IFTA Filing Service
IFTA filing service: quarterly returns prepared from your data
Four times a year, every IFTA-licensed carrier owes a return that splits fuel tax among the jurisdictions you drove through. The software reconciles miles against gallons jurisdiction by jurisdiction and flags what looks wrong before anything is filed. Quarterly returns are included on the annual membership.
Q3 2026 IFTA return: due Monday, November 2, 2026
October 31 falls on a Saturday this year, so the Q3 return is due the next business day, Monday, November 2, 2026. Members: send your ELD mileage export and fuel records by October 10 and we take it from there. Missed a quarter already? See what a missed IFTA deadline costs.
What we do
Data collection
We pull mileage from your ELD export and gather fuel data from receipts or fuel-card statements.
State-by-state computation
Miles and gallons reconciled by jurisdiction, with anomalies flagged: missing states, impossible jumps, gaps in fuel.
Return prepared for signature
A completed return and workpapers, reviewed by a human, delivered before the deadline with time to spare.
Quarter-end reminders
We start collecting your data before the quarter closes, so the deadline never arrives cold.
Who it's for: IFTA-registered carriers that would rather drive than reconcile spreadsheets. Included on the annual membership, and available on its own if you are not on a plan.
The four deadlines, and the weekend rule
The IFTA Articles of Agreement set the due date as the last day of the month following the close of the reporting period. That gives four fixed dates: April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31. When one of those falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the next business day becomes the due date (R960.100), which is a real reprieve that a surprising number of filing guides omit.
A quarter you did not run still needs a return
This is the single most common way a small carrier picks up an IFTA penalty. The truck was down, or you ran intrastate only, so nothing felt due. The return is still required, and because the penalty the base jurisdiction may assess is $50 or 10 percent of the delinquent tax, whichever is greater, a zero return filed late still costs $50.
How the penalty and interest actually work
Two separate charges apply to a late or underpaid return. The penalty is a one-time charge the base jurisdiction may assess of $50 or 10 percent of the delinquent tax, whichever is greater (IFTA Articles of Agreement, R1220.100). Interest is different: it accrues per jurisdiction on that jurisdiction’s share of the tax, at an annual rate set by IFTA at two percentage points above the IRS underpayment rate, accruing monthly at one twelfth of that. For 2026 the rate is 9% annually, or 0.75% per month.
Because interest is computed jurisdiction by jurisdiction rather than on a single total, a return covering many states can generate a fiddly assessment that is hard to check by hand. Your base jurisdiction assesses and collects on behalf of the others.
What the return is actually built from
An IFTA return reconciles two things: miles traveled in each jurisdiction, and fuel purchased in each jurisdiction. The difference determines whether you owe tax to a state or are owed a credit by one.
That makes your ELD mileage export and your fuel receipts the evidentiary basis for the whole filing. In an audit, the return is not what gets examined, the underlying records are. Carriers who file cleanly but keep records loosely are the ones who get hurt, because an auditor who cannot verify your miles will assess against you.
IFTA quarterly deadlines
| Quarter | Period covered | Return due |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | January to March | April 30 |
| Q2 | April to June | July 31 |
| Q3 | July to September | October 31 |
| Q4 | October to December | January 31 |
| Any quarter with no travel | The whole quarter | Zero return still required |
What an IFTA filing service costs
A standalone return is $119 for one truck, +$25 for each additional truck, credited to a plan you start within 60 days. On the annual membership the returns are included; month-to-month members pay $49 a return. The fuel tax itself is paid to your base jurisdiction, never through us.
TenFour membership: first truck
$99/month
Billed annually ($1,188/yr) · $119 month to month · +$59/month per additional truck
Included on the annual plan; $49 per return month to month. Billed annually; each additional truck +$59/month, every driver included.
IFTA quarterly return: standalone
$119/quarter
For carriers not on a plan: one truck, one return, +$25 per additional truck. Credited to a plan started within 60 days.
Every price for 1 to 6 trucks is published, no quote form, no sales call. See full pricing. Running 7 or more? Contact us for custom pricing.
What happens if you skip it
IFTA enforcement runs through your base jurisdiction rather than FMCSA, which means the consequences are financial and administrative rather than safety-rated, but they compound quietly.
- A late return draws a penalty the base jurisdiction may assess of $50 or 10 percent of the delinquent tax, whichever is greater, even on a zero return.
- Interest accrues per jurisdiction at 9% annually for 2026, computed monthly.
- Persistent non-filing puts your IFTA license and decals at risk, and operating without valid credentials is its own roadside problem.
- An audit that cannot verify your mileage from records will assess against you: the burden of proof sits with the carrier.
Sources
- IFTA Articles of Agreement (effective January 2026): R960.100 due dates, R1220.100 late penalty
- IFTA, current interest rate
- IFTA, Inc.: official site
Last reviewed September 26, 2026. TenFour is a compliance service, not a law firm, and is not affiliated with FMCSA or any government agency. This page explains federal requirements in plain English, verify specifics for your operation against the sources above.
Common questions
When are IFTA returns due?
The last day of the month following the close of each quarter: April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31. Under the IFTA Articles of Agreement, if that day falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the next business day becomes the due date.
Do I have to file if I did not run that quarter?
Yes. A zero return is still a return. Carriers who parked the truck for a quarter and skipped the filing are one of the most common late-penalty cases we see, and the penalty applies whether or not tax was owed.
What is the penalty for filing late?
The late penalty is a penalty the base jurisdiction may assess of $50 or 10 percent of the delinquent tax, whichever is greater (IFTA Articles of Agreement, R1220.100), so even a zero return filed late typically carries $50. Interest accrues separately per jurisdiction; the IFTA rate for 2026 is 9% annually, accruing at 0.75% monthly. Your base jurisdiction assesses both, so confirm specifics with them.
What do you need from me each quarter?
Your ELD mileage export by jurisdiction and your fuel purchase data, receipts or a fuel-card statement. We reconcile it, prepare the return and flag anything that looks inconsistent before it goes anywhere.
What happens if my records do not support the return?
IFTA audits work backwards from your mileage and fuel records, so gaps become assessments. Keeping the ELD export and fuel receipts is not bookkeeping neatness. It is the evidence base for every number on the return.
How much does an IFTA filing service cost?
Quarterly returns are included on the annual membership. Month-to-month members pay $49 per return. If you are not on a plan at all, a standalone return is $119 for one truck, +$25 per additional truck, credited to a plan you start within 60 days. Fleets of 7 or more, and unusually complex operations, should contact us for custom pricing first. Most providers sell IFTA as a separate quarterly service; on the annual plan it is handled alongside your driver files and filings, one less vendor to chase each quarter.
What if I missed an IFTA deadline?
File the late return now, even a zero return: filing stops it getting worse. Your base jurisdiction may assess a penalty of $50 or 10 percent of the delinquent tax, whichever is greater, plus interest on any tax owed, and it is the only party that can discuss payment or abatement. We can prepare the late return from your records the same way as an on-time one.
Is IFTA the same as IRP?
No. IRP is apportioned registration, your plates, distributing registration fees across the states you operate in. IFTA is fuel tax, reconciling miles driven per jurisdiction against fuel purchased per jurisdiction. Different programs, different cycles, both usually required for interstate operation.
Quarterly returns, prepared and checked by a person.
IFTA is included on the annual membership for carriers with 1 to 6 trucks. Not on a plan yet? A standalone return is $119 for one truck, ordered from the price card above and credited to any plan you start within 60 days.
$99/month is the annual plan for one truck, billed $1,188 up front, about two months free against $119 month to month. Each additional truck is $59/month ($69 month to month), every driver included, up to six trucks. Cancel any month; remaining full months refunded.