Gasoline Road Tax

[GLF]

I got talking with the guys a work today. I was looking for a volunteer to fill up my boat. It only needs around 150 gallons to fill it up. One of the guys told me I did not have to pay road tax the gas for the boat. I found this hard to believe, and did not think it was true. So...I stopped by the gas station on my way home from work today. I asked the owner, "If I brought in my boat to fill up, can you take the road tax off"? He told me there is no way he could remove the tax from the gas for the boat.

A boat does not get used on the roads. So....why should we pay a road tax on the gas we use in it? Just like lawn mower gas. I do not drive my tractor to the store to get groceries, so why do I have to pay road tax on that gas?????

Maybe I should turn in my gas receipts at the end of the year and try to get the road tax back on the gas I put in the boat, and tractor.

Its a pain to pull the boat just to put gas in it....but if I could avoid having to pay a road tax, and I could save .50 per gallon over marina gas.....

OK....rant over!!!!!!

[Priority1]

Years ago, (I'm talking 50s and 60s) there was a form that you could fill out and get the tax back for boat use. I think they did away with this.

I know charter boats are run as a business and they deduct expenses, and I think they get the whole road tax back.

I don't see why GLF couldn't be set up as a internet business, and the boat used to advertise and take members fishing. The boat is a big part of GLF. Al fuel used in business vehicles is deductible, and I think you get the tax back also. The whole thing. Mo than one way around the barn.

[shu9265]

There is a way to do it still.

I will see if I can find the info again, and post it here.

[glnmiller]

There is a tax rebate you can file but it only applies to gas used for off road business use, such as for machinery, lawn mowers, and commercial boats. Does not apply to pleasure boating.

[Satisfaxion_Gauranteed]

You can buy farm gas that does not have road tax on it. I'm not sure the legalities and all that lawyer stuff with using farm gas in a boat. You just have to have it delivered to a storage tank and sign for the fact is it not for general automotive use. Perhaps a storage tank in the back of that big Ford V-10 you have??

I totally agree that a 'road' tax is in place to help maintain roads and a boat doesn't generally do anything to the wear and tear on a road.

The farmers are REALLY feeling the crunch. Imagine those machines out there drinking down that diesel fuel..........

[glnmiller]

You can buy farm gas that does not have road tax on it. I'm not sure the legalities and all that lawyer stuff with using farm gas in a boat. You just have to have it delivered to a storage tank and sign for the fact is it not for general automotive use. Perhaps a storage tank in the back of that big Ford V-10 you have?

Not legal. The farm fuel use tax exemption does not apply to uses other than producing agricultural products or providing horticultural services.

Also, the exemption does not apply to any use of the fuel by someone other than a farm fuel user.

[Yooperdad]

This whole topic sounded familiar so did a quick Google. A % of the gas tax goes to the State Waterways Fund to support boating, harbor construction, etc. There was a ballot proposal in 2006 to protect that money from politicians, but it didn't pass. Found this in the article: CRC was able to identify one diversion of resources from these funds and accounts in the recent past, a FY02 diversion of $7.8 million from the Waterways Fund to help balance the state's general fund budget.

I didn't find the % of the gas tax that goes into the fund.

Yooperdad

[GLF]

Perhaps a storage tank in the back of that big Ford V-10 you have??

It would cost me more money to drive the V-10 to Muskegon and back, then to go to a marina for gas.

[kuk999]

At first I went back and forth on this rant.

1. We should pay a road tax for boat gas since we are technically using the roads to trailer out boats to the launches.

2. Then again, our vehicles are using more gas to pull the trailers to the launch becuase of the heavy loads.

So, In summary, no matter how you look at it gas prices are still way too damn high!

-Kevin-

[Priority1]

At first I went back and forth on this rant.

1. We should pay a road tax for boat gas since we are technically using the roads to trailer out boats to the launches.

2. Then again, our vehicles are using more gas to pull the trailers to the launch becuase of the heavy loads.

So, In summary, no matter how you look at it gas prices are still way too damn high!

-Kevin-

Yes!! gas prices are too high. In addition to fuel taxes we pay another tax called license fees for our trucks and trailers. Technically Our boats are not using the roads, they are just a load on our trailers that are already taxed. If the tax we pay, to fuel our boats, was going for better harbors etc, then maybe it would be justified in the boater's mind. Our Northern States have a lot higher road maintenance than States just a little S of us. Some of the pot holes this Spring could float my boat. Trying to get a little of our money back will be tough, with States trying to balance budgets in a declining economy.