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2026 Q3 Official Rates

Pennsylvania IFTA Tax Rates for 2026 Q3

Official Pennsylvania diesel and gasoline tax rates for Q3 2026 - high-tier fuel tax exposure, I-80 and I-76 heavy freight corridors, and quarterly compliance for motor carriers.

Data lookup page: this page lists official Pennsylvania IFTA fuel tax rates, filing deadlines and penalty rules. It does not calculate your return — run your numbers in the IFTA calculator.

Pennsylvania IFTA Rates for Q3 2026 (Jul - Sep 2026): What Carriers Need to Know

Pennsylvania assesses $0.7410 per gallon on special diesel and $0.5760 per gallon on gasoline for Q3 2026, positioning the Commonwealth within the highest fuel tax tier in the nation. As recorded in the official IFTA Inc. Tax Matrix effective July 1, 2026, commercial carriers traveling across Pennsylvania encounter some of the steepest per-gallon fuel tax charges in North America.

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue administers the IFTA program for Keystone State-based interstate carriers. The Department oversees carrier licensing, annual credential distribution, and the processing of quarterly fuel use tax returns through its designated electronic filing systems.

Pennsylvania serves as a critical geographic bridge connecting Midwest manufacturing hubs with East Coast consumption centers. Intense heavy-haul freight moves constantly across key transit routes including Interstate 80, Interstate 76 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike), and Interstate 81. Running high gross-weight equipment across these major corridors means mileage accumulates substantial tax liabilities under Pennsylvania rates.

Because fuel taxes under IFTA accrue strictly according to jurisdiction mileage rather than points of retail purchase, carriers traversing Pennsylvania must keep comprehensive mileage records and receipts. When tax-paid purchases fail to match fuel consumed inside the state, significant net tax remittances become due upon filing.

Pennsylvania Quarterly Fuel Tax Rates — Last 4 Quarters

Pennsylvania Fuel Tax Rates by Quarter
Q3 2026 (Jul - Sep 2026)
Last four quarters, U.S. dollars per gallon, exactly as printed in the IFTA Inc. Tax Matrix.
QuarterDiesel (USD/gal)Gasoline (USD/gal)Separate Surcharge
Q3 2026Current0.74100.5760—
Q2 20260.74100.5760—
Q1 20260.74100.5760—
Q4 20250.74100.5760—

Pennsylvania maintains a steady rate of $0.7410 for special diesel and $0.5760 for gasoline across the last four quarters. No separate surcharge is flagged in the Tax Matrix.

Source: IFTA Inc. Tax Matrix (Q3 2026 (Jul - Sep 2026)) plus the IFTA Inc. Tax Matrix. Rates verified 2026-09-03; they change quarterly.

Quarterly Deadlines

File quarterly returns promptly: Q1 due April 30, Q2 due July 31, Q3 due October 31, and Q4 due January 31. When a due date lands on a weekend or holiday it rolls to the next business day.

Q1 (Jan - Mar)April 30
Q2 (Apr - Jun)July 31
Q3 (Jul - Sep)October 31
Q4 (Oct - Dec)January 31

1. Filing PA IFTA Returns: Essentials & Deadlines

How Pennsylvania filing works
From the official Pennsylvania source — see the link in the rate table above.

Quarterly filing schedule and standard holiday roll

Quarterly returns must be completed and submitted on or before the final day of the month succeeding each calendar quarter: April 30 for Q1, July 31 for Q2, October 31 for Q3, and January 31 for Q4. When any due date occurs on a Saturday, Sunday, or official holiday, the filing window automatically extends to the subsequent business day.

Department of Revenue electronic filing

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue encourages and manages electronic submission of quarterly returns and tax payments. Digital filing accelerates reconciliation, verifies calculations, and provides an immediate electronic confirmation receipt.

Annual credentials and vehicle decal renewals

Carriers based in Pennsylvania must secure an annual IFTA license and attach authorized decals to each qualified motor vehicle. Operating on public highways without current year decals constitutes a compliance violation subject to citations and fines.

Authoritative quarterly rate schedules

Pennsylvania fuel tax rates are established by state statute and reported officially through the IFTA Inc. Tax Matrix. Carriers should review rate updates each quarter to confirm that reporting calculations reflect active figures.

Late penalties & interest

Late filing and underpayment assessments

Submitting a late quarterly return or failing to remit fuel taxes owed results in statutory monetary penalties under standard IFTA rules. Penalties apply automatically when deadlines are missed and remain payable alongside delinquent tax amounts.

Statutory interest on delinquent obligations

Interest is assessed on all delinquent tax liabilities beginning from the original statutory due date until the liability is paid in full. Under Pennsylvania high-tier rates, unpaid balances generate compounding interest rapidly.

Audit standards and four-year record retention

The Department of Revenue requires carriers to preserve comprehensive trip manifests, electronic logging device (ELD) summaries, and retail fuel receipts for four years. In an audit, undocumented miles are frequently assessed at standard fleet averages disadvantageous to the operator.

2. I-80 and I-76 Heavy Corridors: Managing High-Tier Exposure

Pennsylvania diesel at $0.7410 per gallon ranks among the highest rates in the nation, making precise corridor accounting vital for long-haul profitability.

Traversing Pennsylvania along major freight lanes like the I-80 northern corridor or the I-76 Turnpike demands systematic fuel tax planning. At $0.7410 per gallon for diesel, every 100 gallons burned inside state borders represents $74.10 in gross IFTA tax obligation. Fleets operating multi-state routes between the Midwest and Northeast must balance fuel purchase locations with actual state miles.

Auditors examine detailed trip records, looking for continuous odometer logs, verified point-to-point routes, and bona fide retail fuel receipts. Failure to produce verifiable purchase receipts means fuel bought locally cannot be credited against Pennsylvania mileage liability.

Remember that IFTA liability follows where fuel is burned, not where pump prices appear attractive. Use our calculator to evaluate your route mileage and model your net quarterly liability across Pennsylvania and bordering jurisdictions.

PA IFTA Tax Rates — Frequently Asked Questions

Done looking up rates? Run the numbers.

The rate table tells you what Pennsylvania charges per gallon. The calculator turns that into your actual quarterly return, and the mileage tracker splits your miles state by state.

Browse the full 48-state rates table

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