Newsbreak: The Spanish-American War is over
This post was published 3 years 5 months 28 days ago and its content may not be valid anymore.Why should this matter? A LONG drawnout long legal battle over an extemely outdated tax imposed in 1898 to repay the Spanish American War that was designed to tax only the wealthy people who could actually afford a telephone, will now result in a marginally cheaper cell and long distance bill.
The IRS is supposed to refund our last three years worth of taxes for both landlines and cell phones on our returns next year. The phone companies sued because they did not want the hassle of collecting the tax. The tax is no longer in effect on 31 July, 2006. But, don’t get too excited about a big windfall. Consumers, who pay about 40 percent of the taxes collected, typically pay about $18 a year in excise taxes if they have a long-distance service and a cellphone. They will be able to file for a refund on their 2006 federal income tax returns.
My great grandparents were killed in the Spanish-American war. My lawsuit seeking retribution from the Spanish government is still pending. I will keep all of you updated on the progress.