With hurricanes and severe weather impacting the supply and demand for petroleum products, gas prices are going up, and so too is the amount people pay in gasoline related taxes
(Buffalo, New York) – Erie County Comptroller Stefan I. Mychajliw is encouraging taxpayers to utilize his “Gas Tax Calculator” to calculate how much rising gas prices will increase what the government collects on a gallon of gasoline. With Hurricane Harvey impacting the supply of oil and the impending Hurricane Irma causing huge demand in Florida and the Carolinas, some believe that gas prices could rise as much as 30-cents per gallon or higher here at home and around the country.
“Taxpayers can go on my website, type in the price you paid at the pump, and you will see how much is paid in taxes for each gallon of gas. People have a right to know exactly how much money the government collects, especially with gas prices going up,” says Comptroller Mychajliw.
Based on AAA’s gas price information, last week’s average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in New York State was $2.53. Today, it is $2.83 per gallon.
If taxpayers shell out $2.83 for one gallon of gasoline, 65-cents of that cost will go towards seven separate local, state and federal taxes. Only $2.18 is going towards the product itself, the rest is taxes.
According to his report that Comptroller Mychajliw submitted to the Erie County Legislature in January of 2015, people are paying duplicative “taxes on taxes” for a gallon of gasoline in Erie County. This convoluted formula of Federal, State, and County charges and taxes leads to Erie County taxpayers having some of the highest costs per gallon in the state and country.
“When people experience pain at the pump, they need relief, not higher taxes. These higher taxes when gas prices are skyrocketing causes pain for everyone. Unless there’s serious relief, taxpayers will continue getting hosed at the pump,” concluded Comptroller Mychajliw.
The link for the Gas Tax Calculator is on the main page of Comptroller Mychajliw’s website in the menu bar near the top: www.erie.gov/comptroller
Click here for a PDF of the Press Release.
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