IFTA due dates 2026 and how to file your quarterly return
IFTA turns fuel tax in up to 58 jurisdictions into one return a quarter. That return is only as good as the miles and fuel receipts behind it, and a late one costs at least $50.
IFTA reporting in numbers
IFTA due dates in 2026 fall on the last day of the month after each quarter, moved to the next business day on weekends: April 30, July 31, November 2 (October 31 is a Saturday), and February 1, 2027. You file with your base jurisdiction every quarter, even with no miles.
An IFTA quarterly return looks like one form, but it reconciles every mile your trucks drove and every gallon they bought across the U.S. and Canada.
This guide covers the 2026 deadlines, who has to file, how the return is calculated, the records that back it up, and what a late or missing return costs.
The full briefing, read aloud
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Key takeaways
Returns are due the last day of the month after each quarter
In 2026 the third- and fourth-quarter dates fall on weekends, so they move to November 2, 2026 and February 1, 2027.
File every quarter, even with no miles
A zero return is still required, and your license renews only when every return is filed and paid.
Your fleet MPG drives the math
Taxable miles in each jurisdiction divided by fleet MPG set the gallons you owe tax on there.
No valid receipt, no tax-paid credit
Receipts must show the date, seller, gallons, fuel type, price, vehicle, and purchaser.
Late costs at least $50
The penalty is $50 or 10% of the late tax, whichever is greater, plus interest at 9% a year in 2026.
Keep records for four years
Counted from the return's due date or filing date, whichever is later.
In this articleContents
What are the IFTA due dates for 2026?
IFTA returns are due on the last day of the month after each calendar quarter ends. When that day is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the due date moves to the next business day, under Section R960 of the IFTA Articles of Agreement.
| Quarter | Months covered | Return and payment due |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | January to March | April 30, 2026 |
| Q2 2026 | April to June | July 31, 2026 |
| Q3 2026 | July to September | November 2, 2026 (October 31 is a Saturday) |
| Q4 2026 | October to December | February 1, 2027 (January 31 is a Sunday) |
The due date covers the return and full payment. A mailed return counts as filed on its postmark date. Electronic returns follow the base jurisdiction's own rules.
Do you file with no miles?
Yes. A return is required every quarter, even if the truck did not run or used no taxable fuel (R930). A missed zero return is still a missed return.
Carriers with fewer than 5,000 miles outside their base jurisdiction in 12 consecutive months can ask their base jurisdiction to let them file once a year. An annual return is due January 31.
The opposite case matters too. If you report zero or base-state-only miles for three or more quarters in a row, the base jurisdiction may cancel or refuse to renew the license (R345).
Who has to file an IFTA quarterly return?
Any carrier based in an IFTA member jurisdiction that runs a qualified motor vehicle in two or more member jurisdictions must hold an IFTA license and file quarterly (R305). The members are the 48 contiguous states and the 10 Canadian provinces.
A qualified motor vehicle carries people or property and has:
- Two axles and a gross or registered gross vehicle weight over 26,000 pounds (11,797 kg)
- Three or more axles, regardless of weight
- Or a combination weight over 26,000 pounds (11,797 kg)
Recreational vehicles are excluded. Your base jurisdiction is where your qualified vehicles are registered, where you have some travel, and where your operational records are kept or can be made available.
It issues the license and two decals per vehicle, sends you the return, and audits you for every member. A copy of the license rides in each truck.
A truck that only occasionally leaves its base state can use fuel trip permits instead, covered in our temporary fuel permit guide. IFTA is one of several credentials an interstate truck needs; the full list is in truck permits explained.
Where does Oregon stand?
Oregon is an IFTA member, but for now it collects IFTA taxes and fees only for Oregon-based carriers, and heavy trucks pay its weight-mile tax rather than a fuel tax.
That changes on July 1, 2029, according to ODOT. Oregon becomes a full IFTA participant, collects IFTA money from all carriers, and adds a fuel tax for heavy trucks alongside a reduced weight-mile tax. Our Oregon trip permits guide covers the weight-mile side.
What goes on an IFTA quarterly return?
An IFTA return reports your fleet's total miles and fuel for the quarter, then the miles, taxable fuel, and tax-paid fuel for each jurisdiction (P710). Each fuel type is reported separately. The result, jurisdiction by jurisdiction, is tax due or a credit, and you pay or receive the net.
Step 1: Work out your fleet MPG
Divide total miles by the total gallons put into your qualified vehicles, rounded to two decimals. Total miles include trip-permit miles and miles outside IFTA, such as in Alaska or Mexico.
Step 2: Turn each jurisdiction's miles into gallons
Divide each jurisdiction's taxable miles by your fleet MPG. That is the fuel you are taxed on there, wherever you bought it. Trip-permit miles are not taxable in any jurisdiction.
Step 3: Subtract tax-paid gallons
Subtract the gallons you bought tax-paid in that jurisdiction. If taxable gallons are higher, you owe tax there. If purchases are higher, you have a credit.
Step 4: Apply the quarter's tax rates
Multiply the net gallons by each jurisdiction's rate. IFTA, Inc. publishes every member's rates in its quarterly tax rate matrix. A mid-quarter rate change or a surcharge goes on its own line.
For example, a fleet that drove 30,000 miles on 5,000 gallons has a 6.00 MPG. With 6,000 miles in one state, it is taxed there on 1,000 gallons. If it bought 800 gallons tax-paid in that state, it owes tax on the other 200.
The Articles let base jurisdictions accept returns electronically (R940). Texas, for example, asks carriers to file through Webfile and takes paper only in cases of hardship. Fuel taxes outside IFTA, such as state weight-distance taxes, are covered in our guide to fuel taxes for trucking companies.
What records does IFTA require?
IFTA requires distance and fuel records that let an auditor verify every number on the return. Keep them for four years from the return's due date or filing date, whichever is later (P510). In an audit, the burden of proof is on you.
Distance records
Trip records are accepted when they show:
- Trip start and end dates
- Origin, destination, and route
- Beginning and ending odometer, hubodometer, or ECM readings
- Total trip miles and the miles in each jurisdiction
- The vehicle's VIN or unit number
GPS tracking data must log a reading at least every 10 minutes while the engine runs, with the date and time, latitude and longitude to four decimals, the ECM odometer, and the unit number. It must export as a spreadsheet file such as XLSX or CSV; a PDF or image does not qualify (P540).
Fuel receipts
A tax-paid credit needs a receipt, invoice, or transaction listing that shows:
- The date of purchase
- The seller's name and address
- The quantity and type of fuel
- The price per gallon or the total price
- The vehicle the fuel went into
- The purchaser's name
Altered or illegible receipts are rejected unless you can show they are valid, and fuel put into a vehicle that is not a qualified motor vehicle earns no credit (P550).
If your records are inadequate for the fleet as a whole, the base jurisdiction adds an assessment by setting your fleet MPG at 4.00 or cutting it by 20% (P570). A lower MPG raises taxable gallons in every jurisdiction at once.
What happens if you file IFTA late?
A late or missing return, or an underpayment, can draw a penalty of $50 or 10% of the delinquent tax, whichever is greater (R1220). Interest comes on top, and the base jurisdiction may add penalties under its own law.
- Interest: for U.S.-based fleets, 9% a year in 2026 (0.75% a month), two points above the IRS underpayment rate. Any part of a month counts as a full month (R1230).
- Estimated assessment: if you don't file, the base jurisdiction can set your tax from the best information it has, and that assessment is presumed correct (R1210).
- Revocation: the license can be suspended or revoked, and a delinquency not paid or appealed within 30 days of notice leads to revocation (R1270).
- No renewal: next year's license and decals are issued only when every return is filed and all tax, penalties, and interest are paid (R345).
- Liens: tax delinquent for more than 30 days can be collected through a lien, under the base jurisdiction's law (R1240).
If filing every quarter is more than your office can carry, our trucker tax team can prepare and file the return for you.
How Simplex helps with IFTA reporting
The return is due four times a year. We help with the return itself, the permits you need before you are licensed, and the license.
Quarterly IFTA returns
Our trucker tax preparation team puts together your IFTA quarterly report, files it for you, and backs up your fuel purchase records.
Fuel and trip permits
Not licensed yet, or crossing a state only now and then? Our trucking permits team handles temporary fuel (IFTA) permits and IRP trip permits.
IFTA licensing for new carriers
Starting out? Our authority packages can bundle IFTA licensing and IRP apportioned plates with your operating authority.
Frequently asked questions
When is IFTA due in 2026?+
What months are in each IFTA quarter?+
Do I have to file an IFTA return if I didn't drive?+
Can I file my IFTA return online?+
What is the penalty for a late IFTA return?+
Is Oregon part of IFTA?+
Where this information comes from
The requirements below come from the IFTA Articles of Agreement and Procedures Manual (both effective August 26, 2026), IFTA, Inc., the Texas Comptroller as an example base jurisdiction, and ODOT, checked on September 24, 2026.
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1
IFTA, Inc. — Articles of Agreement (August 2026)
R245 qualified motor vehicle, R305 licensing, R345 renewal, R930 to R970 reporting and due dates, R1210 to R1270 penalties, interest, and revocation.
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2
IFTA, Inc. — Procedures Manual (August 2026)
P510 four-year retention, P540 distance records, P550 fuel receipts, P570 inadequate records, P710 and P720 what the return reports.
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3
IFTA, Inc. — Carrier Information
Member jurisdictions, the base jurisdiction test, and the license and two decals per vehicle.
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4
IFTA, Inc. — Tax Rate Matrix
Each member jurisdiction's fuel tax rates, published by quarter.
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5
IFTA, Inc. — U.S. Annual Interest Rates
The 9% annual rate for 2026, two points above the IRS underpayment rate.
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6
Texas Comptroller — International Fuel Tax Agreement
An example base jurisdiction: electronic filing through Webfile, due dates, penalty, and 0.75% monthly interest.
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7
Texas Comptroller — Form 56-102 instructions
How the return is calculated: fleet MPG, taxable gallons, tax-paid gallons, surcharges, and mid-quarter rate changes.
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8
ODOT CCD — CCD Modernization Projects
Oregon's current IFTA role and full participation starting July 1, 2029.
Written by
Simplex Group
Permits & Fuel Tax Team, Simplex Group
Reviewed for technical accuracy by a Simplex permitting manager before publication. Simplex has registered and filed permits and fuel taxes for interstate carriers across all 50 states for more than 20 years.
Published · Updated
Related articles and services
Your next IFTA return is due November 2
The third-quarter return covers July through September and is due Monday, November 2, 2026. The records behind it should already exist.
If you want a second set of eyes on your miles, your receipts, or the return itself, talk to our team.