Pennsylvania Places the Highest Taxes on Gasoline

Member Group : PA Watchdog

Pennsylvania places the highest taxes and fees on gasoline in the country, according to the Washington-based Tax Foundation.

Drivers in the state pay 58.7 cents per gallon in state-imposed taxes and fees, the foundation reports. These levies may include excise taxes, fees related to environmental issues, storage tank levies and general sales taxes.

Only seven states apply sales taxes to gasoline, a practice that effectively layers levies onto one another. The seven states are California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and New York.

The foundation deems gas taxes a sensible way for states to fund road repairs, maintenance and highway expansion since those who use the public roads the most pay the most via gas taxes. But some states don’t index the taxes for inflation, meaning that revenues generated through the taxes can lag behind state infrastructure needs over time, according to the analysis.

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Which States Impose the Highest Gas Taxes?

State State Taxes and Fees on Gasoline (Cents per Gallon) Rank (Highest to Lowest)
Pennsylvania 58.7 1
California 55.22 2
Washington 49.4 3
Hawaii 47.88 4
New York 45.76 5
Michigan 44.13 6
Connecticut 43.8 7
Indiana 42.9 8
Florida 41.36 9
Illinois 37.32 10
New Jersey 37.1 11
Oregon 36.77 12
West Virginia 35.7 13
North Carolina 35.35 14
Maryland 35.3 15
Rhode Island 34 16
Nevada 33.78 17
Idaho 33 18
Wisconsin 32.9 19
Montana 32.25 20
Georgia 31.59 21
Vermont 31.22 22
Iowa 30.5 23
Maine 30.01 24
South Dakota 30 25
Utah 29.41 26
Nebraska 28.9 27
Minnesota 28.6 28
Ohio 28.01 29
Massachusetts 26.54 30
Tennessee 26.4 31
Kentucky 26 32
Kansas 24.03 33
Wyoming 24 34
New Hampshire 23.83 35
Delaware 23 36
North Dakota 23 36
Virginia 22.4 38
Colorado 22 39
Arkansas 21.8 40
Alabama 20.91 41
South Carolina 20.75 42
Louisiana 20.01 43
Oklahoma 20 44
Texas 20 44
Arizona 19 46
New Mexico 18.88 47
Mississippi 18.79 48
Missouri 17.35 49
Alaska 14.65 50

Source: Tax Foundation; American Petroleum Institute