Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Current Truck Tax Regulations scheduled to expire on September 30, 2011


Although passing bills in a timely fashion is not what this current congress is known for, there is another significant piece of legislation that has yet to be voted on. The delay of this legislation being enacted has thrown many people in the trucking industry for a loop.  

The transportation law known as SAFETEA-LU – the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users – expired in 2009, but it allowed the taxes associated with the Highway Trust Fund to be collected for an additional two years. When SAFETEA-LU became law in 2005, lawmakers built in what they believed to be enough time to get the next multi-year transportation authorization bill in place.

Those two years have gone by too rapidly and without a new Highway Bill to replace it. House and Senate committees are now drafting preliminary versions of the legislation and continue to debate its details.

Under normal circumstances, tax provisions related to the Highway Trust Fund would be extended as part of the authorization. Unfortunately, no one can accurately predict what will happen in the future, especially with the extreme volatility between parties these days. One thing that is predictable, however, is that ExpressTruckTax.com will keep updating their website and blog with the latest news affecting the Trucking Industry.  Once there is more information available about the HVUT filing process, we will let you know.