Moreover, these "property tax" charges are subject to sudden, ballooning changes – one customer reported at 335% increase in the "property tax" charge over the space of a single billing cycle.
Most companies would consider property taxes one of the costs of doing business, and they'd simply factor the taxes into their advertised prices instead of deceiving customers by listing one price in an order and then charging a higher one. At the risk of giving AT&T's billing department more ideas, why stop at property taxes? Why not charge customers separate fees for AT&T's water and electricity bills, too?
"I pay my own property tax, don't want to pay theirs!"