IFTA Tax Rates in Vermont (2026)
Vermont taxes motor fuel at roughly 34.9 cents a gallon on gasoline and about 33 cents on diesel in 2026 — and unlike flat-rate states, part of the diesel number floats with fuel prices. If you run I-89, I-91 or the US routes into Canada, here is what the Green Mountain State takes and how to plan for it.
By the HaulMath editorial team · Updated $1
Key numbers at a glance
| Fuel | Approximate rate | What's in it |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | 34.9¢/gal | Per the Tax Foundation's July 2026 table; includes a fixed component set by recent legislation at 28 cents until mid-2028, after which it indexes upward |
| Diesel | 33.0¢/gal | Per the Tax Foundation's July 2026 table; includes the Motor Fuel Tax Adjustment — the greater of 13.4¢ or 4% of the tax-adjusted retail price, capped at 18¢/gal, per the Vermont DMV |
| Federal excise (not part of IFTA) | 24.4 diesel / 18.4 gas | Collected outside IFTA — keep it off your quarterly return |
IFTA tax rates in Vermont
Rates below are as of Q4 2026 — confirm the current official IFTA matrix before filing, especially in Vermont, where the diesel figure has a price-linked component. Vermont is jurisdiction code 50 on your IFTA return.
| Fuel | Approximate rate | What's in it |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | 34.9¢/gal | Per the Tax Foundation's July 2026 table; includes a fixed component set by recent legislation at 28 cents until mid-2028, after which it indexes upward |
| Diesel | 33.0¢/gal | Per the Tax Foundation's July 2026 table; includes the Motor Fuel Tax Adjustment — the greater of 13.4¢ or 4% of the tax-adjusted retail price, capped at 18¢/gal, per the Vermont DMV |
| Federal excise (not part of IFTA) | 24.4 diesel / 18.4 gas | Collected outside IFTA — keep it off your quarterly return |
That Motor Fuel Tax Adjustment is the detail carriers miss. Vermont does not simply publish one eternal diesel rate: the variable piece re-computes against retail prices, with a floor of 13.4 cents and a ceiling of 18 cents, which is why Vermont's diesel line on the IFTA matrix can differ quarter to quarter when prices swing. The Vermont DMV's Commercial Vehicle Operations section posts the quarterly fee calculations importers and terminal operators pay under MFTIA and MFTA — the same price signals that move your IFTA line. Treat our table as the Q4 2026 snapshot and verify against the IFTA Inc. matrix or the Vermont DMV before each filing.
In dollars: at 6.5 MPG, 1,000 Vermont miles burn 153.8 gallons — about $53.66 on gasoline or $50.77 on diesel. That is meaningfully more than the same miles in Tennessee ($32.31 on diesel at its 21-cent rate), comparable to Virginia ($51.69 on diesel at 33.6 cents), and far under Washington, where those miles would cost $91.54 at 59.5 cents. Put your actual lanes into the IFTA calculator and compare states on the IFTA rates by state hub.
How Vermont IFTA affects your filings
IFTA taxes fuel where it burns, not where it is bought — so a fill-up in New Hampshire or Quebec followed by 300 Vermont miles still accrues Vermont tax on those gallons. The standard playbook holds here: compare pump price minus each state's rate, and remember that buying in a higher-tax jurisdiction before running Vermont miles usually nets out cleanly, while cheap fuel before Vermont miles becomes a small balance due. With Vermont's diesel rate so close to its neighbors', the smart money is on route efficiency, not rate arbitrage.
Records make or break the return. Vermont miles need to show up in your ELD or GPS trip records with the same total that lands on your quarterly return, and every fuel receipt needs a matching trip. Auditors typically pull four consecutive quarters. Deadlines never move, and returns are due even when the net is zero:
| Quarter | Period | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Jan 1 – Mar 31 | April 30 |
| Q2 | Apr 1 – Jun 30 | July 31 |
| Q3 | Jul 1 – Sep 30 | October 31 |
| Q4 | Oct 1 – Dec 31 | January 31 (next year) |
Two Vermont-specific notes for the file. First, the state taxes dyed diesel and heating oil delivered into Vermont at 2 cents a gallon (per the Vermont Department of Taxes) — a separate levy from highway IFTA, but one that confuses receipts when carriers fuel near the border; dyed fuel is never for highway use anyway. Second, because part of Vermont's gasoline rate is fixed until July 1, 2028 and then indexes upward, plan on modest annual increases from 2029 — a reason to keep a per-mile fuel tax accrual in your fuel surcharge math rather than a flat guess.
FAQ
What is Vermont's IFTA gasoline tax rate in 2026?
Roughly 34.9 cents per gallon, per the Tax Foundation's July 2026 table, which ranks Vermont's gasoline tax among the higher half of states. Confirm the exact figure on the current official IFTA matrix before filing.
What is Vermont's diesel tax rate for IFTA?
About 33 cents per gallon as of mid-2026. Vermont's diesel tax includes a variable piece — the Motor Fuel Tax Adjustment — calculated as the greater of 13.4 cents or 4 percent of the tax-adjusted retail price, capped at 18 cents a gallon, per the Vermont DMV. That means the rate can move with fuel prices.
Who administers IFTA in Vermont?
Vermont's DMV, through its Commercial Vehicle Operations section, handles fuel tax reporting for carriers, including the quarterly MFTIA and MFTA fees that fuel importers and terminal operators pay.
Do Vermont's IFTA rates change often?
The diesel side can move with prices because of the variable Motor Fuel Tax Adjustment, and legislation in recent years adjusted the gasoline structure — part of it is fixed until mid-2028, then indexes upward. Re-check the IFTA matrix every quarter rather than assuming last quarter's rate.
How does Vermont's rate compare with neighboring rates?
Vermont sits in the middle of the pack — higher than low-tax states like Tennessee (21 cents on diesel) and Wyoming (24 cents), far below Washington's 59.5-cent diesel rate, and close to Virginia's 33.6 cents. On the I-89 and I-91 corridors the differences net out in a few dollars per hundred miles.