Do telephone service customers have to pay municipal tax every time they dial 9-1-1?

No. Use of the 9-1-1 service in an emergency is free. Calls to 9-1-1 from a public telephone are also free. They can also be made with a wireless device that is deactivated (without a subscription), but still functional.  

VoIP, or Voice over IP, uses the Internet to transmit voice calls instead of traditional telephone networks. Local VoIP services work by routing voice calls via an Internet connection within a specific geographical area, often using local or regional servers.

The municipal 9-1-1 tax imposed on all telephone service customers is the only amount paid to municipalities to finance emergency centers, after deduction of certain third-party fees provided for by regulation. Any other amount indicated on a customer’s bill as “9-1-1 service or access” refers to network or connection costs authorized by the CRTC for… Read more »

The municipal 911 tax generated gross annual revenues of $50.6 million in 2022. Of this amount, $49.37 million was paid to municipalities to fund 911 emergency call centers. The difference represents administration fees withheld by telephone service providers, Revenu Québec and the Agence municipale de financement et de développement des centers d’urgence 9-1-1 du Québec…. Read more »

Since December 2009, funding has been provided by a municipal tax that all telephone service providers, including wireless services, Internet telephony and calling cards, must collect from their customers. Prior to this date, funding for 911 emergency centers serving municipalities was provided by a municipal tariff of $0.47 per month, which appeared on the bill… Read more »

The Agence municipale de financement et de développement des Centres d’urgence 9-1-1 du Québec is a non-profit organization responsible for receiving, managing and distributing the proceeds of the tax among local municipalities. The distribution is made according to the formula determined by its Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is made up of representatives… Read more »

As agents of the municipalities, telephone service providers must collect the municipal 911 tax from their customers on a monthly basis and remit it to Revenu Québec. These revenues are then distributed to the municipalities required to provide 911 emergency center services on their territory, through the Agence municipale de financement et de développement des… Read more »

Next Generation 9-1-1 (9-1-1 PG) is an initiative to upgrade current emergency communications systems to a more advanced, technologically sophisticated platform by integrating digital and IP technologies.  The modernization of the 9-1-1 network, for example, will enable Canadian citizens to transmit audio and text messages, as well as streaming video and photos that can greatly… Read more »

The 9-1-1 municipal tax enables municipalities to provide sustainable, predictable funding for emergency call centers on their territory. Reference : Taxe municipale pour le 9-1-1 – Fiscalité – Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation (gouv.qc.ca)