient administration of this part.