IFTA Tax Rates in Pennsylvania (2026)
Pennsylvania has the highest diesel tax in America — 74.1 cents a gallon — and gasoline near the top at 57.6 cents. That makes PA the single most important fuel stop decision east of the Mississippi. Here are the rates and the strategy that turns them into money.
By the HaulMath editorial team · Updated $1
Key numbers at a glance
| Jurisdiction | Gasoline ($/gal) | Diesel ($/gal) |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania (2026, per PA Dept. of Revenue) | 0.5760 | 0.7410 |
| New York (Q4 2026 matrix) | 0.3980 | 0.3805 |
| Ohio (Q4 2026 matrix, standard rate) | 0.3850 | 0.4700 |
| North Carolina (2026, per NCDOR) | 0.4100 | 0.4100 |
IFTA tax rates in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's 2026 motor fuel tax is $0.576 per gallon on gasoline and $0.741 per gallon on diesel, per the Department of Revenue's motor fuel tax rates page, with rates effective January 1, 2026. The Q4 2026 IFTA Inc. matrix carries the same figures. Nothing else in the lower 48 comes close on diesel. Rates below are as of Q4 2026 — confirm the current official IFTA matrix before filing.
Two features explain the number. Pennsylvania stacks an oil company franchise tax on top of its excise (the 2026 table also lists a $0.017 per gallon floor rate component), and the combined rate adjusts annually under the 2013 indexing law. During 2026, legislators proposed cutting the gasoline tax to 35.5 cents and diesel to 37.4 cents — the cuts did not pass, but proposals like that are why the January rate notice deserves a look every year.
| Jurisdiction | Gasoline ($/gal) | Diesel ($/gal) |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania (2026, per PA Dept. of Revenue) | 0.5760 | 0.7410 |
| New York (Q4 2026 matrix) | 0.3980 | 0.3805 |
| Ohio (Q4 2026 matrix, standard rate) | 0.3850 | 0.4700 |
| North Carolina (2026, per NCDOR) | 0.4100 | 0.4100 |
| Rhode Island (eff. 7/1/2025, per tax.ri.gov) | 0.4000 | 0.4000 |
| Oklahoma (Q4 2026 matrix) | 0.1900 | 0.1900 |
| Federal excise (not part of IFTA) | 0.1840 | 0.2440 |
The diesel gap is the story: Pennsylvania at 74.1 cents versus New York at 38.05, Ohio at 47.0, North Carolina at 41.0. Fill 150 gallons in Scranton instead of a cheap stop two states away and you carry $111.15 of prepaid tax credit into your next quarterly return.
How Pennsylvania IFTA affects your filings
Pennsylvania miles are expensive miles. At 6.5 MPG, 1,000 PA miles burns about 153.8 gallons, which at 74.1 cents is roughly $114.17 of fuel tax — about 3.9 times the Oklahoma cost of the same distance. If your fuel plan does not account for that, Pennsylvania quietly eats the margin on every Northeast load. Model it lane by lane with the IFTA calculator before you accept a rate.
But the same number that makes PA miles expensive makes PA fuel stops valuable. IFTA taxes gallons where they burn, not where they buy. Diesel purchased in Pennsylvania carries 74.1 cents per gallon of prepaid credit; burn it in New York at 38.05 cents and the excess comes back to you on the return. The strategy writes itself for I-80 and I-95 carriers: fill near capacity in Pennsylvania when the pre-tax price is competitive, run Pennsylvania and neighboring miles on that fuel, and skip the cheap-pump stops in low-tax states on the approach — that is the pattern that turns a $0 refund into a bill. Compare pump price minus tax every time; a Pennsylvania stop only wins when its pre-tax price is within the tax gap of alternatives.
One caution keeps this honest: prepaid credit is not savings, it is timing. You still owe every state its rate on every gallon burned; fueling in PA just means you have already paid most of it. The real wins come from avoiding the reverse pattern — underpaying at the pump everywhere and owing four times a year, with interest and a $50–$100 penalty if a deadline slips (returns are due April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31). Keep PA receipts matched to ELD miles, refresh rates from the matrix each quarter, and make sure your fuel surcharge is large enough to carry a 74.1-cent state. Every other jurisdiction's current rate is side by side on the IFTA rates by state hub.
FAQ
What are the IFTA tax rates in Pennsylvania?
57.6 cents per gallon on gasoline and 74.1 cents on diesel for 2026, per the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue — the highest diesel rate in the nation.
Why is Pennsylvania's diesel tax so high?
An oil company franchise tax sits on top of the excise, indexed annually under 2013 legislation. The 2026 combined diesel rate of 74.1 cents runs about 27 cents above Ohio and 36 cents above New York.
Should I buy fuel in Pennsylvania?
Usually yes when the pre-tax price is competitive — PA diesel pre-pays 74.1 cents per gallon of credit you would owe across the Northeast anyway. Compare pump price minus tax before committing.
How much IFTA tax do Pennsylvania miles generate?
At 6.5 MPG, 1,000 PA miles is about 153.8 gallons — roughly $114.17 at the 74.1-cent diesel rate, nearly 4x the same miles in Oklahoma.
How often do Pennsylvania fuel tax rates change?
Annually on January 1 under the indexing formula; the 2026 rates took effect January 1, 2026. Cut proposals during 2026 did not pass, but check the matrix every quarter.
Does Pennsylvania charge anything besides fuel tax?
No per-mile truck tax like New York's HUT or Oregon's weight-mile tax applies to typical interstate tractor-trailers — the fuel tax is the main state road levy on IFTA carriers.