Time really flies, doesn’t it? It seems like just yesterday it was a hot summer day and your 2nd quarter IFTA return was due. Well, now it’s a cold autumn day and the 3rd quarter IFTA deadline is almost here. You have less than a week to file by the October 31st deadline.
Because a lot has happened this IFTA quarter with hurricane Harvey and Irma you may have a few IFTA questions regarding the waivers. That’s why we’re here to help by going over them and answering other common IFTA questions that you may have, so you can quickly and easily file.
Your IFTA Questions Answered
1. Will A Waiver Affect My Return?
Hurricane disaster relief efforts for hurricane Harvey and Irma depended on truckers to bring in crucial supplies, as a result regulations like hours of service were lifted and IFTA waivers were issued in some states. To qualify for these lifted regulations you needed to be transporting hurricane disaster supplies to affected areas.
States that issued IFTA waivers include Iowa, Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee, Alabama, Colorado, West Virginia, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Florida, and more.
Each waiver was different depending on the state, but generally, they suspended IFTA requirements for 30 days. Meaning you didn’t need your IFTA license or decals to travel through those states during the time of the waiver.
Delaware actually issued a temporary IFTA and IRP waiver from September 13th for the duration of the emergency or until October 6th, depending on which was less. Illinois’s waiver was from July 14 to August 14th.
These waivers do not have an impact on the IFTA deadline. Your return is still due on October 31. However, the best way to find out information about waivers and the deadline for your base jurisdiction is to contact a local DMV office.
2. What Are The Late Filing penalties?
It’s best to go ahead and file to avoid facing the steep late filing penalties. For example, if your return is late you will face a penalty of $50 or 10% of the amount you owe, depending on which amount is greater.
Also, if you fail to pay the amount you owe by the deadline you will be charged .4167% of the total tax you owe. This amount will accrue on a monthly basis until you pay the total amount you owe.
Also, your base jurisdiction reserves the right to suspend or revoke your IFTA license if you file late. However, don’t worry, this usually isn’t the case for first-time offenders.
3. What Do I Need To Complete My IFTA Return?
In order to complete your return, you need your:
- Total miles, taxable and nontaxable, traveled per jurisdiction, including IFTA and non-IFTA miles, and trip permit miles.
- Total gallons of fuel consumed per jurisdiction included taxable and nontaxable, and IFTA and non-IFTA.
- Tax-paid gallons of fuel purchased per Jurisdiction.
- And the current tax rate per jurisdiction.
4. How Do I Prepare To File?
Use your ExpressTruckTax account information to log into ExpressIFTA where you can easily report everything you need for your IFTA return online. Enter your mileage and fuel records at your own pace and ExpressIFTA will do the complicated work for you.
For example, ExpressIFTA will accurately calculate the amount of fuel tax you owe for you. Plus, all of your information will be generated into an IFTA report that can be printed, emailed, and used to instantly complete your return.
ExpressIFTA is brought to you by the same team that created ExpressTruckTax and we are here to help. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact our US-based, dedicated team of truck tax experts.
Give us a call at 704.234.6005 Monday – Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM EST. You can also reach us via live chat or through our 24/7 email support at support@ExpressTruckTax.com.