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The Florida Senate

2014 Florida Statutes

Title XIV TAXATION AND FINANCE
Chapter 202 COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES TAX SIMPLIFICATION LAW Entire Chapter
SECTION 11
Definitions.
F.S. 202.11
202.11 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term:
(1) “Communications services” means the transmission, conveyance, or routing of voice, data, audio, video, or any other information or signals, including video services, to a point, or between or among points, by or through any electronic, radio, satellite, cable, optical, microwave, or other medium or method now in existence or hereafter devised, regardless of the protocol used for such transmission or conveyance. The term includes such transmission, conveyance, or routing in which computer processing applications are used to act on the form, code, or protocol of the content for purposes of transmission, conveyance, or routing without regard to whether such service is referred to as voice-over-Internet-protocol services or is classified by the Federal Communications Commission as enhanced or value-added. The term does not include:
(a) Information services.
(b) Installation or maintenance of wiring or equipment on a customer’s premises.
(c) The sale or rental of tangible personal property.
(d) The sale of advertising, including, but not limited to, directory advertising.
(e) Bad check charges.
(f) Late payment charges.
(g) Billing and collection services.
(h) Internet access service, electronic mail service, electronic bulletin board service, or similar online computer services.
(2) “Dealer” means a person registered with the department as a provider of communications services in this state.
(3) “Department” means the Department of Revenue.
(4) “Direct-to-home satellite service” has the meaning ascribed in the Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C. s. 303(v).
1(5) “Information service” means the offering of a capability for generating, acquiring, storing, transforming, processing, retrieving, using, or making available information via communications services, including, but not limited to, electronic publishing, web-hosting service, and end-user 900 number service. The term includes data processing and other services that allow data to be generated, acquired, stored, processed, or retrieved and delivered by an electronic transmission to a purchaser whose primary purpose for the underlying transaction is the processed data or information. The term does not include video service.
(6) “Internet access service” has the same meaning as ascribed to the term “Internet access” by s. 1105(5) of the Internet Tax Freedom Act, 47 U.S.C. s. 151 note, as amended by Pub. L. No. 110-108.
(7) “Mobile communications service” means commercial mobile radio service, as defined in 47 C.F.R. s. 20.3 as in effect on June 1, 1999. The term does not include air-ground radiotelephone service as defined in 47 C.F.R. s. 22.99 as in effect on June 1, 1999.
(8) “Person” has the meaning ascribed in s. 212.02.
2(9) “Prepaid calling arrangement” means:
(a) A right to use communications services, other than mobile communications services, for which a separately stated price must be paid in advance, which is sold at retail in predetermined units that decline in number with use on a predetermined basis, and which consist exclusively of telephone calls originated by using an access number, authorization code, or other means that may be manually, electronically, or otherwise entered; or
(b) A right to use mobile communications services that must be paid for in advance and is sold at retail in predetermined units that expire or decline in number on a predetermined basis if:
1. The purchaser’s right to use mobile communications services terminates upon all purchased units’ expiring or being exhausted unless the purchaser pays for additional units;
2. The purchaser is not required to purchase additional units; and
3. Any right of the purchaser to use units to obtain communications services other than mobile communications services is limited to services that are provided to or through the same handset or other electronic device that is used by the purchaser to access mobile communications services.

Predetermined units described in this subsection may be quantified as amounts of usage, time, money, or a combination of these or other means of measurement.

(10) “Purchaser” means the person paying for or obligated to pay for communications services.
(11) “Retail sale” means the sale of communications services for any purpose other than for resale or for use as a component part of or for integration into communications services to be resold in the ordinary course of business. However, any sale for resale must comply with s. 202.16(2) and the rules adopted thereunder.
(12) “Sale” means the provision of communications services for a consideration.
(13) “Sales price” means the total amount charged in money or other consideration by a dealer for the sale of the right or privilege of using communications services in this state, including any property or other service, not described in paragraph (a), which is part of the sale and for which the charge is not separately itemized on a customer’s bill or separately allocated under subparagraph (b)8. The sales price of communications services may not be reduced by any separately identified components of the charge which constitute expenses of the dealer, including, but not limited to, sales taxes on goods or services purchased by the dealer, property taxes, taxes measured by net income, and universal-service fund fees.
(a) The sales price of communications services includes, whether or not separately stated, charges for any of the following:
1. The connection, movement, change, or termination of communications services.
2. The detailed billing of communications services.
3. The sale of directory listings in connection with a communications service.
4. Central office and custom calling features.
5. Voice mail and other messaging service.
6. Directory assistance.
7. The service of sending or receiving a document commonly referred to as a facsimile or “fax,” except when performed during the course of providing professional or advertising services.
(b) The sales price of communications services does not include charges for any of the following:
1. An excise tax, sales tax, or similar tax levied by the United States or any state or local government on the purchase, sale, use, or consumption of any communications service, including, but not limited to, a tax imposed under this chapter or chapter 203 which is permitted or required to be added to the sales price of such service, if the tax is stated separately.
2. A fee or assessment levied by the United States or any state or local government, including, but not limited to, regulatory fees and emergency telephone surcharges, which must be added to the price of the service if the fee or assessment is separately stated.
3. Communications services paid for by inserting coins into coin-operated communications devices available to the public.
4. The sale or recharge of a prepaid calling arrangement.
5. The provision of air-to-ground communications services, defined as a radio service provided to a purchaser while on board an aircraft.
6. A dealer’s internal use of communications services in connection with its business of providing communications services.
7. Charges for property or other services that are not part of the sale of communications services, if such charges are stated separately from the charges for communications services.
8. Charges for goods or services that are not subject to tax under this chapter, including Internet access services but excluding any item described in paragraph (a), that are not separately itemized on a customer’s bill, but that can be reasonably identified from the selling dealer’s books and records kept in the regular course of business. The dealer may support the allocation of charges with books and records kept in the regular course of business covering the dealer’s entire service area, including territories outside this state.
(14) “Service address” means:
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section:
1. The location of the communications equipment from which communications services originate or at which communications services are received by the customer;
2. In the case of a communications service paid through a credit or payment mechanism that does not relate to a service address, such as a bank, travel, debit, or credit card, and in the case of third-number and calling-card calls, the term “service address” means the address of the central office, as determined by the area code and the first three digits of the seven-digit originating telephone number; or
3. If the location of the equipment described in subparagraph 1. is not known and subparagraph 2. is inapplicable, the term “service address” means the location of the customer’s primary use of the communications service. For purposes of this subparagraph, the location of the customer’s primary use of a communications service is the residential street address or the business street address of the customer.
(b) In the case of video services and direct-to-home satellite services, the location where the customer receives the services in this state.
(c) In the case of mobile communications services, the customer’s place of primary use.
(15) “Unbundled network element” means a network element, as defined in 47 U.S.C. s. 153(29), to which access is provided on an unbundled basis pursuant to 47 U.S.C. s. 251(c)(3).
(16) “Private communications service” means a communications service that entitles the subscriber or user to exclusive or priority use of a communications channel or group of channels between or among channel termination points, regardless of the manner in which such channel or channels are connected, and includes switching capacity, extension lines, stations, and any other associated services that are provided in connection with the use of such channel or channels.
(17)(a) “Customer” means:
1. The person or entity that contracts with the home service provider for mobile communications services; or
2. If the end user of mobile communications services is not the contracting party, the end user of the mobile communications service. This subparagraph only applies for the purpose of determining the place of primary use.
(b) “Customer” does not include:
1. A reseller of mobile communications services; or
2. A serving carrier under an agreement to serve the customer outside the home service provider’s licensed service area.
(18) “Enhanced zip code” means a United States postal zip code of 9 or more digits.
(19) “Home service provider” means the facilities-based carrier or reseller with which the customer contracts for the provision of mobile communications services.
(20) “Licensed service area” means the geographic area in which the home service provider is authorized by law or contract to provide mobile communications service to the customer.
(21) “Place of primary use” means the street address representative of where the customer’s use of the mobile communications service primarily occurs, which must be:
(a) The residential street address or the primary business street address of the customer; and
(b) Within the licensed service area of the home service provider.
(22)(a) “Reseller” means a provider who purchases communications services from another communications service provider and then resells, uses as a component part of, or integrates the purchased services into a mobile communications service.
(b) “Reseller” does not include a serving carrier with which a home service provider arranges for the services to its customers outside the home service provider’s licensed service area.
(23) “Serving carrier” means a facilities-based carrier providing mobile communications service to a customer outside a home service provider’s or reseller’s licensed service area.
(24) “Video service” means the transmission of video, audio, or other programming service to a purchaser, and the purchaser interaction, if any, required for the selection or use of a programming service, regardless of whether the programming is transmitted over facilities owned or operated by the video service provider or over facilities owned or operated by another dealer of communications services. The term includes point-to-point and point-to-multipoint distribution services through which programming is transmitted or broadcast by microwave or other equipment directly to the purchaser’s premises, but does not include direct-to-home satellite service. The term includes basic, extended, premium, pay-per-view, digital video, two-way cable, and music services.
History.—ss. 2, 58, ch. 2000-260; ss. 2, 38, ch. 2001-140; s. 1, ch. 2003-254; ss. 1, 14, ch. 2005-187; s. 6, ch. 2005-280; s. 3, ch. 2007-29; s. 2, ch. 2012-70; s. 1, ch. 2014-36; s. 1, ch. 2014-38.
1Note.—Section 2, ch. 2014-36, provides that “[t]he amendments made by this act are intended to be remedial in nature and apply retroactively but do not provide a basis for an assessment of any tax not paid, or create a right to a refund or credit of any tax paid, before the effective date of this act.”
2Note.—Section 3, ch. 2014-38, provides that “[t]he amendments made to ss. 202.11 and 212.05(1)(e)1.a., Florida Statutes, by this act are intended to be remedial in nature and apply retroactively, but do not provide a basis for an assessment of any tax not paid or create a right to a refund or credit of any tax paid before the effective date of this act.”