topic Re: 911 tax in Get Support

911 tax

Amahl — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 21:16:34 GMT

Hi, why will I have to pay a 911 tax and I don't live in Alberta. I just have the Alberta area code.

Re: 911 tax

hTideGnow — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 21:20:36 GMT

this is a tax imposed by the provincial governments. Most carriers now ask their subscribers to pay for it instead of absorbing it themselves . PM is one of the last carrier asking its subscribers to pay

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/get-help/articles/911services

Re: 911 tax

Sansan — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 21:22:41 GMT

Regrettably, yes it will be added to your bill come July 31 as a separate line item.

Re: 911 tax

Rastin — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 21:36:05 GMT

The tax is bound to your area code. And since you have an alberta area code you pay alberta tax (911) fee. Your only choice is to change your number to whatever province your in and pay the tax there.

Re: 911 tax

Chalupa_Batman — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 21:56:34 GMT

@Amahl wrote:
Hi, why will I have to pay a 911 tax and I don't live in Alberta. I just have the Alberta area code.

In Canada, you're charged a 911 fee on your cellphone because provincial governments require it to fund the 911 emergency services infrastructure. This fee, separate from your monthly service fee, helps cover the costs of providing emergency response, including dispatching ambulances, police, and fire services.

Re: 911 tax

Handy1 — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 21:56:40 GMT

@Amahl From what I can tell if you pick BC Manitoba or Ontario phone number you might be exempt from having to pay this silly money grab fee . Like we all haven’t been paying enough tax already

Re: 911 tax

Sansan — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 22:05:28 GMT

@Chalupa_Batman

Please tell me, the provinces that are not charging this fee YET, what are they doing to offset these costs? So can anyone from the affected provinces pick these ohone numbers? It also says that you will pay the fee even if you top up with Vouchers.

Re: 911 tax

hairbag1 — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 22:23:06 GMT

@Amahl

dude...it's less than $12 for the entire year to help ensure that ~~991~~ 911 service is funded. Hopefully you never need it...but...in case you ever do need it, you'll say $12 is cheap to have responders pick up when you dial 'em.

Re: 911 tax

softech — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 22:28:59 GMT

Inappropriate comment removed

Re: 911 tax

Chalupa_Batman — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 22:34:43 GMT

@Sansan wrote:
@Chalupa_Batman
Please tell me, the provinces that are not charging this fee YET, what are they doing to offset these costs? So can anyone from the affected provinces pick these ohone numbers? It also says that you will pay the fee even if you top up with Vouchers.

If you check out @hTideGnow link, it's on the last option of who doesn't pay. I understand why this is happening and personally, I have zero issues with it.

Re: 911 tax

Dunkman — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 22:38:12 GMT

Before this announcement, Public mobile was absorbing the cost of this extra tax. Unfortunately, Public mobile has decided not to do so anymore, so PM customers in the affected provinces will need to pay the 911 tax like other customers with different mobile carriers.

To avoid this extra fee, you could switch to another province's phone number. Saying that though, depending on which plan you are on, it may be still cheaper to just keep your Alberta number since Alberta customers/phone numbers only pay GST (no PST).

Re: 911 tax

Sansan — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 22:44:03 GMT

Thanks for your reply. I know who pay and who doesnt. I was just wondering what those provinces does to offset the cost.

Re: 911 tax

Chalupa_Batman — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 22:56:05 GMT

If memory serves me correctly, I read an article a while back that the Provincial Government covers the cost to offset it in BC and Ontario. In Manitoba I think there is a $1 charge per phone bill but not sure.

Re: 911 tax

hTideGnow — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 23:02:30 GMT

hi @Chalupa_Batman

Manitoba is free

you got mixed up with the $1 proposed charge for City of Winnipeg for the 911 upgrade fees. But that proposed fees has been delayed indefinitely

Re: 911 tax

computergeek541 — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 23:35:53 GMT

Public Mobile is likely to argue that the fee is mandatory and that it's just being passed on to the consumer. However, the e911 fee isn't anything new, and as the carrier is no longer going to absorb the cost, this means that customers are going to see this as a price increase.

Re: 911 tax

slusagm — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 23:39:57 GMT

Almost all carriers have 911 fees now. I think at this point, only Chatr is not charging it.

Re: 911 tax

DennyCrane — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 00:31:32 GMT

Only way around it is to get a new number from a different area code. But that will likely come with additional tax, because Alberta doesn't have PST for example. I.e. you're probably still coming out ahead with an Alberta number.