Learn what records you must keep as an IFTA licensee.
Records you must keep
You must keep detailed mileage distance and records for each vehicle. These records must substantiate the information filed with us and are subject to audits. The records must be summarized monthly, quarterly, and annually by fleet and jurisdiction.
Each record must include all of the following:
- Motor carrier name
- Vehicle fleet number
- Operator equipment number (OEN) or vehicle identification number (VIN)
- Beginning and ending odometer or hub odometer reading for each trip
- Starting and ending date of the trip
- Trip origin and destination by city
- All pickup and delivery locations
- Fueling locations
- Routes of travel
- Mileage by state or Canadian province: highway, nonhighway, and deadhead
- Total trip distance
- Original fuel invoices, including:
- Date
- Customer name
- Seller name
- Gallons
- Fuel type
- Tax paid
- OEN or VIN
- For Electronic Logging Device (ELD) records, you must also have:
- Global Positioning System (GPS) or other system readings, at intervals that sufficiently validate the total travel distance in each jurisdiction
How long to keep your records
- IFTA records: You must keep these records for 4 years from the date your tax return was due or filed, whichever is later.
- Driver's daily logs and Electronic Logging Device records: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requires you to keep these records for 4 years if they're the only source documentation for operations.
Other state and federal agencies may have different recordkeeping requirements and record retention periods.
Missing and incomplete records
If an audit finds you have missing or inadequate records, you may receive an adjustment to:
- Fuel consumption
- Tax-paid credits
- Jurisdictional distances
Any of these adjustments may result in a change in liabilities, taxes, and penalties.