Glossary of Long Distance Service Related Terms

Gross Receipts Tax Surcharge

Aka: Gross Receipts Tax Surcharge, Interstate Tax Surcharge, State Universal Service Fund. State and local governments assess this charge in different ways and at different rates. Proceeds go to the local governing body. It can be imposed on the revenues of local telephone companies, and long-distance companies operating within a state. Although these taxes vary by your location, they are the same for all providers serving that area. For more information about these taxes, please contact your local and state tax offices. You can find their number in the government section of your local telephone directory.

Ground Start

A way of signaling on subscriber trunks in which one side of the two wire trunk is momentarily grounded to get dial tone.