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Interested in learning more about this service? Call 833-708-4633 to talk with a compliance specialist today!

Vehicle Tax & Licensing Service

Keep your regulated CMVs on the road and legal with our licensing, permitting and IFTA fuel tax reporting services. Read more.

Vehicle Tax & Licensing Service (04699)
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The Vehicle Tax & Licensing Service will keep your company compliant with the motor carrier tax and registration requirements, state IRP and IFTA requirements, and your fuel tax reporting obligations.

Your audit risk will be significantly reduced from our work to keep your vehicles legal. It will help improve the accuracy and integrity of your fuel and mileage tax data. You'll work with a dedicated Client Service Representative, who is familiar with your organization and manages your program.

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Overall Benefits

Reduce Overhead

Lower administrative costs related to managing vehicle legalization.

Centralize & Standardize Processes

Processes will be standardized and consistent across your operating locations.

Minimize Risk & Audit Exposure

Have confidence you are compliant. J. J. Keller applies the most current regulations in managing your licensing, permitting and fuel tax reporting.

Optimize Tax Credits

J. J. Keller experts ensure you are not overpaying or underpaying IFTA taxes, and are receiving entitled credits.

Meet Recordkeeping Requirements

Your documents will be retained at J. J. Keller and purged according to regulatory timelines.

Be Proactive

Receive notifications of expiring license plates and permit renewals ahead of time.

Save Time

Partnering with J. J. Keller to manage your vehicle compliance will free you up to focus your attention where you want it to be... on your business.

Access CMV info 24/7

Access your vehicle information and get helpful reporting any time, through your secure online portal.

Receive Audit Support

In the event of an audit, J. J. Keller experts will prepare your records and manage the entire process.

Find out how J. J. Keller can help you meet your compliance goals.

How The Service Works

This full vehicle management service covers these important functions to ensure your vehicles stay legally on the road:

Vehicle Licensing

LICENSING

Permitting

PERMITTING

Fuel Tax

FUEL TAX (IFTA) REPORTING

Licensing & Permitting

J. J. Keller will obtain your licenses and permits based on a thorough understanding of your company. We will provide recommendations for structuring your program in a way that benefits you financially.

A dedicated compliance specialist will work with you to:

  • Obtain initial permits for mileage, authority, International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) and International Registration Plan (IRP)
  • Complete IRP, IFTA, Mileage Tax (OR, NM, NY, and/or KY), Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) and Authority Permit applications for new vehicles added to your fleet and renewals
  • Communicate with states on your behalf whenever there are permit changes, such as address changes, return of permits, or cancellations
  • Offer recommendations for permitting needs for the following year and advisement on which base state you should use
  • Provide cost reports of total fuel, mileage, and authority permits
  • Recommend best-practices to help you optimize your fleet efficiencies and tax liabilities

Mileage Tax and IFTA Reporting

To help you comply with your mileage tax and IFTA reporting obligations, your compliance specialist will:

  • Collect and enter your driver trip reports, fuel receipts, and toll information into a specialized database. We accept paper trip documents or electronic data transfer. We retain this information at J. J. Keller in Neenah, WI, and purge according to regulatory timelines.
  • Conduct a proprietary audit covering 70+ edit checks, analyze data and correct errors to meet IFTA and IRP state compliance requirements
  • Identify and correct discrepancies when appropriate
  • Manage your monthly and quarterly mileage and fuel data for quarterly IFTA reporting
  • Complete and submit tax returns and disperse payments
  • Apply for ongoing fuel tax credits and refunds (as appropriate)
  • Generate fuel and mileage reports
Reporting Quarter Due Date
January – March April 30
April – June July 31
July – September October 31
October – December January 31

IFTA and IRP audits are mandated for 3% of all registrants annually.

Understanding the Requirements

Properly completed trip records will help prevent fines and assessments against your company at the time of audit. This list will help you better understand what is required for IRP and IFTA reporting:

Paper Trip Records

  • Beginning and ending dates of the trip
  • Origin and destination of the trip
  • Route of travel
  • Beginning and ending reading from the odometer, hubodometer, engine control module (ECM), or any similar device for the trip
  • Total distance of the trip
  • Distance traveled in each jurisdiction
  • Vehicle identification number or vehicle unit number
  • May include additional information at the discretion of the base jurisdiction

Information Required on Fuel Documents

  • Date of purchase
  • Seller's name and address
  • Number of gallons or liters purchased
  • Price per gallon or liter
  • Total amount of sale
  • Purchaser's name
  • Fuel type
  • Vehicle or equipment into which the fuel was placed (unit #)

Electronic Trip Records

  • Original GPS or other location data
  • Date and time of each GPS or other system reading, at intervals sufficient to validate the total distance traveled in each jurisdiction
  • Location of each GPS or other system reading
  • Beginning and ending reading from the odometer, hubodometer, engine control module (ECM), or any similar device
  • Calculated distance between each GPS or other system reading
  • Route of the vehicle's travel
  • Total distance traveled by the vehicle
  • Distance traveled in each jurisdiction
  • Vehicle identification number or vehicle unit number

Information Required on Bulk Fuel Records

  • Withdrawal log to include:
    • Date of withdrawal
    • Number of gallons or liters
    • Unit number
  • Purchase invoice to substantiate that tax was paid
  • Tank inventory reconciling the tank balances

Caution: If your records don't meet the IFTA and IRP recordkeeping requirements, you may be issued an inadequate records assessment. IFTA can lower your miles per gallon (mpg) to four or reduce it by 20%. Lower mpg means more fuel consumed and more taxes owed. IRP can assess you a 20% additional fee based on what you paid for your IRP plates that year. A second audit could result in a 50% fee and a third audit a 100% fee.

Talk with a compliance specialist by filling out this form or call 833-708-4633 today!

IFTA/IRP FAQs

The International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) is an agreement for the collection and distribution of fuel use tax revenues. The lower 48 states and the 10 Canadian provinces are members of IFTA. IFTA allows carriers, including private carriers, to obtain one license and file quarterly tax returns with one base jurisdiction.

A "qualified motor vehicle" is a motor vehicle used, designed, or maintained for transportation of persons or property, and that:

  • has 2 axles and gross weight or registered gross vehicle weight exceeding 26,000 pounds; or
  • has 3 or more axles regardless of weight (units on the power unit only); or
  • is used in combination, when the weight of such combination exceeds 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight or registered gross vehicle weight;
  • not a recreational vehicle.

As an IFTA-licensed carrier, you are required to display two IFTA decals per vehicle and carry a copy of the IFTA license in each vehicle. Starting in January 2019, you may carry your IFTA license electronically.

IFTA records must be retained for four years from the date of filing the tax report based on the records.

Electronic logging devices can be used to record mileage data, but must meet the requirements of IFTA.

An "apportionable vehicle" means any power unit that is used or intended for use in two or more member jurisdictions and that is used for the transportation of persons for hire or designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property, and:

  • has 2 axles and gross weight or registered gross vehicle weight exceeding 26,000 pounds; or
  • has 3 or more axles regardless of weight (units on the power unit only); or
  • is used in combination, when the weight of such combination exceeds 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight or registered gross vehicle weight;
  • not a recreational vehicles, vehicles displaying restricted plates, or government-owned vehicles.

The cab card must list all the member IRP jurisdiction, plus the registered weight the vehicle must comply with, to operate in each jurisdiction. Cab cards are vehicle specific, and the original cab card must be carried in the vehicle for which it was issued.

Kentucky, Oregon, New York and New Mexico.

Yes. J. J. Keller can help keep your vehicles operating legally and improve the accuracy and integrity of your fuel and mileage tax data. Find out more about how the service works.

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