| PMAA Concerned Over Long Delays in Processing Federal Motor Fuel Excise Tax Claims
PMAA is hearing from petroleum marketers that they are experiencing long delays in the processing of federal motor fuel excise tax (FET) ultimate vendor claims for sales of tax included motor fuels to state and local governments and nonprofit educational organizations, kerosene and av-gas used in aviation, undyed diesel fuel for use in intercity busses, tax included kerosene sales from blocked pumps and both retroactive and current year biodiesel blender and alternative fuel tax credits. Marketers are also reporting delays in processing heavy highway vehicle use tax (HHVUT) proof of payment certificates needed for state registration of cargo tanks and IRS 637 UV registrations. Both the U.S. Department of Treasury and the IRS say the delays due to COVID-19 related altered working conditions. While many of the claims pay interest after 60 days, PMAA is concerned if the delays continue, they could interfere with the daily operations of marketer operations.
In response to marketers’ concerns, PMAA sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Charles P. Rettig emphasizing that many small business petroleum marketer operations could be disrupted if the delays are not resolved quickly and asked for a return to timely processing as soon as possible. Click here to read the letter.
In the meantime, petroleum marketers experiencing delays in claim and paperwork processing should call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at (800) 829-4933, M-F between 7:00am and 7:00 local taxpayer time. Be prepared to be placed on hold for an extended period. In addition, those filing the federal heavy highway vehicle use tax should do so electronically and use the IRS Electronic Federal Tax Payment System for direct debit payment. Credit and debit cards are not accepted for payment of the HHVUT until January 1, 2021. Paper filing with payment by check is also available but expect significant delays.
Trump to “Personally” Get Involved on Small Refinery Exemption Requests
Earlier this week, President Trump promised Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) that he would personally get involved regarding small refiners’ biofuel blending exemption requests. Refiners have requested that the EPA grant them biofuel exemptions going back to 2012 which could allow them to circumvent a January decision from U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, which said a refinery can receive new exemptions only if they have received them continuously since the program began. Senator Ernst (R-IA), who is in a tough reelection race, urged President Trump to reject the refiners’ request. Iowa is a key swing state for the President Trump to win, however, if Trump backs Senator Ernst’s request, he risks alienating refiners in Pennsylvania which is another key swing state. Although Trump won Iowa by 10 percent on 2016, he is currently in a tight race with Biden, which increases pressure on the President to dispense waivers and increase ethanol renewable fuel blending requirements for 2021. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) have also been in frequent contact with the President regarding the petroleum refining industries and denying the waiver requests would harm refiners struggling to survive with the collapse in fuel demand because of the pandemic. Click here to read the story.
Meanwhile, EPA announced yesterday that there are 98 petitions for small refinery exemptions going back to 2011. Just since June the agency has received two new petitions for 2011 and 2012, three for each of 2013, 2014 and 2015, plus one more for 2016. That brings the number of requests for "gap year" petitions to 67.
PMAA Journal Spring Issue Online Now
You can now take PMAA Journal with you wherever you go. Click here to view the Summer Issue, which will be on its way to you via U.S. Mail (latest issue always online), optimized for any device. Scroll to select the articles that matter to you, then read, learn and share with the icons at the top of your screen. Looking for a past issue? Scroll through past covers on the left side of your browser or use our convenient search feature to find a particular topic. Miss flipping pages? Select "page view" from the menu bar or click the handy magazine icon for a classic page-turner.
For information on advertising in this valuable format, please call 844.423.7272 or email Innovative Publishing.
PMAA Member Services Spotlight Featuring: National Purchasing Partners (NPP)
Are you making the most of your member benefits?
As a member of PMAA, you can access great discounts through National Purchasing Partners (NPP). NPP offers a substantial Verizon business discount for eligible companies of all sizes. Eligible businesses can receive 22 percent off Verizon monthly access fees* and up to 35 percent off smartphones, tablets and accessories. Enroll your business with NPP to start saving with the nation’s largest, most reliable 4G LTE network.
NPP also features discounts from other major brands such as Office Depot, Staples, Airgas, Sherwin-Williams and more.
NPP membership is free and there is no obligation to purchase. Simply enroll your business hereand explore their catalog of useful savings. Be sure to activate the Verizon offer if approved.
In April and May, Verizon provided 15GB of additional high-speed data and waived certain charges and late fees for eligible businesses and customers affected by COVID-19 crisis. Many NPP brands are trying to help during this challenging time. Enroll with NPP and learn more about how Verizon and other NPP brands are dedicated to helping businesses across the country.
|
