Fuel tax credit business records – overview

To work out your business's fuel tax credits accurately and support your claims, you need to keep complete and accurate records.

Overview of business records required for fuel tax credits

Fuel tax credit records information and examples

Information your records need to show

Examples of types of records

You are carrying on a business The type, date and quantity of fuel that you acquired for your business activities How the fuel was used in your business for eligible and ineligible activities You applied the correct rate when calculating how much you could claim That the vehicle meets one of the environmental criteria (if it is a heavy diesel vehicle manufactured before 1 January 1996)

Tax invoices, bank statements Log books Fuel supplier statements Copies of contracts to show that you are carrying on a business and the activities that the fuel was used in Worksheets and other details showing work carried out Fuel issue records Odometer readings, route distances GPS/telematics data to show where the fuel has been used in your vehicles, equipment and/or machinery Calculation worksheets Service records and maintenance schedules

You will need to keep more than one of these record types to support your claims.

If you claim less than $10,000 in fuel tax credits each year, you can use the simplified approach to keep records and calculate your claim. If you are using heavy vehicles with auxiliary equipment, you can use the simplified method for calculating the amount of fuel used, which will make record keeping simpler and remove the need for sample testing.

If you are a primary producer, you should also check the special considerations regarding fuel tax credit records you are required to keep.

Detailed information is available via the links below about the records you need to keep.

Next step:

• Working out your fuel tax credits
• Heavy vehicles – records you need to keep
• Heavy vehicles – simplified method
• Record keeping in the primary production industry – fuel tax credits
• FTD 2006/2 Fuel tax: what records are required to be kept by taxpayers to substantiate a claim for a fuel tax credit

How long you need to keep fuel tax credit records

You need to keep these records for five years, starting from when you prepared or obtained the records, or completed the transactions or acts those records relate to, whichever is later.

You should keep records long enough to cover the period of review (also known as the amendment period) for an assessment that uses information from the record.

Find out about:

• Records connected to an assessment that's amended
• Index – Record keeping for business

See also:

• Fuel tax credits – business
• FTD 2006/2 Fuel tax: what records are required to be kept by taxpayers to substantiate a claim for a fuel tax credit
• Heavy vehicles
• Work out the quantity of fuel

ATO information for businesses on the records you need to keep for claiming fuel tax credits.