What is IFTA?
IFTA is a method to collect and allocate tax funds around the US and Canada based on miles driven in each state and where you purchase fuel.Do I Need an IFTA License?
You need an IFTA license if your truck crosses state lines and meets weight or axle thresholds. In basic terms: a vehicle is “qualified” for IFTA if it crosses state lines and meets any of these criteria:- Heavy: It has two axles and weighs over 26,000 lbs.
- Big: It has three or more axles (regardless of weight).
- Combined: It is part of a combination (like a truck and trailer) that weighs over 26,000 lbs total.
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- 1) has two axles and a gross vehicle weight or registered gross vehicle weight exceeding 26,000 pounds or 11,797 kilograms; or
- 2) has three or more axles regardless of weight; or
- 3) is used in combination, when the weight of such combination exceeds 26,000 pounds or 11,797 kilograms gross vehicle or registered gross vehicle weight.
How Do I Apply for an IFTA License?
For new owner-operators, the IFTA application is handled online based on where your trucking business is registered and has a physical presence. This is called your base jurisdiction. You can find the link on the IFTA website, or the TruckingOffice IFTA Resource Center has a link to all the IFTA websites. The application is online and requires business data, your truck information, and some personal data. Preparing your information for your IFTA application will speed up the process.| Category | Required Data Points |
| Business Details | Legal Business Name, DBA (if applicable), Business Structure, FEIN/SSN, and Physical Business Address. |
| Operational Info | Active USDOT Number, IFTA licensing history, and information on any bulk fuel storage sites. |
| Vehicle Data | Make, model, year, fuel type, full VIN, unit number, and registered Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). |
| Supporting Docs | Proof of vehicle registration, IRS-stamped Form 2290 (for vehicles 55k+ lbs), and relevant lease agreements. |
What’s a Temporary Fuel Permit?
A temporary fuel permit is purchased by a new owner-operator to cover the fuel tax obligations for the trip or for a limited time, usually 3 to 10 days. This permits the truck driver to travel through the state while waiting for the IFTA stickers to arrive. In some cases, the miles driven in the state must be reported on the IFTA quarterly filing. A temporary fuel permit does not replace IFTA reporting. In other cases, the answer is exactly the opposite. The temporary fuel permit for a specific jurisdiction will not require the miles for those dates to be reported on IFTA, as the permit covers the cost for that time period. The miles must be reported on the IFTA filing, but are not considered taxable miles.Do I Need a Temporary IFTA Credential or Temporary Fuel Permit?
It depends on your base jurisdiction. Contact them for the rules that apply to you because there are two different “temporary permits.” It’s easy for new owner-operators to confuse them.- ✅If you have an IFTA permit: you need the Temporary IFTA credential/decal permit. Your miles will be added to the IFTA filing.
- ✅If you don’t have an IFTA permit: you need the Temporary Fuel Trip permit to cover the fuel taxes due on that trip. These miles are not reported as taxable IFTA miles.
Can I Haul Freight Without an IFTA License or a Temporary Fuel Permit?
If you drive without either an IFTA license or a temporary fuel permit, you risk some severe penalties. It may be better to stay in your state until the IFTA stickers arrive or purchase the temporary fuel permit. You’re up against some potential penalties:- ✅roadside citations or fine
- ✅immediately required to purchase the temporary fuel permit
- ✅assessment of unpaid fuel taxes, penalties, and interest
- ✅detained until you become compliant
- ✅possible impoundment or seizure of the vehicle.
How Do I Track Miles by State?
The most common methods for tracking miles per state are manual logs, electronic logging devices (ELDs), or digital spreadsheets. For the highest accuracy and lowest audit risk, an integrated TMS and ELD system is recommended.✅Manual: Keeping a log of miles per state by writing down odometer readings when you drive into a state and when you leave. This requires the driver to be very alert – and find a way to write down the numbers while driving. Some owner-operators will try to guess. IFTA doesn’t recommend guessing. They want exact numbers. Guessing can lead to audits. Nobody wants that.
✅Electronic: Many truckers now use their electronic logging device (ELD or ELog) to handle this task. The ELD’s GPS tracks location, so the miles-per-state numbers are easy to determine.
✅Hybrid: Using a spreadsheet. Keeping a Google Sheet on your phone and entering the data on it is a blend of the Manual and Electronic methods.
New owners often look at a monthly trucking management software subscription and decide to try manual for a while. That’s how the founders of TruckingOffice ran their trucking company – until one ended up in the hospital and had to explain to his family members how to use his spreadsheet system. Paperwork backed up for weeks until he could manage it again.
Tracking on a Napkin?
Truckers need organization like they need fuel. Without organization, a trucking business won’t be moving freight because the owner will be stuck at a desk, trying to figure out if that Wendy’s napkin is how much fuel he bought or the price of tolls on the Ohio Turnpike. That’s why we believe most independent owner-operators use computers to prepare their IFTA filings. The question is – what are they using? Are they making the best choice?| Method | Accuracy | Effort | Risk of Audit |
| Manual/Analog | Low | High | High |
| Spreadsheets | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Integrated TMS/ELD | High | Low | Low |
Is My Credit Card Receipt Good Enough for IFTA?
No, the credit card receipt does not report the data you’ll need for your IFTA filing. Credit cards show some but not all of the information you’ll need to file IFTA.- ✅Date of purchase
- ✅Price per gallon or total amount
- ✅Vendor’s name
- ✅ID of the vehicle receiving the fuel
- ✅Vendor’s address
- ✅Purchaser’s name (driver or company)
- ✅Type of fuel (gas, diesel, etc.)
How Long Does It Take to File IFTA?
An IFTA report usually only takes seconds to prepare when using a TMS., such as Using a manual or hybrid method, the time it takes is directly related to how organized your data is. If you use a TMS like TruckingOffice, your IFTA report takes less than one minute to be prepared and a few minutes to input the data into your IFTA portal. If you use a manual method with a handwritten log or spreadsheet, it will take longer. Back in the day, truckers would have to take a day off the road and then take their numbers to the state tax office to have them checked. That’s how our in-house owner-operator handled his IFTA for years. That’s part of the reason TruckingOffice exists.When Is IFTA Due?
IFTA filings are due on the last day of the month after the end of the quarter:| Reporting Quarter | Due Date |
| January to March | April 30 |
| April to June | July 31 |
| July to September | October 31 |
| October to December | January 31 (of the following year.) |
How Do I Pay IFTA?
Your base jurisdiction has a way to pay IFTA online. Each jurisdiction determines if it will accept a money transfer, credit card, or debit card payment.What’s the Fastest Way to File?
Use a TMS that tracks expenses and miles and reuses that data to compile an IFTA report. This method has multiple benefits.- Your data is already entered for billing purposes. Repeat data entry increases the chances of errors, so reusing the numbers is not just quicker – it’s more accurate.
- You can run an IFTA report at any time. By knowing your current IFTA balance, you can set aside funds over the course of the quarter so you don’t have to depend on credit to cover the bill.
- It’s fast. A day off the road to calculate IFTA payments is a day you’re not hauling and earning money. A quick, acccurate report gets you back on the road.
Can TruckingOffice Keep Me Organized?
Yes, absolutely. Keeping all your data in one program, reusing information, tracking customers, and managing invoices in one place is the best way to stay organized. Because staying on top of IFTA matters is one of the most important duties of a transportation professional, you need to know the hard truth. The IFTA is better than what we used to have, but that doesn’t make it easy. What you need is something to make the task fast and easy, giving you more time to do the one thing that actually puts money in your pocket: driving.TruckingOffice Makes It Easy.
With the right software, you can avoid the IFTA headaches. TruckingOffice makes keeping track of these regulations simple. Our software’s cutting-edge features do all the busy work for you, making sure that you pay exactly what you owe and not a penny more. And you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to use. Find out for yourself by taking TruckingOffice for a free 30-day test drive starting today.
We have a new truck that does not leave the state. Do we have to register it as IFTA or leave it off?
Once you have an IFTA license you have to report all miles driven even if you have one truck that never leaves the state.
I have a non CDL Box truck And leave out of state. Will I still need to register for IFTA
So every mile counts even if you aren’t pulling a load?
Yes, all miles count for IFTA – loaded and empty miles.
I’m a owner operator not new. My previous employer has always handled this part, however this year because i use my own card to fuel he refuses to issue me one. How much does this software cost. Thank you.
Check out the trucking software pricing then start your FREE TRIAL!
I don’t own a company. I’m leasing a truck thru a company and driving for them. I pay for my own fuel. They said they won’t file IFTA for me. I would have to get my own IFTA account. Can I do that without owning the truck.
Yes. It is just for paying the fuel tax. If you are operating as an owner operator while purchasing the truck you can have your own IFTA account.
I’m hot shot driving with a chevy 1500. I will never reach 26000 lbs even with a trailer. Do I need to worry about ifta?
No. If your GVWR is under 26,000 lbs. then you don’t have to worry about IFTA fuel taxes. For official answers about IFTA contact the IFTA office in your base jurisdiction. You can find their contact info here in our IFTA directory.
I am an owner operator with a truck leased on from Mississippi, I have a Mississippi plate. Now, I am leased on with a carrier company in FL and reside there too. I don’t have the money to get my own tag from Florida they are one of the priciest states. The company I’m leased onto as owner operator does not want to assign me under the ifta account they do not want to provide me a decal and I use their fuel card as well. Aren’t they suppose to be the ones providing me with an ifta decal? I don’t understand. As far as I know the fl ifta law states the carrier must provide the ifta sticker but I’m not sure since the plate is from another state.
The carrier that you are leasing too has the option to add you to their IFTA account, or they can require you to get your own IFTA account.
If I obtain my own IRP and tags but use my company’s insurance and DOT, who keeps up with IFTA?
Each trucking company handles it differently. Sometimes the carrier will handle everything for IFTA and sometimes the owner operator will get their own IFTA stickers and IFTA permits.
My truck has only 2 axles, 4 with trailer weighs less than 26,000 empty, I can only get 45 gallons of fuel in it, I have to fuel all of the time, do I have to get Ifta , seems like a lot of work to prove that the states are getting equal Amy of tax from my truck.
If your truck is rates less than 26,ooo lbs. GVWR then you don’t need to file for an IFTA permit.
If I am purchasing a truck from a trucking company and and I want to use my own fuel card.They said, I need to get my own ifta can’t I do that while operating under their authority? And they paid for the plates. I’m under their insurance. Their registration irp, and all that, how do I get my own ifta, so u can use my own fuel card
For specific answers about IFTA check out our IFTA Resource Center or contact you local IFTA office.
I’m a new owner operator and I just got approved for a IFTA license but the state may take up to 2 weeks to send my decal. Can I run loads before getting the decal?
Yes, you can run on the paper IFTA Permit until the IFTA stickers come in the mail.
If I buy fuel in the states that have IFTA does the excess go to states that don’t have IFTA? If not, where does it go?
I have a company that is hiring independent owner operator. He is using our fuel card and I am deducting fuel purchases.
Does he require his own IFTA or does he run undermine.
Do we have to count fuel purchase for reefer?
Hello!
Reefer fuel does not count toward IFTA.
You can still enter it as an expense within the expense column using the Reefer Fuel category-it will transfer to the reefer fuel report on the right side of the dashboard page that way you can still track it.
We are an invoicing system that helps you stay organized. Once you enter your trips into the system, there are 15 reports on the right side of the dashboard page that you can automatically generate from that. For instance, you can generate profit and loss reports, unit revenue, IFTA, driver settlements, create invoices, expenses and maintenance reports, etc.
Feel free to start a 30 day free trial at https://www.truckingoffice.com. There’s no obligation!
We have a truck but it does not run. Do we still need to file for IFTA taxes?
Hello,
You would need to contact your local IFTA office for that information.
https://www.truckingoffice.com/ifta/
Please let us know if you need anything else!
I’m carrier, if I hire owner operator with his truck, who gonna be responsible for IFTA of he fuels from his card?
If him, will he present his own IFTA registration for inspection? Is not it supposed to match with carrier DOT?
Each trucking company handles these types of issues differently. The owner operator could have his own IFTA account with his own permits, or he could use your IFTA account and pay for his portion of the IFTA taxes. For more information about IFTA check out our IFTA Resource Directory.
We are own our own truck and drive for a small company I use my fuel card that I pay for some of my fuel a d the company keeps wanting those receipts as well but I need for my taxes why and should I give them my receipts
The company needs to document how many gallons are purchased in every IFTA jurisdiction. You should give them copies of the receipts, so that you can also have them for your tax records.
do owner operators file their own or can they put there gallons and miles on company ifta?
Hello,
You would need to contact your local IFTA office for that information.
https://www.truckingoffice.com/ifta/
We are an invoicing system that helps you stay organized. Once you enter your trips into the system, there are 15 reports on the right side of the dashboard page that you can automatically generate from that. For instance, you can generate profit and loss reports, unit revenue, IFTA, driver settlements, create invoices, expenses and maintenance reports, etc.
Feel free to start a 30 day free trial at https://www.truckingoffice.com/. There’s no obligation!
My husband is working under a company’s authority for the first time. He doesn’t have his authority yet. Can he takes care and pay for the IFTA even without an authority. He believes is paying too much to this company for the service.
Every company handles this differently. It is possible to have your own IFTA permit and file independently, but you would have to check with the company that he is leased on with to prevent any conflicts.
how can i obtain my ifta reports without having to drive to tallahasseee after i’ve submitted them
I’m not sure what you are looking for. If you already filed your IFTA forms then you should have copies of them. If you used TruckingOffice IFTA software then you can run the IFTA Reports at any time. If you need to contact your IFTA jurisdiction then you can find their contact information here http://www.truckingoffice.com/ifta
I’m in the process of opening a sole proprietorship trucking business. is it possible to not register any trucks and therefore not have IFTA and rent a truck from Penske and not have to worry about filing for IFTA ?
If I also use my truck for personal use, do I report off-duty miles as well?
Do I need to have IFTA when I only drive in my home state, as a local driver?
No, you only need IFTA if you drive to other states. IFTA is meant to provide fuel tax revenue to each state that you drive in regardless of where you buy your fuel.
So if I’m not leaving my state I don’t need IFTA?
That’s right because you pay your fuel tax at the pump, and you drive all of the miles in your state.
how does this work for a Hotshot that his work truck also gets used for personal use, do I have to keep track when I’m driving it around town.
You have to keep track of the miles driven when hauling freight. Use beginning odometer readings for every trip to make sure that your IFTA miles are accurate.
We are an owner operator startup and we use the ifta from the company we drive for? Do I also need to file?
It sounds like the company that you drive for will file the IFTA reports. Check with them to make sure that they will include your truck on their IFTA permit.
I’m a new o/o and I’m having a horrible time getting my IFTA. I have a truck sitting cause I can’t get my IFTA.. I’m in south Carolina. Any ideas
Check out our IFTA Resource Center for more information.
Does DEF fall under a fuel expense? Or separate expense of some sort? We are an owner-operator located in NC.
I Just obtained my own plate for my semi and will be leasing on to another company out of state. The company told me to get my own ifta sticker. Is that possible? Or do I have to use that company’s ifta decals because I’m leasing on to them? Thanks in advance for your response
You can get your own IFTA stickers even when you are leased on to another carrier.
We just finalized registration for an IFTA license and paid for the decals. Once paid can we begin operating immediately with just a copy of the license or do we need to wait for the original to be mailed along with the decals?
You can run your truck with the IFTA permit while waiting for your IFTA stickers to come in the mail.
State trooper stop me and have me a violation for not having IFTA but my truck is under 25995 pounds and it’s only 2 axles. What to do ?
We have a couple owner operator units running under their own authority driving local only in MI. However, they purchase fuel with company fuel card which shows up under our IFTA report of the number of gallons being purchased in each state. If we are being charged for the number of gallons being purchased, do we need to have the trucks under our own authority/IRP instead?
If they have their own IFTA permit and stickers then you can exclude those trucks when you file your IFTA tax forms. You could just provide the fuel gallons to those drivers so that they can add it to their IFTA report.
Thank you for your reply. Another quick question (second part from my previous)-we learned the owners in the stage of MI, are not required to have an IFTA/IRP if they specifically running as a local driver but still have MI registration and plates. How does the IFTA reporting work in this case. Do we exclude them since they do not have IFTA decal? Can they still run under out DOT number as well? Thank you again
Yes, they would be exempt from IFTA taxes because the buy all of their fuel in Michigan and drive all of their miles there. IFTA stickers are only needed when you cross state lines. For official answers to specific questions like this one check with the local Michigan IFTA office.
I purchased a 26 ft box truck that’s less than 26,000 pounds and will be crossing state lines. Do I need an IFTA sticker?
Iam an owner operator that is lease under a company when applying for IFTA they ask for dot, do i apply with company dot and can I apply with business name?
No, you just provide the DOT number of the carrier that you are lease to.
If an IFTA licenses was purchased in the first quarter however, the driver never left the state and is a local driver in his state, does the driver have to renew the IFTA license? When I attempt to renew it state: This license cannot be renewed at this time. At least one return with greater than 0 miles for a jurisdiction other than Michigan must be filed within the previous 4 quarters in order to renew. Does this mean he does not need an IFTA license if he stays local?
Yes, IFTA is only needed if the driver goes across the state line.
I have my own authority with all the permit NY, NM, KY, and CT. However, I still have IFTA under a company that I leasing. Who will report IFTA, me or that company?
IF MY TRUCKS HAVE BEEN LEASED TO ANOTHER COMPANY AND THEY HAVE IFTA STICKERS AND I GO INDEPENDENT FROM THEM AND JUST DRIVE IN TEXAS. WILL I HAVE TO CONTINUE TO PREPORT TO IFTA.
If you stay in Texas all the time, then you don’t need an IFTA permit or IFTA stickers.
I’m in the process of activating my authority for general freight /
the way I want to operate is lease on owner operators to my authority. do I as on authority need to have my own IFTA?
You could have your own IFTA permit for the whole fleet, or require each owner operator to have their own IFTA permit.
I am a new owner/operator with new MC . Ifta requires u to have your truck registered with your LLC and I have a loan on it and can’t add my LLC.. what can I do?
If an Owner applies for his own IFTA account does he have to get his own IRP plates as well or can he use the plates of the company he is driving for?
We are a privately held company and do not have trucks for hire. We operate heavy trucks to haul aggregate sold to our customers and equipment used on our projects. We currently file quarterly returns for IFTA but wondering if we are actually required to do so given that we are not a commercial trucking company with vehicles for hire.
I have a new truck. Do I need to make another IFTA application for the truck? Or do I just start reporting the miles and gallons of the two trucks?
If the state is holding me up in getting my ifta can I run with a letter stating this?