Keep fuel purchases and distance separate
A receipt records a purchase, not the truck's route. A truck may buy fuel in one jurisdiction and travel through several others before buying again. Never infer jurisdiction mileage from fuel receipts.
Maintain a separate mileage source and review distance by truck and jurisdiction. Retain the supporting trip records your filing process requires. Software organization cannot correct a missing or unreliable source.
Review receipts against the right truck and period
For each purchase, check the date, truck, jurisdiction and gallons against the original receipt. Keep the image available to resolve unclear or incorrectly entered details.
Review purchases for duplicates and missing receipts before the quarter closes. A card charge alone may not carry every detail needed for your preparation process; check the supporting purchase record.
Prepare the quarter with a reconciliation checklist
Bring fuel records and jurisdiction mileage together for review while keeping their sources distinct. Check that the correct trucks and dates are included, and investigate gaps rather than filling them with assumptions.
- Review each truck's mileage by jurisdiction against its trip records.
- Check fuel purchase dates, jurisdictions and gallons against receipts.
- Resolve duplicate entries and missing records before preparing the return.
- Have the responsible filer review requirements and submit through the appropriate filing process.
Know the boundary between preparation and filing
RoutesAI supports the record-preparation workflow described here. It does not automatically file IFTA returns with a government agency, guarantee tax calculations or determine whether your operation is subject to IFTA.
Your carrier or adviser remains responsible for eligibility, record sufficiency, filing deadlines and the submitted return. Confirm jurisdiction-specific instructions with the responsible authority or qualified adviser.