fuel tax

Taxes on transportation fuels have been advocated as a way to reduce pollution and the possibility of global warming and conserve energy. Placing higher taxes on fossil fuels makes petrol just as expensive as other fuels such as natural gas, biodiesel or electric batteries, at a cost to the consumer in the form of inflation as transportation costs rise to transport goods all over the country.

Proponents advocate that automobiles should pay for the roads they use and argue that the user tax should not be applied to mass transit projects.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the International Energy Agency, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank have called on governments to increase gasoline tax rates in order to combat the social and environmental costs of gasoline consumption.{{Cite journal|last1=Ross|first1=Michael L.|last2=Hazlett|first2=Chad|last3=Mahdavi|first3=Paasha|title=Global progress and backsliding on gasoline taxes and subsidies|journal=Nature Energy|volume=2|issue=1|pages=16201|doi=10.1038/nenergy.2016.201|bibcode=2017NatEn...216201R|year=2017|s2cid=157840070 |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/52t9g8rz}} Fuel taxes can be implicit carbon pricing.{{Cite web |title=Carbon pricing in Türkiye |url=https://www.oecd.org/tax/tax-policy/carbon-pricing-turkiye.pdf}}

International pump prices for diesel and gasoline are tracked by several websites, including Bloomberg L.P.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/gas-prices/|title=Gasoline Prices Around the World|website=Bloomberg News}} Price differences mostly reflect differences in tax policy.

A Nature study has shown that while gasoline taxes have increased in more countries than they have decreased in during the period 2003–2015, the global mean gasoline tax has decreased due to greater consumption in the low-tax countries.

File:Fuel tax in OECD countries, 2010..png

Chinese gasoline taxes have increased the most among the top twenty {{CO2}}-emitting countries over the period 2003–2015.

In China, fuel tax has been a very contentious issue. Efforts by the State Council to institute a fuel tax in order to finance the National Trunk Highway System have run into strong opposition from the National People's Congress, largely out of concern for its impact on farmers. This has been one of the uncommon instances in which the legislature has asserted its authority.{{cite web

|url=http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issues/2009/January/ChinaBitesTheBulletOnFuelTax.asp

|first=Hepeng

|last=Jia

|date=8 January 2009

|title=China bites the bullet on fuel tax

|publisher=Chemistry World

|access-date=30 December 2016

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230063848/https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/china-bites-the-bullet-on-fuel-tax/1014042.article

|archive-date=30 December 2016

|url-status=live

}}

The following is a list of fuel tax rates for different fuels in Hong Kong:{{Cite Hong Kong ordinance|name=Dutiable Commodities Ordinance|109}}, Schedule 1 Part III

• Aviation fuel: HK$6.51
• Light diesel oil: HK$2.89
• Leaded petrol: HK$6.82
• Unleaded petrol: HK$6.06
• Ultra low sulphur diesel: HK$2.89
• Euro V diesel: HK$0

The following is a list of fuel tax rates for different fuels in Singapore:{{Cite web|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/budget-2021-singapore-petrol-duty-increase-15-cents-354386|title=Budget 2021: Petrol duty rates raised by up to 15 cents per litre|date=16 February 2021|access-date=4 April 2022|archive-date=9 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009045405/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/budget-2021-singapore-petrol-duty-increase-15-cents-354386|url-status=dead}}

• 98 Octane and above petrol: S$0.79 per litre
• 92 to 95 Octane petrol: S$0.66 per litre

In India, the pricing of fuel varies by state, though central taxes still are part of the pump price of fuel. The Central and state government's taxes make up nearly half of petrol's pump price. The Central govt has different taxes, which amount to about 10–20% of the final cost. The states taxes vary, but on average end up making about 17–20% of the final cost. As a result, approximately 50% - 60% of the pump cost goes to the government in the form of different taxes.

For example, in Delhi, as of February 18, 2021, price of petrol is {{INRConvert|89.54}} per litre. Out of this {{INRConvert|32.98}} go to Central Govt of India in the form of excise and customs tax. {{INRConvert|19.32}} is collected by state government in the form of sales tax and entry tax. Thus, a total of {{INRConvert|52.30}} is collected due to various taxes (which accounts for around 58% of the total price).{{Cite news |url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/how-much-tax-you-pay-on-petrol-and-diesel-here-is-a-break-down/amp-11610595149786.html

|title=How much taxes you pay on petrol and diesel? Here is a break down |work=Mint |date= 14 January 2021}}

In Israel, tax on fuel is 1.35 USD per liter which includes direct fuel tax and VAT. This totals to 78% of total pump price.{{cite news |url=https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1001324492|title=Fuel prices down but Israel leads world in fuel tax|date=5 April 2020}}

{{See also|EU aviation fuel taxation}}

Jet fuel tax is banned on commercial flights within the European Union, according to the 2003 Energy Taxation Directive.{{Cite web |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32003L0096 |title=Council Directive 2003/96/EC of 27 October 2003, restructuring the Community framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity |work=Official Journal of the European Union |publisher=Eur-Lex |date=27 October 2002 |access-date=20 June 2020 |quote=Member States shall exempt the following from taxation... energy products supplied for use as fuel for the purpose of air navigation other than in private pleasure-flying}} It can be levied on domestic flights or by agreement between Member States, however no such agreements exist.

As of 2017, the excise tax on gasoline was €0.651 per liter (regional prices varied from €0.407 to €0.6682). With a VAT rate of 20%, the percent of the total price of gasoline that came from taxes was 63.9%{{cite web|publisher=OECD|url=https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/taxation/consumption-tax-trends-2018_ctt-2018-en#page155|title=Consumption Tax Trends 2018|page=152, Annex Table 3.A.6}} The excise tax on diesel fuel was €0.531 per liter (€0.5307 to €0.5631). With the 20% VAT, 59.3% of the total cost of diesel fuel was taxes.{{cite web|publisher=OECD|url=https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/taxation/consumption-tax-trends-2018_ctt-2018-en#page155|title=Consumption Tax Trends 2018|page=160, Annex Table 3.A.8}}

Petroleum products destined for utilisation by aircraft engaged in commercial flights outside of the customs territory of continental France are exempt from all customs duties and domestic taxes.France Customs Code (Code des Douanes) Article 195 Recently, a rise of 23% in the diesel fuel tax has caused serious protests in major cities of France, leaving disruption and damage behind them.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/46427610|title=France fuel protests: What is happening?|access-date=December 4, 2018}} Before the protests, the French government expected to increase both the petrol and diesel taxes until they both reached €0.78 per liter in 2022.{{cite news|url=https://www.euronews.com/2018/11/16/what-s-all-the-fuss-about-the-french-fuel-tax-hikes-euronews-answers|publisher=EuroNews|title=What are the 'gilets jaunes' so upset about?|last=Matamoros|first=Cristina Abellan|date=2018-11-16}}

Fuel taxes in Germany are €0.4704 per litre for ultra-low sulphur Diesel and €0.6545 per litre for conventional unleaded petrol, plus Value Added Tax (19%) on the fuel itself and the Fuel Tax. That adds up to prices of {{convert|1.12|€/l|€/USgal €/impgal|2}} for ultra-low sulphur Diesel and {{convert|1.27|€/l|€/USgal €/impgal|2}} for unleaded petrol (December 2019).

Since January 2023, petrol is taxed at a rate of €0.53799/litre and diesel at a rate of €0.42875/litre,{{cite web |url=https://douanes.public.lu/fr/accises/taux-droits-accise.html |title=Taux des droits d'accise |date=19 December 2024 |access-date=9 January 2025 |lang=fr |website=douanes.public.lu}} with a VAT of 17% added to the total price. As of 2022, a "maximum fuel price" has been established by the government, capped at €1.473/litre for EURO 95 petrol and at €1.436/litre for diesel since 20 March 2025.{{Cite web |url=https://guichet.public.lu/en/citoyens/outils/prix-prod-petrol.html |title=Maximum prices for petroleum products |website=Guichet.lu |access-date=20 March 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250109210907/https://guichet.public.lu/en/citoyens/outils/prix-prod-petrol.html |archive-date=9 January 2025}}

The sale of fuels in the Netherlands is levied with an excise tax. As of 2015, petrol excise tax is EUR0.766 per litre and diesel excise tax is EUR0.482 per litre, while LPG excise tax is EUR0.185 per litre.

{{cite web

|title=PETROL, DIESEL TAX TO RISE 1 PCT; LPG TAX ALSO UP

|first=Janene

|last=Pieters

|date=12 December 2014

|work=nltimes.nl

|url=http://www.nltimes.nl/2014/12/12/petrol-diesel-tax-rise-1-pct-lpg-tax-also

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150412120615/http://www.nltimes.nl/2014/12/12/petrol-diesel-tax-rise-1-pct-lpg-tax-also

|url-status=dead

|archive-date=12 April 2015

}} The 2007 fuel tax was {{convert|0.684|€/l|€/USgal €/impgal}}. On top of that is 21% VAT over the entire fuel price, making the Dutch taxes one of the highest in the world. In total, taxes account for 68.84% of the total price of petrol and 56.55% of the total price of diesel.{{cite web |url=http://www.minfin.nl/Onderwerpen/Belastingen/Kostprijsverhogende_belastingen/Accijnzen_en_verbruiksbelastingen/Feiten_over_belasting_op_brandstof%23internelink2 |title=Ministerie van Financiën | Rijksoverheid.nl |website=www.minfin.nl |access-date=2 February 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120903144411/http://www.minfin.nl/Onderwerpen/Belastingen/Kostprijsverhogende_belastingen/Accijnzen_en_verbruiksbelastingen/Feiten_over_belasting_op_brandstof%23internelink2 |archive-date=3 September 2012 |url-status=dead}} A 1995 excise was raised by Dutch gulden 25 cents (€0.11), the Kok Quarter (€0.08 raise per litre gasoline and €0.03 raise per litre diesel), by then Prime-Minister Wim Kok is now specifically set aside by the second Balkenende cabinet for use in road creation and road and public transport maintenance.

Motor fuel is taxed with both a road use tax and a CO₂-tax. The road use tax on petrol is NOK 4.62 per litre and the CO₂-tax on petrol is NOK 0.88 per litre. The road use tax on auto diesel is NOK 3.62 per litre mineral oil and NOK 1.81 per litre bio diesel. The CO₂-tax on mineral oil is NOK 0.59 per litre.{{Cite web |url=http://www.statsbudsjettet.no/Statsbudsjettet-2011/English/?pid=48921#hopp |title=Main features of the Government's tax programme for 2011 |access-date=2011-06-02 |archive-date=2020-08-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806213345/https://www.statsbudsjettet.no/Statsbudsjettet-2011/English/?pid=48921#hopp |url-status=dead }}

In Poland half of the end-user price charged at a petrol station goes towards 3 distinct taxes:

• akcyza (meaning excise)
• opłata paliwowa (meaning fuel tax)
• Value-added tax "VAT" at 23% (from summary of akcyza and opłata paliwowa, and the price of petrol)

Excise and fuel tax are prescribed by European Commission law, and therefore cannot be lower in any EU nation. However it is even higher than this EU minimum in Poland, a policy pursued by the former Minister of finance.{{Cite web | url=http://biznes.gazetaprawna.pl/artykuly/535404,mamy_najdrozsze_paliwo_na_swiecie_polowa_ceny_to_podatki.html |title = Mamy najdroższe paliwo na świecie. Połowa ceny to podatki|date = 2 August 2011}}

Tax on mineral resource extraction (2008–2009):

• Oil: varies 1000 RUR/t – 13800 RUR/t; middle MRET 3000 RUR/t (0.058 €/l = 0.284 $/gal).
• Natural gas: 147 RUR/1000m³ (4 €/1000m³).
• Petroleum gas: no

Excise tax on motor fuel 2008–2009:

• RON >80: 3629 RUR/t. (0.071 €/l = 0.343 $/US gal)
• RON <=80: 2657 RUR/t. (0.052 €/l = 0.251 $/US

Other fuel (like avia gasoline, jet fuel, heavy oils, natural gas and autogas) prices has no excise tax.

Value Added Tax — 18% on fuel and taxes.

Full tax rate is near 55% of motor fuel prices (ministry of industry and energy facts 2006).

The fuel tax in Sweden comprises a carbon tax and an energy tax. The total tax (including value added tax) is, from July 1, 2018, {{SEK|8.425}} per liter petrol and {{SEK|7.425}} per liter diesel.{{Cite web|url=https://skatteverket.se/foretagochorganisationer/skatter/punktskatter/energiskatter/skattesatserochvaxelkurser.4.77dbcb041438070e0395e96.html|title=Skattesatser på bränslen och el under 2016|website=skatteverket.se|language=sv|access-date=2018-08-16}}

{{Main|Hydrocarbon oil duty}}

From 23 March 2022 the UK duty rate for the road fuels unleaded petrol, diesel, biodiesel and bioethanol is {{convert|0.5295|£/l|£/impgal £/USgal|2}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2011/tiin6330.pdf|title=Hydrocarbon Oils: Duty Rates|publisher=HMRC|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523135710/http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2011/tiin6330.pdf|archive-date=2011-05-23}}

Value Added Tax at 20% is also charged on the price of the fuel and on the duty. An additional vehicle excise duty, depending on a vehicle's theoretical {{CO2}} production per kilometre, which is applied regardless of the amount of fuel actually consumed, is also levied.

Diesel for use by farmers and construction vehicles is coloured red (red diesel) and has a much reduced tax, currently {{convert|0.1133|£/l|£/impgal £/USgal}}.

Jet fuel used for international aviation attracts no duty, and no VAT.{{cite web|title=Notice 179A Aviation Turbine Fuel (Avtur)|publisher=HM Revenue & Customs|date=December 2006|url=http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/downloadFile?contentID=HMCE_CL_000186}}

{{Main|Motor fuel taxes in Canada}}

Fuel taxes in Canada can vary greatly between locales. On average, about one-third of the total price of gas at the pump is tax. Excise taxes on gasoline and diesel are collected both federal and provincial governments, as well as by some select municipalities (Montreal, Vancouver, and Victoria); with combined excise taxes varying from 16.2 ¢/L (73.6 ¢/imperial gal)) in the Yukon to 30.5 ¢/L ($1.386/imperial gal) in Vancouver. As well, the federal government and some provincial governments (Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Quebec) collect sales tax (GST and PST) on top of the retail price and the excise taxes.{{cite news | title=Oil and Gas Prices, Taxes and Consumers | date=July 2006 | publisher=Department of Finance (Canada) | url =http://www.fin.gc.ca/toce/2006/gas_tax-e.html | pages =6b) Application of the GST | access-date = 2007-12-13 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071221030022/http://www.fin.gc.ca/toce/2006/gas_tax-e.html |archive-date = December 21, 2007|url-status=dead}}

[[File:Gasoline Diesel Taxes.webp|thumb|450px|right|Fuel Taxes (2022)

{{legend|#EE220C|Federal Taxes}}

{{legend|#EBE060|State Taxes}}

]]

{{Main|Fuel taxes in the United States}}

The first U.S. state to enact a gas tax was Oregon in 1919.{{cite journal| last1=Ball & Moran| title=Penny Lane, Literally: Funding Roads One Vehicle Mile at a Time| journal=Willamette Environmental Law Journal| date=2016| volume=5| page=1| url=https://willamette.edu/law/resources/journals/welj/pdf/2016/2016-f-welj-moran.pdf}} The states of Colorado, North Dakota, and New Mexico followed shortly thereafter. By 1929, all existing 48 states had enacted some sort of gas tax."Pain at the Pump", Rall, Jamie. State Legislatures magazine; June 2013. National Conference of State Legislatures Today, fuel taxes in the United States vary by state. The United States federal excise tax on gasoline is {{convert|18.4|¢/USgal|¢/L}} and {{convert|24.4|¢/USgal|¢/L}} for diesel fuel. On average, as of July 2016, state and local taxes add 29.78 cents to gasoline and 29.81 cents to diesel for a total US average fuel tax of {{convert|48.18|¢/USgal|¢/L}} for gas and {{convert|54.21|¢/USgal|¢/L}} for diesel.{{cite web|url=http://www.api.org/oil-and-natural-gas/consumer-information/motor-fuel-taxes|title=Motor Fuel Taxes: State Gasoline Tax Reports|year=2016|publisher=API}}

The state and local tax figures includes fixed-per-gallon taxes as well as variable-rate taxes such as those levied as a percentage of the sales price. For state-level fuel taxes, nineteen states and the District of Columbia levy variable-rate taxes of some kind.{{cite web|url=http://itep.org/itep_reports/2016/02/most-americans-live-in-states-with-variable-rate-gas-taxes-2.php|title=Most Americans Live in States with Variable-Rate Gas Taxes|year=2016|publisher=ITEP}} The other thirty one states do not tie the per-gallon tax rate to inflation, gas prices, or other factors, and the rate changes only by legislation. As of July 2016, twenty one states had gone ten years or more without an increase in their per-gallon gasoline tax rate.{{cite web|url=http://itep.org/itep_reports/2016/06/how-long-has-it-been-since-your-state-raised-its-gas-tax-1.php|title=How Long Has It Been Since Your State Raised Its Gas Tax?|year=2016|publisher=ITEP}}

Because the fuel tax is universally styled as a "road use" tax, exempting off-road farming, marine, etc. use; states impose a tax on commercial operators traveling through their state as if the fuel used was bought there, wherever the fuel is purchased. While most commercial truck drivers have an agent to handle the required paperwork: what's reported is how much tax was collected in each state, how much should have been paid to each state, the net tax for each state and the combined net tax for all states to be paid by or refunded to the operator by their base jurisdiction where they file. The operator carries paperwork proving compliance. The member jurisdictions, the US states and the CA provinces, transmit the return information to each other and settle their net tax balances with each other either by a single transmittal through a clearinghouse set up by the IFTA and operated by Morgan Stanley, or by separate transfers with the other member jurisdictions.[http://www.iftach.org International Fuel Tax Agreement]

The fuel tax system in Australia is very similar to Canada in terms of featuring both a fixed and a variable tax, but varies in the case of exemptions including tax credits and certain excise free fuel.

Since October 2018, the fuel tax in Australia is A$0.412 per litre for petrol and ultra-low sulphur diesel (conventional diesel being taxed at A$0.412 per litre) and the excise for LPG is $0.282 per litre. Since 2000, there is also the GST (goods and services tax) on top of the fuel tax and inflation calculated twice a year called CPI (consumer price index) into the fuel tax since 2015.Fuel taxes in Australia{{Circular reference|date=March 2019}}{{Cite web | url=https://www.ato.gov.au/business/excise-and-excise-equivalent-goods/fuel-excise/excise-rates-for-fuel/ |title = Excise rates for fuel}}

Fuel taxes in New Zealand are considered an excise applied by the New Zealand Customs Service on shipments brought into the country. A breakdown of the fuel taxes is published by the [http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/Page____12961.aspx Ministry of Economic Development]. Excise as of 1 August 2012 totals 50.524 cents per litre (NZ {{cvt|0.50524|$/L|$/impgal $/USgal|disp=out|2}} on petrol. In addition, the national compulsory [https://web.archive.org/web/20100602001025/http://www.acc.co.nz/news/PRD_CTRB091172 Accident Compensation Corporation] motor vehicle account receives a contribution of {{convert|9.9|¢/L|¢/impgal ¢/USgal}}. The ethanol component of bio blended petrol currently attracts no excise duty. This was to be reviewed in 2012. Diesel is not taxed at the pump, but road users with vehicles over 3.5 tonne in Gross Laden Weight and any vehicles not powered wholly by any combination of petrol, LPG or CNG must pay the [http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/commercial/ruc.html Road User Charge] instead. The Goods and Services Tax (15%) is then applied to the combined total of the value of the commodity and the various taxes. On 25 July 2007 the Minister of Transport Annette King announced that from 1 July 2008 all fuel excise collected would be hypothecated to the National Land Transport Programme.{{cite news| title=Fuel excise duty revenue will all be used on land transport| date=July 2007| publisher=Beehive (New Zealand)| url=http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/fuel+excise+duty+revenue+will+all+be+used+land+transport| access-date=2008-01-17| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080318175931/http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/fuel+excise+duty+revenue+will+all+be+used+land+transport| archive-date=2008-03-18}}

South Africa imposes a fuel tax, in Dec 2020, per (unleaded 93 octane, inland) litre, composed of the Fuel Levy – R3,37, Road Accident Fund levy – R1,93, associated costs – R3,12, and the Basic Fuel Price – R5,81 for a total of R14.23. (R = South African Rand (ZAR) ~ R15 per US$ in Dec 2020)

{{Cite web|url=https://aa.co.za/petrol-price-breakdown-2/|title=Petrol price breakdown|date=7 December 2020}}

• Carbon fee and dividend
• Carbon tax
• Fuel taxes and rising oil prices – how the taxes of various countries could be used to mitigate the rise in oil prices since 2003
• Excise tax
• Vehicle miles traveled tax
• International Fuel Tax Agreement

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110409110027/http://www.gtz.de/de/dokumente/gtz2009-en-ifp-full-version.pdf International Fuel Prices 2009] with diesel and gasoline prices of 172 countries and information on fuel taxation for state financing
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120207151531/http://www.nacsonline.com/NACS/Resources/campaigns/GasPrices_2012/Pages/default.aspx 2012 NACS Retail Fuels Report]
• [http://www.energy.eu/#fueltaxes Actual taxes on Unleaded and diesel Fuels in Europe]
• [https://parkplus.io/fuel-price/petrol-diesel-price-in-gurgaon Fuel Price in Gurgoan India]

{{Aviation taxation}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Environmental tax

Category:Petroleum products

Category:Energy economics

Category:Transport economics

Category:Vehicle taxes