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Guide to Paying and Filing IFTA Fuel Taxes for Motor Carriers
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If you are a truck driver or otherwise involved in the motor carrier business, the IFTA fuel tax process is a key requirement for doing business. As such, you must find out how IFTA taxes affect you as well as the compliance procedures you must meet. Other relevant carriers include buses and other public vehicles. Failure to pay IFTA taxes or file them on time could result in the suspension of your IFTA license. That, in turn, means you are unable to operate your truck or other motor carriers legally, leading to lost business opportunities.
IFTA stands for International Fuel Tax Agreement. This is a common agreement for assessing and paying fuel taxes for commercial vehicle operators. It applies to almost all U.S. states as well as Canada. Under IFTA, you need to file your fuel taxes in a base jurisdiction but will be liable for taxes in all jurisdictions where your vehicle or vehicles pass through. When you file IFTA taxes, you will pay the amounts you owe as well as receive any refunds due to you from states where you overpaid fuel taxes.
Calculating IFTA Taxes
You can use an IFTA calculator online to estimate your due taxes for each state through which you will drive. IFTA taxes are assessed in proportion to the amount of fuel you purchase in a particular state. The state in which you buy the fuel affects the tax rate. So does the state in which you burn the fuel, while traveling on the roads in that state.
For example, below are some tax rates per gallon of gasoline in some selected IFTA states:
- Ontario - $0.4251
- Connecticut - $0.2500
- Maryland - $0.3380
- Arizona - $0.1800
- Quebec - $0.5552
- Nova Scotia - $0.4482
As you can see, each state charges a different tax rate per gallon of fuel. In addition, there are different rates for other fuels, most importantly diesel, which is used in a large number of heavy vehicles. The International Fuel Tax Association, among others, operates a website that allows you to calculate IFTA taxes online.
IFTA Reporting
IFTA simplifies the process of fuel tax reporting and licensing. When it comes to reporting, you only ever need to send a quarterly filing to your base jurisdiction. This is commonly the state in which your truck business or other motor carrier business is based.
IFTA reporting involves mailing a return or handing it in personally at the Motor Carrier Services department at your state's DMV. Some states give the option of online IFTA reporting and tax filing. The due dates for filing are generally at the end of each reporting quarter. They do not necessarily correspond to normal business quarters, so you will need to look up the exact dates for your state.
In your IFTA filing, you must indicate the total number of miles traveled as well as the total number of gallons of fuel consumed. Even if the truck was not in use during that time, you must file IFTA taxes for it, otherwise your license may be revoked.
Getting an IFTA License
IFTA presents a convenience when seeking a fuel tax license. In the absence of IFTA, it was necessary to obtain a separate license from each state through which a motor carrier did business. This added costs and unnecessary red tape to licensing.
With IFTA, getting a valid IFTA license from a single member state qualifies the motor vehicle to pass through other states. While taxes will be due in all states, the process of handling them is centralized to the base jurisdiction of the truck. As a driver, you just pay taxes at the pump. Each quarter you then do your filing and reconcile any missing taxes with the separate states through a single filing process.
To obtain an IFTA license, you must file the IFTA license application form with your state DMV. This form could be Form IFTA-1, or a similar form. Many states do not charge a fee for the license and decals. However, if you are delinquent with fuel taxes in any member state, you might be unable to obtain an IFTA license until you pay up what you owe.
What Are IFTA Taxes Used for?
While IFTA taxes may seem like an onerous requirement for commercial drivers and motor carrier businesses, they do serve a purpose. These taxes are used in the repair and maintenance of state roads and highways. The costs, therefore, aid in the upkeep of essential road infrastructure.
Sometimes, IFTA taxes are insufficient to repair or upgrade the roads. States will then fund these expenses out of their other programs. Having stellar highways benefits everybody involved in the motor carrier business.
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Source: https://www.life123.com/article/guide-to-paying-and-filing-ifta-fuel-taxes-for-motor-carriers?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740009%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex