State Excise Tax Refunds to Be Applied for By End Users

Iowa excise tax on fuel products attach when it is withdrawn from terminal storage or imported into Iowa and these taxes pass all the way down to the end user.   The end user of the fuel may qualify for a refund of the tax depending on their usage of the fuel or the type of entity they are.  It is however the responsibility of these end users to first pay the tax to their vendors and then apply for a refund. 

The Iowa Department of Revenue has had instances where marketers have sold product free of state excise tax to school districts and other government entities and then either claimed the refund themselves by using various methods or by simply not reporting the tax on their returns. 

When this happens, it puts the marketers who do follow the rules at a disadvantage since it is much more difficult to compete against a business not charging tax.  The Department of Revenue has experienced a few instances where government entities have applied for refunds themselves not realizing that they had not been charged the tax on these purchases. 

The Department of Revenue will deny refunds to marketers if it is discovered that the refunds are for fuel sold tax free to these end users.  It is always the end user of the fuel that needs to apply for the refund.