IFTA Miles & Fuel Calculator
Use this calculator to determine your overall fuel economy and the net fuel used or purchased per jurisdiction for IFTA reporting purposes. This helps you understand your fuel tax liability or credit for each state/province.
Jurisdiction-Specific Data
Enter miles driven and fuel purchased for up to three individual jurisdictions. You can extend this pattern for more.
Understanding IFTA and Fuel Tax Reporting
The International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) is an agreement among U.S. states and Canadian provinces that simplifies the reporting of fuel use taxes by interstate motor carriers. Instead of filing separate fuel tax returns with each jurisdiction, IFTA allows carriers to file a single quarterly fuel tax return with their base jurisdiction.
How IFTA Works
Under IFTA, a licensee (motor carrier) obtains an IFTA license and decals from their base jurisdiction. This license allows them to travel through all other IFTA member jurisdictions without needing separate fuel tax permits. The core principle is that fuel taxes are paid to the jurisdiction where the fuel is consumed, regardless of where it was purchased.
To comply with IFTA, carriers must keep detailed records of:
- Total miles traveled in each jurisdiction.
- Total fuel purchased in each jurisdiction.
- Total miles traveled overall.
- Total fuel purchased overall.
These records are used to calculate the average miles per gallon (MPG) for the entire fleet or vehicle for the reporting period. This overall MPG is then applied to the miles driven in each individual jurisdiction to determine the amount of fuel consumed in that jurisdiction. By comparing fuel consumed to fuel purchased in each jurisdiction, a net fuel amount is determined, indicating either a tax due or a credit.
Why This Calculator is Useful
This IFTA Miles & Fuel Calculator helps you perform the initial, crucial steps of IFTA reporting:
- Overall Fuel Economy: It calculates your average miles per gallon (MPG) across all jurisdictions for the reporting period. This is a fundamental metric for IFTA.
- Net Fuel per Jurisdiction: For each jurisdiction you enter, it calculates the "net fuel."
- A positive net fuel value means you purchased more fuel in that jurisdiction than you consumed. This typically results in a credit.
- A negative net fuel value means you consumed more fuel in that jurisdiction than you purchased. This indicates a tax liability for that jurisdiction.
While this calculator provides the essential fuel and mileage data, remember that actual IFTA tax rates vary by jurisdiction and change periodically. You will need to apply the current tax rates to the net fuel amounts to determine your final tax due or credit for each jurisdiction.
Example Calculation
Let's say a truck drives 10,000 miles in total and purchases 2,000 gallons of fuel across all jurisdictions. Its overall MPG would be 10,000 miles / 2,000 gallons = 5 MPG.
Now, consider Jurisdiction A:
- Miles Driven in A: 3,000 miles
- Fuel Purchased in A: 500 gallons
Fuel consumed in Jurisdiction A = 3,000 miles / 5 MPG = 600 gallons.
Net Fuel for Jurisdiction A = 500 gallons (purchased) – 600 gallons (consumed) = -100 gallons.
This means the carrier consumed 100 gallons more fuel in Jurisdiction A than they purchased there, indicating a tax liability for those 100 gallons.
This calculator automates these calculations for you, making your IFTA preparation more efficient.