Your IFTA Deadline Cheat Sheet

You’re out of time! Your 3rd quarter IFTA return is officially due today, October 31st. Use your IFTA deadline cheat sheet to help yourself file by midnight in order to avoid facing major penalties.

Using your TruckLogic’s quarterly IFTA reports, so you can file with ease. Simply log into your account to enter your mileage and fuel records to generate your quarterly IFTA report. If you’ve been updating your totals all quarter long then your IFTA report is already prepared and you can use it to instantly complete your return. The entire process is incredibly easy, but to help you out, even more, we’ve provided a few helpful IFTA reminders.

Your IFTA Deadline Cheat Sheet

What Is IFTA?

IFTA is the International Fuel Tax Agreement. It’s used by the lower 48 United States and 10 Canadian Provinces to simplify fuel reporting for qualified motor vehicles that travel between two or more jurisdictions.

Your IFTA return must be completed on a quarterly basis with your base jurisdiction or the jurisdiction where your qualifying motor vehicle is registered. The taxes collected are equally redistributed to each jurisdiction.

IFTA Penalties 

Go ahead and file by the deadline because the IFTA penalties are no joke. For example, if you miss the deadline you will face a penalty of 10% for the taxes you owe or $50 depending on which amount is greater.

Plus, if you don’t pay the amount of fuel tax you owe by the deadline you will face a penalty of .4167% of the total taxes you owe. That amount will accrue on a monthly basis until you pay the amount you owe in full.

Your base jurisdiction also reserves the right to suspend or even revoke your IFTA license, which wouldn’t be good, because then you would get parked. However, don’t worry this generally isn’t the case for first-time offenders.

Required IFTA Information 

In order to complete your return you need to include the:

  • Total miles traveled per jurisdiction 
  • Total amount of fuel consumed per jurisdiction 
  • The tax paid on all fuel purchases
  • And the current tax rate per jurisdiction.
Qualifying IFTA Motor Vehicle 

Your vehicle qualifies for IFTA if it travels between at least two jurisdictions and is used, designed, or maintained for the transportation of persons or property and has:

  • Two or more axles with a gross weight exceeding 26,000 pounds
  • Two or more axles and a gross registered weight exceeding 26,000 pounds
  • Three or more axles regardless of weight
  • A combination weight exceeding 26,000 pounds.

Your Base Jurisdiction

Your base jurisdiction is where:

Your qualified motor vehicles are based for registration
Records of your qualified motor vehicles are maintained in the event of an audit
And where qualified motor vehicles traveling through the jurisdiction within the fleet acquire some mileage. 

We’re Here For You 

If you need any assistance with your IFTA report simply give the awesome, US-based TruckLogics support team a call. We’re available Monday – Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM EST at 704.234.6005. We’re also available via live chat and offer 24/7 email support at [email protected].

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