Regulatory Fees

Q: Why does my company have to pay regulatory fees?

A: Each year, as part of the passage of the federal budget, Congress establishes an amount that the Commission must collect in regulatory fees. The amount to be collected in regulatory fees generally changes each fiscal year based on the Commission’s appropriation. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, the amount required to be collected by the Commission is $381,950,000. Based upon 47 U.S.C. §159, the Commission is obligated to collect this amount from every regulatee that benefits from the Commission’s oversight and regulation, except those regulatees that are exempt under 47 U.S.C. § 159(e) from paying regulatory fees. 47 U.S.C. § 159(e) exempts the following entities from payment of regulatory fees: (1) governmental entities, (2) nonprofit entities, (3) amateur radio operator licensees under 47 CFR part 97, (4) noncommercial radio stations, (5) noncommercial television stations, and (6) regulatees whose total regulatory fee obligation in a given fiscal year is less than the de minimis threshold established by the Commission in that fiscal year. Please refer to the Commission’s Regulatory Fee Exemption Fact Sheet for more information about those entities that are exempt from payment of regulatory fees.

Q: How do I determine if my regulatory fees are exempt from payment because they are de minimis?

A: The Commission’s current de minimis threshold is $1,000. Therefore, if the sum of all of the regulatory fees you owe in FY 2022 is $1,000 or less, you do not have to pay regulatory fees for FY 2022. However, a regulatee’s de minimis status is not a permanent exemption from regulatory fees. Therefore, you will need to reevaluate annually to determine whether your total liability for annual regulatory fees falls at or below the de minimis threshold given any changes that the Commission may make in its regulatory fees each fiscal year. For more information on the de minimis exemption for regulatory fees, please refer to the Commission’s Regulatory Fee Exemption Fact Sheet.

Q: When are regulatory fees due?

A: Payments are due every fiscal year in September by a due date established by the Commission each fiscal year. Regulatory fee payments must be received by the due date established by the Commission. For FY 2022, regulatory fees must be received by 11:59 p.m., EST, on September 30, 2022. Regulatees, however, are encouraged to submit payments before the regulatory fees due date.

Q: What if my company can't pay by the regulatory fees due date?

A: Regulatory fees must be paid in full and payment received by the Commission by the due date in each fiscal year. 47 U.S.C. §159A(c) requires the Commission to assess a 25% penalty if a regulatory fee is not paid in full by the payment due date (for FY 2022, by 11:59 p.m., EST, on September 30, 2022), and to assess interest on the unpaid regulatory fee and the 25% late payment penalty, until payment in full. If your company cannot pay its regulatory fees by the September 30, 2022 due date, your company may file a request that the regulatory fees be waived, deferred, reduced or be paid in installments, using the streamlined and simplified procedures the Commission implemented for FY 2022. Please consult the Commission’s Waiver, Reduction and Deferral Public Notice for more detailed information on how to file a request for waiver, deferral, reduction or installment payment relief.

Q: Who do I contact if I have questions?

A: Licensees and regulatees should contact the Commission’s Financial Operations Help Desk with inquiries regarding regulatory fee at (877) 480-3201 Option #6 or e-mail inquiries to ARINQUIRIES@fcc.gov.