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.[1][2] On average, as of January 2013, state and local taxes add 30.4 cents to gasoline and 30.0 cents to diesel, for a total US average fuel tax of 48.8 cents per gallon for gas and 54.4 cents per gallon for diesel.[3]
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State taxes [edit]
The first US state tax on fuel was introduced in February 1919 in Oregon.[4] It was a 5¢/gal (1.3¢/L) tax. In the following decade, all of the U.S. states (48 at the time), along with the District of Columbia, introduced a gasoline tax. By 1939, an average tax of 3.8¢/gal (1¢/L) of fuel was levied by the individual states.
The table below includes federal, state and local taxes. The American Petroleum Institute uses a weighted average of local taxes by population of each municipality to come up with an average tax for the entire state. Similarly, the national average is weighted by population of each state. Because the states with the highest taxes also have higher populations, only about a third of the states are above the average.
| State | Gasoline tax (includes federal tax of 18.4¢/gal) |
Diesel tax (includes federal tax of 24.4¢/gal) |
|---|---|---|
| US Average | 48.8 | 54.4 |
| Alabama | 39.3 | 46.3 |
| Alaska | 26.4 | 32.4 |
| Arizona | 37.4 | 43.4 |
| Arkansas | 40.2 | 47.2 |
| California | 67.1 | 75.3 |
| Colorado | 40.4 | 44.9 |
| Connecticut | 63.4 | 80.6 |
| Delaware | 41.4 | 46.4 |
| District of Columbia | 41.9 | 47.9 |
| Florida | 53.9 | 54.9 |
| Georgia | 46.9 | 56.4 |
| Hawaii | 65.5 | 74.7 |
| Idaho | 43.4 | 49.4 |
| Illinois | 57.5 | 69.1 |
| Indiana | 56.4 | 74.7 |
| Iowa | 40.4 | 47.9 |
| Kansas | 43.4 | 51.4 |
| Kentucky | 48.3 | 51.3 |
| Louisiana | 38.4 | 44.4 |
| Maine | 49.9 | 57.1 |
| Maryland | 41.9 | 48.7 |
| Massachusetts | 41.9 | 47.9 |
| Michigan | 57.1 | 63.2 |
| Minnesota | 47 | 53 |
| Mississippi | 37.2 | 43.2 |
| Missouri | 35.7 | 41.7 |
| Montana | 46.2 | 53 |
| Nebraska | 43.9 | 50.9 |
| Nevada | 51.5 | 53 |
| New Hampshire | 38 | 44 |
| New Jersey | 32.9 | 41.9 |
| New Mexico | 37.3 | 47.2 |
| New York | 69 | 75.4 |
| North Carolina | 56.2 | 62.2 |
| North Dakota | 41.4 | 47.4 |
| Ohio | 46.4 | 52.4 |
| Oklahoma | 35.4 | 38.4 |
| Oregon | 48.4 | 54.7 |
| Pennsylvania | 50.7 | 63.6 |
| Rhode Island | 51.4 | 57.4 |
| South Carolina | 35.2 | 41.2 |
| South Dakota | 42.4 | 48.4 |
| Tennessee | 39.8 | 42.8 |
| Texas | 38.4 | 44.4 |
| Utah | 42.9 | 48.9 |
| Vermont | 45.1 | 53.4 |
| Virginia | 38.3 | 44.6 |
| Washington | 55.9 | 61.9 |
| West Virginia | 53.1 | 56.5 |
| Wisconsin | 51.3 | 57.3 |
| Wyoming | 32.4 | 38.4 |
Federal taxes [edit]
The first federal gasoline tax in the United States was created on June 6, 1932 with the enactment of the Revenue Act of 1932 with a tax of 1¢/gal (0.3¢/L). Since 1993, the U.S. federal gasoline tax has been 18.4¢/gal (4.86¢/L). Unlike most other goods in the US, the price displayed includes all taxes, rather than being calculated at the point of purchase.
Then-Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters stated on August 15, 2007 that about 60% of federal gas taxes are used for highway and bridge construction. The remaining 40% goes to earmarked programs.[5] However, revenues from other taxes are also used in federal transportation programs.
Federal tax revenues [edit]
The federal gasoline tax raised $25 billion on gasoline in 2006.[6] The tax was last raised in 1993, and is not indexed to inflation. The federal gas tax has experienced a cumulative loss in purchasing power of 33 percent since 1993. An increase of 10¢/gal would bring approximately $20 billion of annual revenue into the Highway Trust Fund.
Public policy [edit]
Some policy experts believe that an increased tax is needed to fund and sustain the country's transportation infrastructure. The National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission issued a detailed report[7] in February 2009.
An increased cost of fuel would also encourage less consumption. A growing fiscal and national security concern is America's dependence on foreign oil. Americans sent nearly $430 billion to other countries in 2008 for the cost of imported oil.
Aviation fuel taxes [edit]
As of 2011[update], aviation gasoline (most often used to fuel small General Aviation aircraft) is taxed at 19.4¢/gal.[8]
As of 2007[update], jet fuel (called "kerosene for aviation" by the IRS) is taxed at 21.9¢/gal unless it is used for commercial aviation (airlines such as American Airlines and US Airways and small chartered commercial jets). Because such commercial operations are subject to the federal transportation tax, they are subject to a reduced fuel tax of 4.4¢/gal.[9]
These taxes mainly fund airport and Air Traffic Control operations by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), of which commercial aviation is the biggest user.
See also [edit]
- Federal Highway Trust Fund (United States)
- Gas tax holiday
- National Association of Convenience Stores
US tax system:
References [edit]
- ^ http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/marketing/monthly/pdf/enote.pdf U.S. Energy Information Administration/Petroleum Marketing Monthly
- ^ http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/gastax.cfm US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration: When did the Federal Government begin collecting the gas tax?
- ^ a b Motor Fuel Taxes, American Petroleum Institute, 1 October 2012
- ^ Corning, Howard M. Dictionary of Oregon History. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.
- ^ Online NewsHour: Conversation | Peters Discusses Infrastructure | August 15, 2007 | PBS
- ^ http://financecommission.dot.gov/background%20documents.html National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
