[Novalug] OT: Used Veg Oil

[John Franklin]

On Mar 14, 2010, at 4:54 PM, James Ewing Cottrell 3rd wrote:

> But...what exactly *IS* the tax? Given that MPG varies, but you pay the 
> tax per gallon of fuel, it would appear that the tax is just an average.

The tax is set per gallon.  The budgeting work that sets it compares sales volumes to infrastructure costs -- road construction, pot hole repairs, snow plowing and traffic signal operations -- none of which have a direct correlation to miles travelled.  It's not a milage average at all.

In VA, the gasoline tax is 17.5¢/gallon, +3.5¢/gallon if your vehicle is over 26,000 lbs or has three or more axels.  In Northern Virginia, there is an additional 2% sales tax.

In MD it is 23.5¢/gallon, DC is 20¢/gallon.

Add to this the federal gas tax of 18.4¢/gallon (assuming 10% ethanol).

Only 8 states have lower gas taxes than VA: AK, FL, GA, HI, NJ, OK, SC, WY.  WA has the highest at 37.5¢/gallon.

> In fact, many jurisdictions are now seriously considering moving to a 
> Miles Traveled tax because Hybrids and other soon to be available (Volt, 
> Tesla) vehicles may use NO gas.

Hybrids, by definition, still use gas engines in addition to something else (electric, usually) that is ultimately recharged by the gas engine.

I don't expect Miles Travelled taxes to get very far, no pun intended.  Auto industry lobbyists seeking to market electric cars, political pressure to be green & reduce our dependence on foreign oil and difficulties collecting such numbers (in-state vs out-of-state) all stand in the way.

> Oh yeah, I also forgot to mention lawnmowers, chainsaws, weed 
> wackers...I am paying Road Use Tax on them for not using the road either.

If you really want to get a refund for the tax paid on the gasoline in your lawn mower and weedwacker, you can probably do so in VA with this form [1] to get the 17.5¢/gallon back.  (5 gallon minimum purchase required.)

[1] http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/pdf/ts216.pdf [2]
[2] Under the First Amendment to the US Constitution, DMV employees retain the right to tell you to get a life when you file for it.

> JIM
> 
> Bryan J Smith wrote:
>> Yes, you are _liable_ for paying the tax.  However, if you track
>> your consumption _and_ submit the proper forms with the
>> appropriate fees and it is very much _not_ illegal.  Anyone enforcing
>> the law to the contrary is a public liability.
>> 
>> --  
>> Bryan J Smith - mailto:b.j.smith at ieee.org  
>> http://www.linkedin.com/in/bjsmith
>> Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile  
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Robert Circle <rcircle2001 at yahoo.com>
>> Date: Mon, 8 Mar 2010 02:33:08 
>> To: Novalug list<novalug at calypso.tux.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Novalug] OT: Used Veg Oil
>> 
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