Fuel tax reporting software is imperative to any business with vehicles on the open road. The Internal Revenue Service insists that meticulous records be kept for the purposes of applying tax credits and other incentives to government offers. Also, fuel tax reporting software allows the business to properly track its business costs so they can be deducted from the profits.

But before you rush out and buy fuel tax software, take the time to learn about the many programs on the market. Their applications can vary greatly. It may take you a little time up front, but finding the software that really fits your business will save you headaches down the line. Think of your tutorial as "fuel tax reporting software for beginners."

1. Learn about fuel tax reporting software by educating yourself on the various programs and their applications.

2. Take a tutorial on fuel tax reporting software programs to understand how they work and their multitude of functions.

3. Enroll in a training course that specializes in fuel tax reporting software.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find out about IFTA software and the basic overview of how it is used

Take the time to familiarize yourself with popular fuel tax software programs that are currently on the market. Some programs are geared toward smaller companies with just a few vehicles on the road, while others are geared for major corporations whose trucks traverse the United States on a daily basis.

I recommend: Check out the website for Axon Trucking Software. They offer a program called IFTA Fuel Tax Management Software. Also check out the company website for Wolf Byte. They have also created a fuel tax software program used by many industry professionals.

Watch a demonstration of fuel tax software

Tax software for truckers can be quite complex as a company tries to keep track of a large fleet, how far they're driving, the loads they are pulling and how much fuel they are burning. Taking a tutorial of various software applications will educate you on the program works so that you can decipher if it's a fit for your business and if it will integrate well with your accounting departments other software.

I recommend: Visit the website for Road and Fuel Tax Software. They offer an online demonstration. The only catch is that you must fill in some personal information in order to get the download. Also, Omni Communications has a full fledged tutorial on their website.

Take a training class on IFTA software

When it comes to learning more about IFTA trucking software, one of the best tools you can utilize is taking a training course. Courses for IFTA reporting software are offered in online forms as well as in person seminars. This provides the business owner with a multitude of platforms on how they can train their employees to work on the latest fuel tax software.

I recommend: Visit the website for Innovative Computing Corp. They offer classes on fuel tax software and how to use it. J J Keller and Associates also offers training and education both in online and in-person forms on the assessment, planning and implementation of their software.

Keeping track of all those trucking receipts for your fleet can prove time-consuming, to say the least. If you make a mistake, or one of your drivers forgets to turn in a form, then the possibility of error on your fuel tax reporting ushers in a whole new set of worries.

IFTA software solutions can help you eliminate those worries while reducing the time you spend on fuel tax reporting for your truck fleet.

The IFTA, or International Fuel Tax Agreement, allows you to submit tax forms from your company's base state no matter where your fleet trucks travel, meaning you do not have to submit multiple tax forms covering the states visited by your fleet.

You can purchase the software on CD, or you can access it directly online from the manufacturer. To get the most for your money on an IFTA fuel tax program, make sure:

1. The fuel tax software significantly reduces paperwork.
2. The fuel tax program offers a good return on your investment.
3. The IFTA software easily and accurately tracks mileage.
4. Offers automatic features that help with otherwise tedious tasks, such as tracking fuel prices.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find a fuel tax program that cuts down on paper

Fuel tax reporting software should help you generate multiple reports for your fleet without repeat data entry.

I recommend: Fuel tax reporting software such as ProMiles handles multiple reporting requirements in one program. To keep up to date on mileage, Mile.com's TaxTally program keeps track of important information such as state mileage for you.

Research online IFTA fuel tax reporting tools

Just like online income tax programs, these fuel tax programs help your company stay compliant. As a bonus, you can update information from any computer no matter your location.

I recommend: Fuel Tax Master Online from J.J. Keller & Associates Inc. allows you to enter and monitor trip data, scan and attach receipts and much more. Or, take a look at the online form provided by TruckTax.

Research the return on your investment

Make sure you purchase IFTA fuel tax software that will pay for itself in savings within a few years. Fuel tax software should show a return on investment in that time.

I recommend: ProMiles Software Development Corp. offers a savings calculator on its website that estimates how much your fleet could save with more accurate mileage and fuel tax reporting.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you're using online software, look into how the program will charge you. Some fuel tax reporting software programs charge by fleet size while others charge per truck.

Working with fuel tax reporting software can save you time and frustrations. You don’t have to worry about remembering to track your mileage on paper or finding out the state tax rates. Fuel tax software will keep track of mileage for you, as well as give you the updated state tax rates.

Learning fuel tax software is not difficult. In fact, many companies provide demos or screenshots of how to use their software tools. When it comes to working with fuel tax reporting software, demos and screenshots can be effective learning tools for the following professions:

1. Take advantage of fuel tax reporting software if you are an owner or operator.

2. Use fuel tax reporting software if you are a fleet owner.

3. Employ oil and gas tax reporting software if you are third party tax preparers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Using fuel tax reporting software will help owners or operators run their businesses efficiently

Fuel tax reporting companies can have demos or screenshots that will show you how to keep track of odometer reading, in miles or kilometers. Learn how to download the latest tax rates and modify and save them as the defaults.

I recommend: Softpedia provides screenshots concerning how to use its IFTA reporting software. You will learn how to keep track of your odometer reading. Axon Software lets you view its demo to learn about its IFTA fuel tax software. Find out how importing your data into this fuel tax software will prevent data entry errors and save you time.

Applying fuel tax reporting software will help fleet owners comply with the law

Fuel tax report software companies have demos that will show you how to make sure that you're complying with the following: latest state tax rates, rules, and regulations. You will also learn how the tax software for truckers will help you to automate your fuel and road tax information.

I recommend: Prophesy Transportation Solutions allows you to download a demo so that you can learn about how to adhere to all the regulations, rules, and current state tax rates. IFTAHELP, a resource for IFTA software, is another website you will want to check out. It has a forum section where you can post questions and get answers on the software.

Employing a fuel tax program will help third-party tax preparers produce good reports

Demos can show you not only how to import a company's state miles into the software. Learn how to install the fuel tax software and set up the company information. Demos will teach you how to create and print reports, as well as get information, such as tax summaries and IFTA.

I recommend: MyFuelTax provides screenshots of how to use the fuel tax reporting software. You will learn how to enter odometer readings, IFTA rates, and reports. FLI Technology Solutions will also teach you to how to produce reports.

When a company has business to do beyond state borders, it hires truckers, either on payroll or as independent contractors, to get goods where they need to go. But then the process of taxing fuel use becomes complex. The government has created an agreement for reporting fuel use in all U.S. states together, but there are some ground rules. Knowing about common key terms for using fuel tax reporting software will help a company stay one step ahead of the game.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

International Fuel Tax Agreement

The International Fuel Tax Agreement or IFTA is an agreement when companies only have to report some aspects of fleet operations from a central place, to avoid complications in interstate (or international) trucking.

I recommend: Get the definition of IFTA and more at the Washington State Department of Licensing online.

Base jurisdiction

The base jurisdiction in terms of fuel tax reporting software is the main location where the fleet is kept, garaged, registered and maintained, for the purposes of establishing a central point for tracking interstate mileage.

I recommend: See more on base jurisdiction and other IFTA terms at Idaho's IFTA page.

Trip permits

Trip permits are documents issued within the guidelines of IFTA to allow for certain provisions in fleet operations regarding registration and other issues. Fuel tax reporting software uses trip permits as the raw data for its reports.

I recommend: See more on trip permits under IFTA at the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services.

Qualified motor vehicle

Fuel tax reporting software will have to focus on mileage tracking for qualified motor vehicles. A qualified motor vehicle is one that has met the standards for reporting under IFTA.

I recommend: See more on qualified motor vehicles from the Michigan Treasury Dept.

Paper work reduction

A main benefit of fuel tax reporting software is that it helps with the overall goal of paperwork reduction for a business. This helps companies manage resources, and it helps the environment. Paperwork reduction is part of the global effort to combat climate change.

I recommend: See more on paperwork reduction with fuel tax reporting software at TurnpikeGlobal.

IRP

IRP is an additional report required by most base jurisdictions that shows what percentage of fuel use is incurred in each area under the general operation of the fleet. Fuel tax reporting software can help with these side audit items as well as the IFTA reporting.

I recommend: See more on the IRP and other fuel tax reporting software terms at Mile.com.