The Phantom Tax: Why Your Internet Bill Might Be Hiding a Nasty Surprise

Ever scrutinize your monthly bills? Really dig into the nitty-gritty of each line item? Honestly, most of us don't, not as often as we probably should. We glance, we groan, we pay. But sometimes, just sometimes, a vigilant eye catches something truly, unexpectedly amiss. And in Pennsylvania, for countless Frontier Communications internet customers, that something has been an illegal sales tax, quietly accumulating on their bills for — get this — years.

The state, you see, has been crystal clear on this particular point for what feels like ages. Since the year 2000, to be exact, a legislative act known simply as Act 7 has unequivocally stated: internet access? No sales tax. Period. End of story. Yet, somehow, a major provider like Frontier managed to overlook this rather significant detail, charging folks extra when they absolutely, definitively shouldn't have been.

It came to light thanks to people like Steve Widdicombe, a resident, I believe, who decided to actually read his bill. What he found was a persistent sales tax applied directly to his internet service. And well, that just didn't sit right with him, because in truth, he knew better. He knew it was wrong.

So, naturally, he reached out to us, to reporters, seeking some clarity. We did what any good journalist would: we poked around. We contacted Frontier’s media relations team, posing what seemed like a fairly straightforward question: Why are you charging sales tax on internet service in Pennsylvania when it's illegal? The initial response, you could say, was less than illuminating. Crickets, mostly. Or, at best, a rather generic non-answer. It’s a familiar dance, for sure.

But perseverance, as they say, often pays off. After some prodding, some waiting, and perhaps a bit of gentle insistence, a Frontier spokesperson finally — finally — acknowledged the colossal oversight. Yes, it was an error. A big one. The company, they admitted, had indeed been incorrectly charging sales tax on internet service to their Pennsylvania customers. And not just for a month or two, but, frankly, for an embarrassingly long time.

The good news, if there can be any in such a situation, is that they've pledged to rectify the situation. Frontier has committed to stopping these erroneous charges. Even better, they're going to issue refunds. Now, these refunds, it's worth noting, won't necessarily cover every single penny since 2000 – the state's look-back period for tax errors typically extends up to 36 months. But for many, that could still amount to a not-insignificant sum.

What should you do if you're a Frontier internet customer in Pennsylvania? First things first: dig out those bills. Examine them closely. Look for any line item that suggests a sales tax being applied to your internet service. If you find one, the immediate next step is to contact Frontier Communications directly. Ask for that refund, armed with the knowledge that Act 7 of 2000 is firmly on your side.

And if for some reason you hit a wall, or feel like you're not getting a satisfactory response, don't hesitate. You have avenues. The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection is there for exactly these kinds of issues. So too is the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. They’re the folks who enforce these tax laws, after all. Because, honestly, no one should be paying a tax that isn't owed, especially not when the law has been so clear for so very long. It's your money, and in this instance, it's been mistakenly — and illegally — taken.