Years ago, every state had its own regulations and mandates regarding ifta fuel tax report requirements, but most have now become members of the IFTA. An acronym for the International Fuel Tax Agreement, the system works to standardize many of the varied and (occasionally) contradicting rules that many states used to create. Some may retain additional requirements for their fuel tax reporting, but the process has become a lot simpler now that many have adopted this more universal standard.
- Registering a base state. Because most trucking companies operate all over the country, or at least across a wide region, it can be difficult to know in which (or even in how many) states to register as a base. The IFTA does not set absolute standards for these, so you will need to contact the local register if you have a place of business in a state, maintain mileage records, and/or register your vehicles there.
- Qualified vehicles and fuels. Here the IFTA is a little more specific with its fuel tax reporting requirements. To be qualified, a motor vehicle must travel in at least two IFTA jurisdictions, and: must weigh over 26,000 pounds, or have three or more axles on the power unit, or (less applicably to truck companies) be a bus that can carry at least 20 passengers. To be licensed for tax reporting, these vehicles must use diesel, propane, or natural gas—though some jurisdictions will require even gas-powered vehicles to be licensed.
- Applications. Every vehicle belonging to a carrier must apply for an annual license—which is validated with two decals (to be placed on either door). You must contact your local department of motor vehicles for an application for a new vehicle, but the IFTA will send renewal applications automatically for the following years. Once approved, every qualified vehicle must carry a copy of the distributed licenses.
- Fuel tax reporting. A fuel tax report must be submitted four times a year that covers all of a carrier’s qualified vehicles. Scheduled in quarters on the calendar year, a check must accompany each report to cover any tax payment due—usually made payable to the base state’s Secretary of State. Reports will reveal that you have accumulated a tax credit from tax-paid fuel. If this number exceeds whatever you owe, a refund or additional credit to cover future payments will be given.
- Receipts. In order to receive those refunds or tax credits, receipt information from tax-paid purchases must also accompany each quarterly fuel tax report. These receipts must include: the date of purchase, fuel type, seller’s name and address, purchaser’s name, vehicle registration number, total amount of sale, and number of gallons purchased.
- Records. In addition to keeping up with fuel tax reporting, all registered carriers must maintain records of individual vehicle mileage reports—to be summarized monthly—as well as information of all fuel bought at service stations.
These ifta fuel tax report requirements are specific and can be at times aggravating, but compared to the hassle of complying with multiple states’ standards, the universality of IFTA’s regulations is a welcome thing. For more information on IFTA software for trucking, check us out!
You can also find more IFTA information in our IFTA Resource Center including a directory to your home state’s IFTA office.
I run a hot shot business. 2 trucks, 2 trailers, each combined weight less than 26000 lbs. When deliveries are out of state, a fuel and trip permit is purchased for each respective State. I am new to the business and need to understand why I pay to drive in a state and pay again with IFTA?
Because you need to have license plates for each state and pay each state their fuel tax. Check into IRP apportioned plates, and an IFTA license.
if i have a bulk fuel tank in my yard do i need to report the miles for that equipment or is it exempt?
Having a bulk fuel tank does not make you exempt from IFTA reporting. If you drive out of state then you have report you miles and gallons on the IFTA reports the same way.
i too bulk fuel at my yards & operate interstate. do i have to separate my individual unit’s fuel consumption by state?
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.
We also have an ELD solution available if needed. https://www.truckingoffice.com/eld/
Feel free to start a 30 day free trial at https://www.truckingoffice.com/. There’s no obligation!
If that “HotShot” company is under 26,000lbs does it still require IFTA? Am I not understanding this correctly? “To be qualified, a motor vehicle must travel in at least two IFTA jurisdictions, and: must weigh over 26,000 pounds, or have three or more axles on the power unit, or (less applicably to truck companies) be a bus that can carry at least 20 passengers”.
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 truckingoffice.com. There’s no obligation!
I have 2 trucks both under the 26,000 lb requirement and both only have 2 axels. My trucks do not leave NYS, so am I required to file IFTA 100 or is that not necessary?
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!
Will KY ifta mail a return form to me or do i have to fill it out online.
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.
We also have an ELD solution available if needed. https://www.truckingoffice.com/eld/
Feel free to start a 30 day free trial at https://www.truckingoffice.com/. There’s no obligation!
Do I need ifta if I stay local in one State?
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 have trucks registered for California only, but have 3 or 4 loads that we would like to deliver to Oregon. What measures or permits will I need to drive these trucks out of California as we do not have apportioned tags or IFTA?
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 am a Driveaway self employed contacted driver. I pick up and deliver trucks buses and motor homes.i contract under three companies. Only one charges me fuel taxes.i pay taxes at fuel pump are they double dipping.
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!
how long dose it take to get ifta licences in alberta.
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.
We also have an ELD solution available if needed. https://www.truckingoffice.com/eld/
Feel free to start a 30 day free trial at https://www.truckingoffice.com/. There’s no obligation!
If you fuel up in your state and cross lines to another state but you do not purchase fuel and come back in the same 11 hour driving day do you have to log a trip report
Hello,
You would need to contact your local IFTA office for that information.
http://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.
We also have an ELD solution available if needed. https://www.truckingoffice.com/eld/
Feel free to start a 30 day free trial at https://www.truckingoffice.com/. There’s no obligation!
Hi, we are a small trucking company with 1 truck and might be going to one other State occasionally, are we subject to IFTA filing or is there another option for cases like that? Like a temporary card?
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!
Are there any roads driven that IFTA doesn’t apply? For instance a Private Road.
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’ve been driving under someones authority, gave notice (40 days), at the end of the 40 days I returned plates & all stickers. In that 40 days the truck (hot shot) was driven just for personal reasons in a 50 mile radius, never out of state never loaded and only added fuel once. He is asking for a video of my VIN and current Odometer reading. Does IFTA require this information?
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.
We also have an ELD solution available if needed. https://www.truckingoffice.com/eld/
Feel free to start a 30 day free trial at https://www.truckingoffice.com/. There’s no obligation!
If I have over 150 vehicles about to grow to over 200 what software would you recommend to ease the pain of IFTA reporting?
Hello!
We are an invoicing system that helps you stay organized. Once you enter your trips into the system, we use PC Miler’s best practical route to calculate the miles and sort them state-by-state, including the empty miles. Once you’ve entered your loads and fuel expense, the software does the rest! You can easily generate the IFTA report and it will have the miles and gallons sorted for you. On our Pro version, there is also an IFTA tax report that calculates the taxes per state! There are 15 other reports on the right side of the dashboard page that you can automatically generate from that as well. For instance, you can generate profit and loss reports, unit revenue, 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!
If I’m paying tax at the pump when I buy gas, what is the point of this?
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 work for a mobile calibration company. We use Ford F350 trucks and 34′ mobile cal labs. Our combined weight is under 23,000 lbs and our power unit is two axles. Are we required to apply for IFTA?
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!
Do I have to have a IFTA plate if my truck goes into the neighboring state only 1-2x per week? It is only going at the most 45 miles into the state
Hello!
You would need to contact your state’s IFTA office for that information.
https://www.truckingoffice.com/ifta/
Please let us know if you need anything else!
Do you turn in the receipts in along with the report?
Hello!
With our software, all you would need to do is enter your load information and fuel expenses…our system uses PC Miler’s best practical route to calculate the miles and sorts the loaded and empty miles state-by-state. From there, you can easily generate the IFTA report and it will have all of the miles and gallons sorted. From there, our Pro version also has an IFTA tax report that calculates the taxes per state.
Please feel free to start a 30 day free trial at truckingoffice.com. There’s no obligation!