It may have gone unnoticed by many, but Florida’s gas tax went up Jan. 1, adding to residents’ pain at the pump.
The price of a gallon of unleaded gasoline was $4.39 Thursday afternoon at the 7-Eleven gas station at Colony Plaza in The Villages. With war in the Ukraine ratcheting up global oil instability, the price of a gallon of gasoline is likely to keep climbing.
At the beginning of 2022, the statewide tax rates on motor fuel and diesel fuel increased. Florida requires annual adjustments to state fuel tax rates and the State Comprehensive Enhanced Transportation System (SCETS) based on the National Consumer Price Index. SCETS taxes are set aside for Marine Resources Conservation, Fish and Wildlife Conservation and Agriculture Emergency Eradication Trust Fund.
Per Section 206.46 of the Florida Statutes, the Florida Department of Transportation accounts for the administration and development of the state highway system and other transportation related projects from state taxes and fees including fuel taxes and motor taxes. The state tax, which was 18.5 cents per gallon, increased on Jan. 1, 2022, to 19 cents per gallon. The SCETS rate increased from 8 cents per gallon to 8.3 cents per gallon. Diesel fuel increased from 33.5 cents per gallon to 34.3 cents per gallon statewide.
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