Regulatory Fees Due NLT September 25

The FCC adopted its final order on FY 2018 regulatory fees, which are due no later than September 25, 2018. The FCC’s Fee Filer system for submitting electronic payments is now open so stations can log in and see the precise amounts owed. These are not always 100% accurate, so carefully review to be sure all of your stations are listed (especially any you have acquired in the last year). All regulatory fee payments must be made by online Automated Clearing House (ACH) payment, online credit card, or wire transfer.

The amount that can be charged on a credit card for transactions with federal agencies is $24,999.99. Any transactions greater than $24,999.99 will be rejected. This limit applies to single payments or bundled payments of more than one bill. Multiple transactions to a single agency in one day may be aggregated and treated as a single transaction subject to the $24,999.99 limit. Customers who need to pay an amount greater than $24,999.99 should plan to do so on separate days so as not to exceed the limit, or consider available electronic alternatives such as Visa or MasterCard debit cards, ACH debits from a bank account, and wire transfers.

Under the Commission’s de minimis rule for regulatory fee payments, a regulatee is completely exempt from paying regulatory fees if the sum total of all of its annual regulatory fee liabilities is $1,000 or less for the fiscal year.

The FCC does not notify stations of their regulatory fee assessment, so checking the website is necessary. Late payments will likely again have the privilege of paying a penalty equal to a whopping 25% of the fee due. Another drawback to paying late? The FCC won’t process any of your filed applications until you pay up.