Each gallon of gas you purchase in Missouri now comes with an additional 2.5 cents more in taxes, an increase intended for state road improvement. At the end of the 2021 legislative session, lawmakers voted to increase the gas tax for the first time in decades.
Effective Oct. 1, Missouri’s motor fuel tax rate increased from 17 cents per gallon to 19.5 cents per gallon. Under Senate Bill 262, Missouri’s motor fuel tax rate will increase by the 2.5 cents per gallon annually on July 1 until it reaches 29.5 cents in July 2025.
“I voted no because it’s been on the ballot twice and the voters have rejected it. I work for the people and to me a no vote on the ballot is pretty clear, that is my personal view,” said Rep. Hannah Kelly (District 141). “However, I highly respect and commend the people who supported and sponsored this bill for coming up with a compromised solution and including a refund mechanism. That was appreciated by me and many others, even though I voted against the bill.”
Some customers will be able to receive a refund of the 2.5 cent tax increase they pay on Missouri motor fuel in vehicles weighing less than 26,000 pounds for highway use from Oct. 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. Though refund claims will not be available for customers until Jul 1, 2022, they will need to start saving their receipts now.
“The refund form has not been finished yet, so we don’t know what it looks like yet. There are a lot of unanswered questions, and there is a lot of education that has to happen from elected officials to the public,” Kelly added.
The refund claim form will be available on the Department of Revenue’s website prior to July 1, 2022. Once the form becomes available, citizens will have until Sept. 30, 2022 to submit a claim for their refund.
In order to receive a refund, customers who have purchased fuel will need to maintain records of each purchase and keep those available for inspection by the Missouri Department of Revenue for three years.
The following information will be required when submitting a refund claim:
1. Vehicle identification number of the motor vehicle into which the motor fuel was delivered;
2. Date of sale;
3. Name and address of purchaser;
4. Name and address of seller;
5. Number of gallons purchased; and
6. Number of gallons purchased and charged Missouri fuel tax, as a separate item.
The Department will be developing an online system so that customers can electronically file a claim and receive the approved refund. As the tax increases annually on July 1, customers may request a refund of the Missouri motor fuel tax increase paid each year: 2.5 cents in 2022, 5 cents in 2023, 7.5 cents in 2024, 10 cents in 2025, and then 12.5 cents in 2026 and each year after.
“The biggest takeaway from this is that the citizenry does not need to let this experience make them feel like their vote doesn’t matter and I would say that communication to the elected officials is paramount now more than ever because we are facing a lot of diverse issues and we have a lot that we have to get to the bottom of as we go into year three and four of the Biden administration,” she added. “I think anyone who is against what has happened here needs to remember that this is why your vote matters and ask the hard questions of those of us who come into the office. Communicate with us in even in those moments when we may make a vote that you disagree with.”
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