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May 25, 2017

RAISING STATE TAXES * USA: To truking Cos.

* Tennessee - Trucking Companies say additional fuel costs worth it for improved infrastructure
---  The IMPROVE act will raise the state gas tax by 6 cents on unleaded and 10 cents on diesel, phased in over three years. The plan was coupled with tax cuts, including reductions in franchise and excise taxes on businesses, a decrease in the Hall tax on interest and dividends and a drop in the food tax from 5 percent to 4 percent...While some businesses remained opposed to the increase, many Memphis companies said it was long overdue, including one of the most important employers in the city. FedEx Corp. operates fleets of vehicles that travel Tennessee’s roads, including delivery vehicles and freight trucks. “On behalf of FedEx, the IMPROVE Act will provide funding to make Tennessee’s roads and bridges safer,” FedEx spokesman Jack Pfeiffer said. “These investments in critical infrastructure will drive economic growth and job creation across our state” ... 
(Photo from Daily New, by Andrew J. Breig - Congestion on Lamar Avenue costs trucking companies time and fuel, and some say it adversely impacts driver turnover rates)   --  Memphis, TENN, USA - The Memphis Daily News, by JODY CALLAHAN - May 23, 2017

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Mar 9, 2013

Diesel Tax To Cut Down On Cancer-Causing * France

* France - Raising Diesel Tax to cut down on Cancer-causing exhaust

(Photo: Urban air pollution kills more than 5,000 people per year in France)
Paris,France -iTech Post, by Lois Heyman -Mar 4, 2013: -- European drivers are not strangers to diesel engines (not just for trucks), but a new French tax on diesel cars may change that. French Environment Minister, Delphine Batho, is backing legislation that will introduce higher taxes on diesel fuels, citing health concerns about the fuel type’s pollution... The current tax rate on diesel makes it 20 cents cheaper per liter (0.26 gallon) than gasoline. The new tax would make equal the rates for both fuels, and generate 8 billion euros ($11 billion) for the French government... Diesel fuel is considerably more efficient than gasoline, because each gallon of fuel holds more energy, and because diesel engines are intrinsically more efficient than their gasoline counterparts. But a report released in June from the World Health Organization classifies diesel exhaust as carcinogenic, specifically stating that exposure to diesel fumes causes lung cancer... About 80 percent of the French car-fuel market comes from diesel. And last year, about 73 percent of new cars sold in France were diesels, reports Bloomberg. And the numbers are still rising, as seen in fuel demand. Diesel grew 7.5 percent in 2012 to 38.1 million metric tons, while gasoline fell by 6.5 percent to 7.3 million tons...

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May 14, 2010

TAX POLICY * USA - Kerry-Lieberman climate change bill would “tax” truck diesel, gasoline

The American Power Act

Arlington,VA,USA -Fleet Owner, by David Cullen -May 13, 2010: ... revealed yesterday by sponsors Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) is truly an omnibus climate change bill that, according to Sen. Kerry, “would transform our economy, set us on the path toward energy independence and improve the quality of the air we breathe” ... However, trucking’s lead lobbying group has already announced it cannot support the bill, saying it would impose a “hidden tax” on transportation... According to the ATA explained that in its view, the act’s cap-and-trade provisions would require refiners to purchase billions of dollars worth of carbon allowances that correspond to the carbon footprint of the fuels they sell. And this extra cost would be passed on to consumers in the form of higher fuel prices that would amount to a “hidden” multi-billion-dollar tax... What’s more, contended Graves, forthcoming federal regulations required under existing law will mandate vehicle modifications that, while increasing the cost of trucks, will improve fuel efficiency and further reduce carbon emissions... (Photo from media.nowpublic.net)

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Mar 28, 2010

FUEL TAXES * UK - Hidden 1p/litre duty rise in budget

Policies specifically aimed at the road transport sector were few and far

London,UK -Road Transport, by Dominic Perry -24 March 2010: -- Policies specifically aimed at the road transport sector were few and far between in Wednesday's budget, save for the key issue of fuel duty increases... On fuel duty, Chancellor, Alistair Darling, said he was "staging" the proposed above-inflation rise scheduled for 1 April. This will now be a 1p rise in April, followed by another 1p in October and the balance of 1p in January 2011... The RHA says that the government has still not addressed the issue of foreign trucks and that the future for the UK haulage industry looks grim. Chief executive Geoff Dunning, says: "We are still paying the highest level of duty in Europe, we are still facing harsh competition from our European counterparts who contribute nothing to operate on UK roads and for many operators, there is still the prospect of imminent bankruptcy... We have been promised repeatedly that the Government will address the situation regarding foreign lorries, yet increasing fuel duty by even one penny just makes matters worse"... (Picture from roadtransport)

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Sep 14, 2009

FUEL TAXS HIKE WORLDWIDE

* USA - California eyes fuel tax hike

The California Legislature is expected to consider recommendations on revamping state taxes, which could include proposals affecting truckers, such an 18-cent per gallon fuel tax hike

Sacramento,CAL,USA -eTrucker, by Jill Dunn -14 Sept 2009: ... The bipartisan Commission on the 21st Century Economy is supposed to release its plan to stabilize the state’s tax structure by Sept. 20, but has missed previous deadlines... A two-thirds vote of the Legislature is required to pass tax increases, which would be preceded by legislative analysis and hearings, the commission said... If approved, tax changes would begin in 2012... The AB 32 Implementation Group is against the fuel tax. It represents 185 organizations working to implement the 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020... The non-partisan Tax Foundation said California would be at a competitive disadvantage with other states that lack the tax and would not solve budget imbalances...


* Ireland - Haulage industry furious over proposed diesel price hike

Dublin,Ireland -HGV Ireland -14 Sept 2009: -- The feeling of anger running through the veins of the Irish road haulage over the Commission on Taxation's proposal to increase duty on road diesel is palpable, judging by the calls and emails that flooded into the offices of hgvireland.com last week... The over riding feeling was one of despair at the apparent lack of understanding of the workings of the haulage industry... A lack of understanding of the crucial role the industry played in building Ireland's so-called Celtic Tiger economy, and the vital role hauliers iwill play in Ireland's recovery has gone over the heads of the Commission, according to our readers... Hauliers are furious that the Commission on Taxation has lumped the haulage industry into the same category as private motorists for additional taxation, through an increase in fuel duty... Two former presidents of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) have led the flood of protests at the proposed price increases...

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Jul 17, 2009

Fuel Tax * USA - Drivers Asked to Test Alternative to

Researchers are seeking 1,500 drivers in a half-dozen U.S. cities to trial an on-board computer system that taxes motorists according to mileage instead of fuel taxes paid at the pump

Washington,DC,USA -The Associated Press, by Heather Clark -8 July 2009: -- The University of Iowa Public Policy Center is considering the alternative tax as part of a $16.5 million study for the U.S. Transportation Department to check the concept's viability as a future surface transportation payment option. The University of Iowa study would entail the installation of small computers in participants' vehicles that will record miles and road use. The data would be uploaded to a database, which will distribute the funds to the regions where the travel took place. The study seeks to determine whether the mileage-based tax is user-friendly, secure, trouble-free, and acceptable to motorists. University of Iowa professor, Jon Kuhl, says drivers currently pay 18 cents per gallon of fuel to the federal Highway Trust Fund to underwrite surface transportation. He observes that the increasing fuel efficiency of vehicles is being accompanied by a decline in the amount of money collected via the gas tax. U.S. Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn) said in April that he wants Capitol Hill to forgo testing and enact a mileage-based tax... Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, said that gas taxes will not be raised to compensate for the funding deficiency, while a mileage-based tax has been rejected by the White House... (Photo from themotorreport: 2009 BMW 3 series)

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Mar 19, 2009

FUEL TAX * USA - TCA Supports Fuel Tax Increase to Fund Highway Improvements

Orlando,FL,USA -Transport Topics, by Rip Watson -March 16, 2009: -- The Truckload Carriers Association has decided for the first time to support a fuel tax increase as a preferred method of highway funding... “In a general sense, we are supportive of fuel tax increases over the other alternatives, such as privatization, tolling, weight/distance taxes or ton-mile taxes,” TCA President Chris Burruss told last week... The decision aligns TCA with policy championed by American Trucking Associations to raise fuel taxes to support highway infrastructure improvements...

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Mar 16, 2009

TAX * USA - N.H. Truckers Balk at 15-Cent Diesel Tax Boost

NH,USA -AP/ransport Topics -16 March 2009: -- A proposed 15-cent boost in New Hampshire’s diesel tax will badly hurt the trucking industry, truckers told state lawmakers... Paving contractors said the hike was needed to fund critical road and bridge repairs... Under the proposal, the 19.6 cent diesel tax would rise 5 cents a year over the next three years, ultimately generating an estimated $111 million annually, AP reported...

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Jan 2, 2009

Fuel Tax Increases * USA - Motorists’ habits spur call for

A 50 percent increase in gasoline and diesel fuel taxes is being urged by the commission to finance highway construction and repair

Washington,DC,USA -The Associated Press/The Trucker, by JOAN LOWY -2 Jan 2009: -- Motorists are driving less and buying less gasoline, which means fuel taxes aren’t raising enough money to keep pace with the cost of road, bridge and transit programs... That has the federal commission that oversees financing for transportation talking about increasing the federal fuel tax... A 50 percent increase in gasoline and diesel fuel taxes is being urged by the commission to finance highway construction and repair until the government devises another way for motorists to pay for using public roads... The National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing, a 15-member panel created by Congress, is the second group in a year to call for increasing the current 18.4 cents a gallon federal tax on gasoline and the 24.4 cents a gallon tax on diesel. State fuel taxes vary from state to state... In a report expected in late January, members of the infrastructure financing commission say they will urge Congress to raise the gas tax by 10 cents a gallon and the diesel tax by 12 cents to 15 cents a gallon. At the same time, the commission will recommend tying the fuel tax rates to inflation.
The commission will also recommend that states raise their fuel taxes and make greater use of toll roads and fees for rush-hour driving... (AP file photo: The American Trucking Associations, which supports a fuel tax increase as long as the money goes to highway projects, said Congress may decide to disguise a fuel tax hike as a surcharge to combat climate change)

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Dec 8, 2008

FUEL TAX * Australia - Credit to fall, but industry wins on indexation

Sydney,NSW,Australia -Logistics Magazine -8 December 2008: -- The trucking industry’s fuel tax credit will fall from 18.51 to 17.143 cents per litre on 1 January 2009, now that Parliament has passed the Government’s truck charges laws... The effective fuel tax paid by trucking operators will increase from 19.633 to 21 cents per litre from 1 January 2009. Trucking operators will still pay the normal fuel tax – 38.143 cents per litre – when they buy fuel... They will still be able to claim for fuel tax credits on their business activity statements, but will only be able to claim 17.143 cents per litre in credits from 1 January 2009 instead of the current figure, 18.51 cents per litre... The Australian Government will now have the ability to make regulations to bring FIRS registration charges into line with the charges agreed by the Australian Transport Council in February... Heavy vehicles with state registrations are already subject to the new charges... (Picture)

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Aug 6, 2008

FUEL TAX * New Zealand - Truckers worried about latest fuel tax

The organisation representing the trucking industry is disappointed there was not more public consultation on the latest tax on fuel

Auckland,NZ -Newstalk ZB -6 August 2008: -- The Auckland Regional Council wants to slap another five cents on pump prices for Auckland motorists to pay for electric trains and other public transport initiatives in the region. The tax would be phased in until it reaches the full amount by July 2011. The ARC now only needs Government approval... Tony Friedlander from the Road Transport Forum believes there has not been adequate consultation on the issue. He says with fuel prices at the level they currently are, the ARC needs to be extremely careful about imposing more costs on motorists and the freight industry... Mr Friedlander says the forum does not doubt roads have to be funded, but he questions whether it is an efficient way to raise money to pay for them. He says in the case of diesel, non-road users such as fishing fleets, will be able to claim back the tax and he believes any financial benefit will be swallowed up in administration costs...

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May 21, 2008

Fuel Tax Scam * Canada - Trucking companies targeted by suspected ones

Several Ontario trucking companies have been targeted by a suspected fuel tax scam which has cost some victims tens of thousands of dollars

Hamilton,Ont,CAN -Truck News, by James Menzies -21 May 2008: -- ... According to Helen Pelton, a lawyer with Cummins Seto Pelton, the alleged scam works this way: A company representing itself as an accounting firm approaches a Canadian trucking company and suggests the carrier may be entitled to a refund of the excise tax paid on fuel purchased in the US. The company says it charges only a percentage of the refund obtained, so there's no risk for the carrier. The trucking company provides information such as the amount of fuel purchased in the US, and the accounting firm then files for the refund on their behalf... However, the refund that is applied for is intended for US-based farmers purchasing dyed, off-road diesel fuel - not for Canadian trucking companies. While Canadian companies do not qualify for the refund, the IRS generally issues the refund upon receiving the application, and then verifies the validity of the application at a later date. By then, the Canadian trucking company has likely paid a percentage of the refund (anywhere from 18-50%, according to Pelton) to the accounting firm... With four of her own clients having been caught up in the scheme, Pelton is concerned the case may be much more widespread. If you think you've been approached by the perpetrators of the scam. You can contact her via e-mail at hpelton@cumminsseto.com.

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Mar 3, 2008

FUEL TAXES * USA - Illinois Considers Surcharge on Diesel Vehicles

USA - TruckingInfo -3 March 2008: -- A proposal to place a 1% surcharge on the sale or lease of all diesel-powered vehicles in the state of Illinois, on-road and off-road, will be heard in the House Environmental Health Committee on Tuesday... According to the Mid-West Truckers Association, HB 5772, sponsored by Rep. Karen May, will place a surcharge on the sale or lease of every on-road diesel vehicle over 14,000 pounds that is a 2006 or older model equal to 1 percent of the sale price or the lease or rental amount... The bill would also place a surcharge on the retail sale, lease, or rental of diesel nonroad vehicles equal to 1 percent of the sales price or the lease or rental amount. This includes excavators, backhoes, cranes, compressors, generators, and bulldozers...

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Jan 17, 2008

Fuel Tax Rebate * USA - Running on Empty, Truckers Call for

The surging cost of diesel, however, has fueled discontent among Maine truckers, pressing the Governor for fuel tax relief even as some go out of business

Damariscotta,ME,USA -Lincoln County News, by Mike Colbert -16 Jan 2008: -- ... At nearly 29 cents a gallon, Maine has one of the highest state fuel taxes in the nation. At $3.70 per gallon on Tuesday, it also had the highest overall cost for diesel... With fuel costs a dollar more than at this time last year, Larry Sidelinger, who runs a trucking concern in Damariscotta, said many drivers are exiting the business... Even though the damage to the trucking industry may not become measurable until the end of 2008 when truck registrations can be tallied for the year, early indications can be found by following the insurance thread... Commenting on the multi billion dollar profits posted by oil companies each quarter, Sidelinger termed the rush for profit, at the expense of truckers and other consumers, a form of "economic terrorism"... (Photo: Larry Sidelinger)

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Jan 16, 2008

FUEL TAXES * Canada - CRA to provide diesel tax refund for APU fuel

Ottawa,Ont,CAN -Truck News -15 Jan 2008: -- The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) and Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) have successfully lobbied the feds to refund the federal excise tax on diesel fuel used to power auxiliary power units (APUs)... The changes will begin in April, according to the Canada Revenue Agency, allowing carriers to receive refunds on fuel used to power idle-reduction devices...

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FUEL TAXES * USA - Commission calls for dramatic increase, to pay for sub-standard infrastructure

Washington,DC,USA -Truck News (CAN), by Adam Ledlow -15 Jan 2008: -- A recent report by the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission has drawn both praise and criticism from the American trucking community... The report calls for, among other things, the increase of fuel taxes by as much as 40 cents per gallon to pay for infrastructure improvements. The report says that an annual investment of $225 billion is necessary over the next 50 years to update the current system to a state of good repair. Less than 40% of this total is currently being spent, according to the commission... The American Trucking Associations has commended the efforts of the commission "for its hard work and dedication to analyzing the future infrastructure needs of the nation"... The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) however, disagreed with the commission's call to increase fuel taxes, saying instead that there needs to be a restructuring of the way money from the Highway Trust Fund is used... "They need to show us the money," says Todd Spencer, executive vice-president of OOIDA. "Where it's going, how it is being used, what are our true national needs, how the system is going to be cleaned up top to bottom, and then we'll talk about paying more"... "Truckers pay enormous sums into the Highway Trust Fund, contributing as much as 36% of it, and deserve better than just 'a new beginning' – which really just means paying even more money"...


* USA - Commission debated fuel tax increase vs. highway privatization
Washington,DC,USA -Land Line Magazine -January 14, 2008: -- Trucking officials have a theory about why a federal commission prefers a fuel-tax increase to fund future highway improvements... It’s as simple as knowing who is on the commission, one official says... The National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission is scheduled to publish its recommendations on Tuesday, Jan. 15, leading up to committee hearings in the U.S. House and Senate... The 12 commissioners with varying backgrounds debated whether to recommend an increase in fuel taxes – the traditional method of maintaining a highway trust fund – or the Bush Administration’s push to privatize and/or toll more highways...

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Jan 10, 2008

Fuel Tax * USA - US panel to recommend major increases

Washington,DC,USA -Bloomberg/Truck News -10 Jan 2008: -- A US panel charged with finding ways to improve infrastructure is expected to recommend hiking fuel taxes south of the border by as much as 40 cents per gallon... The fuel tax hike would be the first since 1993 and would be phased in over five years, according to the report. After the five year phase-in, further increases would be linked to inflation, sources told Bloomberg... The report also suggests individual states also increase fuel taxes by an equal, or greater, amount over the same time period...

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Oct 27, 2007

FUEL TAXES * UK - Truckers Plan Demonstrations Over Government Fuel Taxes

A group of U.K. farmers and truckers said they're planning a series of demonstrations over the coming months aimed at pressuring the government into reducing fuel taxes

London,UK -Bloomberg, by Nicholas Larkin -Oct. 25. 2007: -- ... As U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown in March announced a 2-pence-a-liter increase in fuel tax starting Oct. 1 in an effort to reduce emissions and keep abreast with inflation. The charge increases another 2 pence next April and 1.8 pence in 2009... Increasing duties "has a massive impact on the haulage industry,'' hurting British businesses and encouraging European transporters, who pay less for their fuel, to increase operating in the U.K., David Handley, chairman of Farmers for Action, said today in an interview by phone... Handley said the group has "every intention'' of making a number of peaceful protests before Christmas. Demonstrations may include a convoy of trucks driving slowly on the M25 motorway or taking an unspecified number of people to London for a rally, he said. Handley said his group won't block any fuel depots as happened in 2000, because new U.K. laws mean they could be arrested for terrorism offences...

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