California IFTA Information
California or the “Golden State” is the most populous state in the U.S. with nearly 40 million people. California law states that if you qualify for IFTA but choose not to register you must purchase a California Fuel Trip Permit each time you reenter the state. In order to fully register you must request form 400-IF from the Motor Carrier Section. California charges an annual $10 for the license and $2 per set of decals.
California State IFTA Requirements
Congratulations on completing your driving training and earning your CDL! Did you know that 78 percent of California communities rely on trucking to supply their goods? In fact, in 2016, California had 130,640 heavy tractor and trailer drivers. Now that you’re joining the industry, you’ll need to learn about the IFTA, how to apply, and when and how to report IFTA fuel use taxes. Managing your new trucking business involves much more than being a great trucker. Here’s what you need to know about IFTA California.
The International Fuel Tax Agreement was created by members of the trucking industry and the U.S. Government to simplify reporting, collecting, and disbursement of fuel use taxes. Today, members of the IFTA include 48 states in the U.S. and 10 Canadian provinces. If you own/operate a qualified vehicle in more than two of the jurisdictions, you are required to have an IFTA license. A vehicle qualifies if it has the following:
- 2 axles and a GVW exceeding 26,000 pounds
- 2 axles and a registered weight exceeding 26,000 pounds
- A combination weight exceeding 26,000 pounds
- 3 or more axles regardless of weight
You can find the IFTA requirements for filing a California IFTA license application here. Once you obtain your IFTA permit and IFTA stickers, it must be kept in the vehicle(s) at all times, and the decals must be displayed on each side of the cab. When you need to file quarterly fuel taxes, the California fuel tax form is available here.
You’ll also be required to file quarterly fuel use tax forms. Failure to do so can result in a penalty of 10% of the taxes owed, or $50, whichever is greater. The report should include total miles traveled per jurisdiction, total gallons of fuel purchased and used in each jurisdiction, and the amount of fuel taxes paid and the tax rate for each jurisdiction. The due dates for each quarter are as follows:
Quarterly IFTA Due Dates |
|
|---|---|
| Q1 January – March | April 30 |
| Q2 April – June | July 31 |
| Q3 July – September | October 31 |
| Q4 October – December | January 31 |
*If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the next business day is considered the tax reporting filing due date.
IFTA California Related Links
IFTA Sticker Replacement and Renewal
Your California IFTA license must be renewed every year by December 31st. If you have not filed the required IFTA returns or paid all taxes, your license renewal can be denied. Also, the IFTA will notify all jurisdictions that your license has been revoked. You may be subject to penalties or other actions. Licensees in California are now required to use the online registration process to renew a license. You’ll need to create a user ID and password. The instructions and answers to your questions about the online filing system can be found at cdtfa.ca.gov.
Benefits of Trucking Management Software
Being a trucker involves unbelievable amounts of paperwork. Also, it’s difficult trying to remember the endless number of rules and deadlines. However, you can avoid the stress with the help of a trucking management company like TruckingOffice. We can help you stay in control of your paperwork, meet reporting deadlines, track miles and fuel, invoice clients, and more. We make filing your quarterly IFTA easy by keeping all of your information in one place. We track everything you need for IFTA including miles by state and fuel gallons by state. Your miles are calculated automatically using PC*Miler. Being organized is the best way to save time and money, and that is vital to a trucker’s success. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
Start filing your IFTA the easy way today!