IRS Waives Diesel Fuel Penalty Following Hurricane Katrina

by Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com, Washington

06 September 2005

The US Internal Revenue Service announced last week that in response to shortages of clear diesel fuel caused by Hurricane Katrina, it will not impose a tax penalty when dyed diesel fuel is sold for use or used on the highway.

This relief applies beginning August 25, 2005, in Florida, August 30, 2005, in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, and August 31, 2005, in the rest of the United States, and will remain in effect through September 15, 2005.

The tax authority stated that:

"This penalty relief is available to any person that sells or uses dyed fuel for highway use. In the case of the operator of the vehicle in which the dyed fuel is used, the relief is available only if the operator or the person selling the fuel pays the tax of 24.4 cents per gallon."

"The IRS will not impose penalties for failure to make semimonthly deposits of this tax. IRS Publication 510, Excise Taxes for 2005, has information on the proper method for reporting and paying the tax."

Ordinarily, dyed diesel fuel is not taxed, because it is sold for uses exempt from excise tax, such as to farmers for farming purposes and to local governments for buses.

Speaking with regard to the decision to waive the penalty, Treasury Secretary, John Snow observed on Thursday that:

"Today's action is a relatively simple and straightforward step that will immediately increase the available supply of diesel fuel nationwide, which is especially needed in Gulf Coast relief efforts."

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