What Is A Gas Tax
A gas tax is commonly used to describe the variety of taxes levied on gasoline at both the federal and state levels, to provide funds for highway repair and maintenance, as well as for other government infrastructure projects. These taxes are levied in a few ways, including per-gallon excise taxes, excise taxes imposed on wholesalers, and general sales taxes that apply to the purchase of gasoline.
Whats At Stake For Biden
A lot. Gas prices and inflation more broadly are among the biggest political liabilities for Democrats heading into Novembers midterm elections.
Biden and his administration have repeatedly blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war on Ukraine for rising gas and energy prices, though experts also cite other factors including high demand, clogged supply chains, rising housing costs and Covid-19 stimulus efforts as reasons behind the surging prices.
A CNN poll published last month found that the economy remains a notably weak spot for the President.
Only 23% rate economic conditions as even somewhat good, down from 37% in December and 54% in April 2021. The last time public perception of the economy was this poor in CNNs polling was November 2011, when 18% called economic conditions good.
Americans also said by nearly 4 to 1 that they were more likely to hear bad news than good news about the economy.
If that doesnt change, Democrats aspirations for November could soon be running on empty.
CNNs Kevin Liptak, Daniella Diaz, Sarah Fortinsky and Lauren Fox contributed to this report.
What Are The Chances Biden’s Plan Passes In Congress
In February six moderate Democrats in the Senate, some of them up for re-election in November, introduced a bill to suspend the gasoline tax. But the bill faced opposition from Republicans, including the party’s senate leader Mitch McConnell because it failed to also suspend the tax on diesel that’s used by many trucks.
Biden’s request “is dead on arrival,” Senator John Thune, the second-ranking Republican in the chamber, said on Wednesday.
Even some of Biden’s fellow Democrats have been skeptical of suspending the federal tax, however. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in March that oil companies would simply raise fuel prices and reap profits. Pelosi stopped short of committing to the plan on Wednesday. “We will see where the consensus lies on a path forward for the Presidentâs proposal in the House and the Senate,” she said in a statement.
Senator Tom Carper, a Democrat from Biden’s state of Delaware, said on Twitter on Tuesday that “suspending the primary way that we pay for infrastructure projects on our roads is a shortsighted and inefficient way to provide relief,” adding that other options for lowering energy costs should be explored.
The opposition from senior Democrats could mean Biden’s proposal fails.
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What Percentage Of The Cost Of Gas In Washington Comes From Taxes And Gas Station Profit
The diagram above shows how the prices of an average gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel are broken down among various components, including the cost of the crude oil, refining, distribution / marketing, and taxes. In most areas, state and federal excise taxes amount to about 13% of the cost of a gallon of gas. Gas stations generally only profit a few cents per gallon.
Have Any States Enacted Gas Tax Holidays
In recent months, , Connecticut and New York all suspended their gas taxes for varying lengths of time.
The nonpartisan PennWharton Budget Model reviewed the tax holidays in Georgia, Maryland and Connecticut and found causal evidence that benefits were mostly passed onto consumers at some point during the tax holiday in the form of lower gas prices.
However, consumers dont receive the full benefit of state gas tax holidays. The report found that they have to share the savings with gas suppliers, which capture part of the benefit if prices at the pump dont fall by the full amount of the suspended tax.
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Will The Federal Gas Tax Increase
The short answer? Maybe.
When the federal gas tax was last increased, in August 1993, the average gallon of gasoline cost $1.06 and the first Jurassic Park movie had just hatched in theaters.
While the federal gasoline tax hasnt changed in over 25 years, construction and infrastructure-maintenance costs have greatly increased. State and local officials have estimated the cost of the nations infrastructure needs at $2 trillion.
While the Highway Trust Fund raised $41 billion in 2018, it still hasnt been enough to cover projects in recent years, forcing Congress to transfer money from other sources to cover the shortfall. The HTF may become insolvent by 2021 if nothing is done to patch the gap, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Fuel efficiency, which has steadily improved since 1975, has contributed to the shortfall.
Adding hybrid and electric cars further reduces gas tax revenues because they either use very little or no gasoline. As a response, some states have started charging a special registration fee for select vehicles to recoup some of the lost gas tax revenue.
The Trump administration has fielded the idea of increasing the federal gas tax, gaining both support and opposition in Washington from Republicans and Democrats. But its still unclear whether an increase will become a reality.
What Do Gas Taxes Cover
The bulk of revenue from gas taxes goes toward fixing wear and tear on the countrys roadways from all that driving. In fact, about half of the states have laws requiring that money raised by fuel taxes pays for roads and bridges. Most of the other states dedicate the revenue toward various modes of transportation, with New York spending more than a third of its gas tax proceeds on mass transit.
Some states do use the money for purposes unrelated to transportation, such as law enforcement, environmental protection, and education. For example, Texas dedicates a quarter of its gas tax revenue to schools.
At the federal level, nearly all funding currently goes into the Highway Trust Fund. One-tenth of a cent in federal taxes from each fuel gallon goes toward cleaning up leaks from underground petroleum storage tanks. For gas tax revenues contributed to the highway fund, 2.86 cents per gallon out of the 18.3 cents per gallon tax funds mass transit.
However, gas taxes raised at the state and federal levels are increasingly falling short of whats needed to maintain and expand the countrys roads. In 2021, the Congressional Budget Office estimated a cumulative shortfall of $195 billion for the Federal Highway Fund’s highway and mass transit spending through 2031.
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How Much Is The Federal Gas Tax In 2022
The federal government imposes a gas tax of 18.3 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.3 cents per gallon on diesel.
That is in addition to the state taxes, which are 30.63 cents on average per gallon on gasoline and 32.29 cents on average per gallon on diesel.
That adds up, therefore, to total taxes of 48.93 cents per gallon on gasoline and 56.59 per gallon on diesel for the average American.
Every Time You Top Off Your Vehicle At The Pump Youre Paying Federal And State Gas Taxes That Are Included In The Price Of Every Gallon Of Gasoline
The federal tax, at 18.4 cents per gallon, is meant to help the federal government pay to build and fix things like highways and bridges. Every state adds its own tax to every gallon sold in the state, too.
However, the federal gas tax has been stuck in neutral since 1993, which is the last time the tax was increased. Heres what you need to know about the federal gas tax and whether it may increase in the near future.
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What Is The Meaning Of A Gas Tax Holiday
The gas tax holiday would suspend the tax of 18 cents per gallon of gas and 24 cents per diesel that consumers normally pay at the pump for three months. The federal gas taxes paid by drivers goes towards the Highway Trust Fund, which the administration has said will not be negatively affected by the tax suspension as the deficit is at a low wherein the country can afford the tax holiday.
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What Is Motor Fuel Tax Revenue Used For
In 2019, revenues from the transportation fund were over $44 billion.
Depending on the jurisdiction, some of the revenue from gasoline and diesel taxes can only be used for transportation related programs like improving infrastructure. Other jurisdictions allow the revenues to be added to the general fund which is used for a variety of programs.
Meanwhile revenues from aviation fuel and jet fuel taxes mainly fund airport and Air Traffic Control operations by the Federal Aviation Administration .
This analysis is intended for informational purposes only and is not tax advice. For tax advice, consult your tax adviser. See the full disclaimer here.
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Federal Fuel Excise Taxes
The price of all motor fuel sold in Washington also includes Federal motor fuel excise taxes, which are collected from the manufacturer by the IRS and are used to support the Federal Highway Administration. Federal excise tax rates on various motor fuel products are as follows:
| Gasoline | |
|---|---|
| Compressed Natural Gas | $0.184 per gallon |
Included in the Gasoline, Diesel/Kerosene, and Compressed Natural Gas rates is a 0.1 ¢ per gallon charge for the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund .
These tax rates are based on energy content relative to gasoline.
Washington Fuel Tax Reports
Fuel producers and vendors in Washington have to pay fuel excise taxes, and are responsible for filing various fuel tax reports to the Washington government. Click the button below to view details on three WA fuel tax reports.
Motor fuel
Report Due: 25 th of the month following theperiod being reported
Payment Due: Paying by check, the 25 th ofthe month following theperiod being reported.Paying by Electronic FundsTransfer is due the 26 th ofthe month.
PaymentPenalties: 2% until 07/01/201510% after 07/01/2015
Specialfuel tax returns
Report Due: 25 th of the month following theperiod being reported
Payment Due: Paying by check, the 25 th ofthe month following theperiod being reported.Paying by Electronic FundsTransfer is due the 26 th ofthe month.
PaymentPenalties: 10.00%
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State Gas Tax Holidays Are More Likely
Youre much more likely to see your state gas tax suspended. One reason being that many states can afford a tax cut right now because they have budget surpluses, due to recent economic growth and/or federal pandemic-relief funds.
Five states have already temporarily suspended their gas tax or a gas tax increase but one of the gas tax holidays is already over. was the first state in the country to suspend its gas tax this year. Gov. Larry Hogan signed a bill on March 18 that authorized a 30-day gas tax holiday, which saved Marylanders about 36¢ per gallon at the pump for gasoline and approximately 37¢ per gallon for diesel. However, the suspension expired at midnight on April 16. Hogan and other Maryland officials tried unsuccessfully to extend the holiday for an additional 60 days .
A few hours after the Maryland gas tax holiday bill was signed, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp put his name on a bill that suspended his states motor fuel excise tax . Originally, the gas tax holiday was to expire at the end of May, but the governor has extended it through October 12. The Georgia tax is about 29¢ per gallon for gasoline and just under 33¢ per gallon for diesel.
Sean Lengell, Kiplinger Associate Editor and Congressional Reporter, contributed to this article.
Definition And Example Of The Federal Gasoline Excise Tax Rate
The federal gasoline excise tax is a tax that was implemented to fund transportation-related projects across the United States. It was first introduced through the Revenue Act of 1932 at a rate of $0.01 per gallon, generating $125 million during its first year. The rate has gone up slowly through the years and currently stands at $0.184 per gallon.
On June 22, 2022, President Biden urged Congress to pause the federal gas tax for a three-month period, until September 30, 2022.
The federal gas tax is an excise tax, which is a type of tax imposed on the sale of specific goods, such as gasoline. These taxes are passed on to consumers, because theyre built into the purchase price of the product.
While consumers throughout the U.S. pay the same federal gas excise tax rate whenever they buy a gallon of gas, the total amount they pay for that gas depends on the laws of the state and locality in which the fuel is purchased. For instance, while drivers in Mississippi pay a total of $0.20 per gallon of gas in federal and state taxes, drivers in California pay a whopping $0.67 for that same gallon of gas.
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Fuel Taxes In The United States
The United States federal excise tax on gasoline is 18.4 cents per gallon and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel fuel. The federal tax was last raised October 1, 1993 and is not indexed to inflation, which increased 93% from 1993 until 2022. On average, as of April 2019, state and local taxes and fees add 34.24 cents to gasoline and 35.89 cents to diesel, for a total US volume-weighted average fuel tax of 52.64 cents per gallon for gas and 60.29 cents per gallon for diesel.
Young Mum: Childcare Costs ‘so Ridiculous’
Young mother Tahnee-Lee Goldman, 30, is desperate to return to work but can’t afford the massive cost of childcare that would wipe out her salary.
‘The price of childcare is so ridiculous that it is stopping me from going back to work. I’m stuck at home until he goes back to school,’ she said.
‘A lot of my friends are in this situation and it really hampers your independence.’
The Budget will include $10.8 million for an yearlong inquiry into the ballooning cost of childcare preventing many new mothers from going back to work.
Young mother Tahnee-Lee Goldman is desperate to return to work two years after her son Leo was born but can’t afford the massive cost of childcare that would wipe out her salary
Ms Goldman welcomed the inquiry as long overdue, but said its effects would come too late to help her situation.
‘I think having more women in government is going to help and this inquiry can only be for the better if they do something about it, but I don’t think it will happen fast enough to get me back to work,’ she said.
‘The privatisation of childcare has made it really hard and just made a few people rich.
‘I used to work in real estate and I missing it, I’m definitely ready to go back, I’m a bit stir crazy at home after two years and tired of hearing Bluey.’
‘The price of childcare is so ridiculous that it is stopping me from going back to work. I’m stuck at home until he goes back to school,’ she said
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Texas’ Motor Fuels Taxes Essential Levies Support Roads Education
Unless youre filling up, you probably dont give much thought to motor fuels and even less to the taxes assessed on them. Yet these indispensable products are an important source of revenue for the federal and state governments.
Texas is a big state, and getting around it burns a lot of fuel. Texans use about 13 billion gallons of gasoline and 4.5 billion gallons of diesel fuel each year, as well as much smaller amounts of various alternative fuels such as compressed and liquefied natural gas. According to federal statistics, only eight nations used more gasoline and diesel than Texas in 2012.
That adds up to significant revenue for the state. Texas motor fuels taxes generated more than $3.4 billion in fiscal 2015, making them the fourth-largest source of state tax revenue.
Nearly all states, including Texas, use the bulk of this revenue for transportation projects. Under the Texas Constitution, after refunds and collection costs are subtracted, three-quarters of the states motor fuels tax revenue is used to build and maintain public roadways. The remainder goes to the states Available School Fund, which supports public education.
How To Use Form 4136
The form lists dozens of uses in which fuel taxes either dont apply or are reduced. For each one, you enter the number of gallons used for that purpose, then multiply by the per-gallon rate listed on the form.
For example, say you used 1,000 gallons of undyed diesel for agricultural purposes on a farm. You would enter 1,000 in the space provided for that particular use, multiply it by the credit rate of 24.3 cents/gallon to get a credit of $243. On the final line of the form, you add up all the credits.
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Conversion Factors For Marketable Natural Gas
For purposes of the Act, the conversion rates for marketable natural gas when it is measured in gigajoules or litres instead of cubic meters are provided in the table below. The rates apply to a liquid and a gas when taken at standard reference conditions, which are as follows:
- for a gas, a temperature of 15°C and an atmospheric pressure of 101.325 kilopascals , and
- for a liquid, a temperature of 15°C.
Conversion factors for marketable natural gas
| Unit |
|---|
| 26.853 cubic metres |