Resolution Seeks to Prevent Truck Tax Hikes
A resolution proposed in the House seeks to discourage Congress from raising the 12% federal excise tax on heavy-truck purchases.
The legislation’s sponsors, Reps. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.) and Tim Walz (R-Minn.), said the truck tax already can deter fleets from purchasing vehicles, and increasing it would slow the growth of the trucking industry.
“The federal excise tax deters business owners and other employers from purchasing some of the safest, cleanest and most fuel-efficient trucks available today,” Ribble said in a Sept. 12 statement with Walz and American Truck Dealers, which supports the legislation. “I hope my colleagues will agree that this tax should not be increased.”
“At a time when our economy is still continuing to recover, we should be doing all we can to ensure businesses have the tools they need to be successful, instead of creating roadblocks to their growth,” Walz said.
The resolution Ribble and Walz introduced Sept. 11 does not say whether it is a response to a specific proposal.
The average retail price for a heavy truck was more than $158,000, the resolution said. The excise tax added $18,900.
The excise tax goes into the Highway Trust Fund, which is the federal government’s main source of financing for highways and public transit. Federal taxes on diesel, gasoline, truck trailers and truck tires go to the same trust fund.
As a resolution, Ribble and Walz’s legislation would not have the effect of law if it is passed.
