Are You at Risk for an IFTA Audit?

Are You at Risk for an IFTA Audit?

With the 2nd Quarter IFTA deadline right around the corner, it’s about time we cover one of the few things that all truckers fear.

The dreaded IFTA audit!

Let’s recap what an IFTA audit is, and then establish what you’ll need to survive one.

All About IFTA Audits

An IFTA audit is the evaluation and verification of mileage and fuel figures reported on your quarterly IFTA tax return.

Basically, when an IFTA audit occurs, the state is determining if you’ve maintained acceptable records, filed the correct application, and paid the correct registration fees and taxes as required.

We try our best to help you in these situations! ExpressIFTA keeps all your returns on file so that you can easily access them if an audit occurs.

IFTA Qualified Vehicles

Only qualified motor vehicles are required to register for IFTA, and can therefore be subject to an audit. Qualified vehicle is categorized as any vehicle that:

• Has three or more axles
• Has two axles, and a registered gross vehicle weight of more than 26,000 pounds 
• Is used in a combination that has a registered gross weight of over 26,000 pounds
• If you’re driving a camper (or) a motor-home, don’t worry! They do not count as qualified vehicles when individuals use it for personal pleasure only. In order to count as a qualified vehicle, they must be used in connection with a business operation!

IFTA Fuel Records

For fuel records and IFTA purposes, it is necessary to keep track of all fuel purchased and used. A separate record must be kept for each fuel type, such as retail fuel and bulk fuel purchases.

You also should pay very close attention to all of your fuel receipts, and be sure that you are not only keeping track of them but taking care of them properly as well.

Your fuel receipts or invoices need to contain the following information:

• The date of purchase
• The address and name of the establishment where the fuel was purchased
• The amount of fuel purchased and the type of fuel purchased (in gallons)
• Price per gallon or the total amount of sale
• Unit numbers for the truck the fuel was purchased for

Mileage Records and IFTA

If you’re undergoing an IFTA audit, your mileage records may be requested (as well as any other data related to your IFTA operations).

This means you need to make sure you have access to your mileage records. If you use any software to calculate your trip mileage based on routes of travel, you’ll need to generate and have your records at hand (we recommend TruckLogics).

The good news is, when you generate your IFTA report with ExpressIFTA, the simple entry for odometer readings and the ability to maintain distance and fuel records online makes it easy to keep track of your mileage and fuel purchases.

Are you prepared for an IFTA audit? If you have any questions about e-filing for the upcoming 2nd Quarter IFTA deadline, give us a call at 704.234.6005. We’d love to hear from you!