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How to use EFS fuel card reports for IFTA
Your EFS transaction report is the proof of the fuel tax you already paid at the pump. Used correctly, it gives you tax-paid gallons for every state. Used carelessly, it is where most IFTA mistakes start.
What IFTA needs from the fuel card report
For every fuel purchase, your records should show the date, the seller's name and location, the number of gallons, the fuel type, the price and the unit number. An EFS transaction export covers these when you include the right columns. Export the whole quarter as CSV or Excel.
The gallons are credited to the state or province where the fuel was bought. That is why the location column matters more than any other.
What to leave out
- DEF is not a taxable motor fuel.
- Reefer fuel does not power the truck and is reported separately or not at all.
- Oil, scales, cash advances and fees are not fuel.
Remove these rows, or leave their columns out, before the gallons are counted. Only fuel that powers the truck belongs on the return.
The duplicate fuel trap
The most common error is the same purchase counted twice. It usually happens when two exports overlap, such as a monthly file and a "last 30 days" file. Counting fuel twice overstates your tax-paid gallons, and an audit will find it.
IFTAflow flags fuel purchases that look like duplicates. A person decides whether to remove the row or keep it with a reason.
From the EFS file to tax by state
- Upload the EFS export. Column settings are saved for that client.
- Upload the ELD mileage report for the same quarter.
- Review the flags: duplicate fuel, fuel in a state with no miles, unmatched cards or units, purchases outside the quarter.
- Get tax-paid gallons, taxable gallons and tax or credit for each jurisdiction.
IFTAflow imports the file you export from EFS. It does not connect to EFS directly today. Exports from WEX, Comdata and other fuel cards work the same way.
Common questions
Do I still need paper receipts if I have the fuel card report?
The card statement is an accepted record when it shows the required details. Keep receipts for any fuel bought outside the card, and keep all records for 4 years.
What about fuel bought with cash or another card?
Add those purchases as well, by file or by manual entry. Fuel you don't report is tax-paid credit you lose.
My drivers share fuel cards. Is that a problem?
It makes matching harder. IFTAflow lists cards and units it can't match to a truck so you can assign them before the return is calculated.