Prepare Yourself - 2nd Quarter Tax Deadlines

Tax season is officially ramping up with deadlines seemingly around every corner. In addition to the beginning of the new HVUT season, there are several other important tax dates in July that you should be aware of. Come July 31, IFTA taxes are due, as are special use taxes for the states of New York, Oregon, New Mexico, and Kentucky. So save yourself a major headache come the end of July by knowing what you need to pay and when.

IFTA Tax Filing

IFTA filing, as you may or may not already know, must be done every quarter. The quarter ends on June 30, and the filing deadline is July 31. The best way to simplify this process is to prepare yourself.

The most important aspect of preparation is keeping track of your mileage. Whether you use manual trip sheets, GPS, or electronic trip sheets, you will need to have that information not only for your quarterly IFTA return, but also on file in case you are ever audited by your base jurisdiction. You’ll also need your fuel receipts so you know exactly how many gallons of fuel were purchased in each state. 

Other Quarterly Use Taxes

In addition to the IFTA deadline, July 31 is also the deadline for several different state use taxes. The states that have special use taxes are:

• Kentucky- Kentucky requires all commercial vehicles with a gross weight of 60,000 pounds or more traveling either into or through Kentucky to be registered with the state. Once registered, drivers will receive a KYU number and are then required to file a quarterly return and pay mileage taxes to the state of Kentucky. If you are only traveling through the state for one particular trip, temporary permits can also be obtained. 

• Oregon- All commercial carriers with a gross weight of 26,000 lbs or more must obtain a temporary permit to travel through or into Oregon. However, Oregon does not belong to the International Fuel Tax Agreement, although a proper tax permit is still necessary for entry into the state. Carriers that enter without proper documentation will face heavy fines. Oregon also requires that all new entrants become bonded before permanent credentials are issued. Bonds must be placed by a surety company or posted with cash. The size of the fleet is what determines the amount of the bond.

• New Mexico- All commercial vehicles with a gross weight over 26,000 pounds are required to be registered with the state before traveling in or through New Mexico. If you are not already registered, entrance can be paid at the port. Once a weight distance account has been established for you in New Mexico, you are then required to file quarterly reports and pay tax on the mileage you travel. 

• New York- New York requires carriers operating motor vehicles that weight 18,000 lbs or more to register and obtain NYHUT, or New York Heavy Vehicle Use Tax credentials. Once you have a NYHUT account established, you must then file and pay mileage tax every quarter. 

At TSNAmerica, we’ll not only help answer any questions you have about any of these taxes, but we’ll help file them for you. Just give us a call at 803.386.0320 or email us a service request to support@TSNAmerica.com. We also offer an abundance of other services for truckers, and you can find a full list of them here.