2012 New York Consolidated Laws
TAX - Tax
Article 21 - (501 - 515) HIGHWAY USE TAX
503 - Imposition of tax.


NY Tax L § 503 (2012) What's This?
 
    §  503.  Imposition  of  tax.  1.  In addition to any other tax or fee
  imposed by law, there is hereby levied and imposed a highway use tax for
  the privilege of operating any vehicular unit upon the  public  highways
  of  this  state  and  for  the purpose of recompensing the state for the
  public expenditures  incurred  by  reason  of  the  operations  of  such
  vehicular units on the public highways of this state.  Such tax shall be
  upon  the carrier except that where the carrier is not the owner of such
  vehicular unit, the tax shall be a  joint  and  several  liability  upon
  both.  Such  tax  shall  be  based  upon  the gross weight of each motor
  vehicle and the number of miles it is operated on the public highways in
  this state except as hereinafter provided.
    (a) The  tax  for  each  such  motor  vehicle  shall  be  computed  by
  multiplying  the number of miles operated on the public highways in this
  state by the appropriate tax rate as it  appears  in  the  gross  weight
  method  table  entitled "laden miles" set forth in paragraph (b) of this
  subdivision for the gross weight of the motor vehicle.
    (b)
 
                             Gross Weight Method
                                 Laden Miles
          Gross Weight of Vehicle                Tax Rate
                                                (in mills)
  1.      18,001 to 20,000 inclusive                6.0
  2.      20,001 to 22,000 inclusive                7.0
  3.      22,001 to 24,000 inclusive                8.0
  4.      24,001 to 26,000 inclusive                9.0
  5.      26,001 to 28,000 inclusive                9.5
  6.      28,001 to 30,000 inclusive               10.0
  7.      30,001 to 32,000 inclusive               10.5
  8.      32,001 to 34,000 inclusive               11.0
  9       34,001 to 36,000 inclusive               11.5
  10.     36,001 to 38,000 inclusive               12.0
  11.     38,001 to 40,000 inclusive               12.5
  12.     40,001 to 42,000 inclusive               13.0
  13.     42,001 to 44,000 inclusive               14.0
  14.     44,001 to 46,000 inclusive               15.0
  15.     46,001 to 48,000 inclusive               16.0
  16.     48,001 to 50,000 inclusive               17.0
  17.     50,001 to 52,000 inclusive               18.0
  18.     52,001 to 54,000 inclusive               19.0
  19.     54,001 to 56,000 inclusive               20.0
  20.     56,001 to 58,000 inclusive               21.0
  21.     58,001 to 60,000 inclusive               22.0
  22.     60,001 to 62,000 inclusive               23.0
  23.     62,001 to 64,000 inclusive               24.0
  24.     64,001 to 66,000 inclusive               25.5
  25.     66,001 to 68,000 inclusive               27.0
  26.     68,001 to 70,000 inclusive               28.5
  27.     70,001 to 72,000 inclusive               30.0
  28.     72,001 to 74,000 inclusive               32.5
  29.     74,001 to 76,000 inclusive               35.0
  30.     76,001 and over                          add two mills per ton
                                                   and fraction thereof
 
    (c) Provided, however, when a motor vehicle is  operated  without  any
  load  or  cargo, either alone or when it is drawing an unloaded trailer,
  semi-trailer, dolly or other  device,  the  carrier  shall  in  lieu  of
  computing  the  tax  by  the  gross  weight method table entitled "laden

  miles" compute the tax by multiplying the number of miles operated under
  such conditions by the appropriate tax rate entitled "unladen miles" for
  tractors set forth in this paragraph, if the vehicular unit is propelled
  by  a  tractor, and by the appropriate tax rate entitled "unladen miles"
  for trucks set forth  in  this  paragraph,  if  the  vehicular  unit  is
  propelled  by a truck. Such tax rate shall be determined by the unloaded
  weight of the tractor if the motor vehicle is  a  tractor  and,  in  all
  other  cases,  by the combined unloaded weight of any such motor vehicle
  plus the unloaded weight of the heaviest trailer, semi-trailer, dolly or
  other device to be drawn by such motor vehicle (determined in  a  manner
  similar  to  the  methods for determining the unloaded weight of a motor
  vehicle) when the motor  vehicle  is  operated  under  such  conditions.
  Provided  further,  however,  when an unloaded tractor is being operated
  alone, the carrier shall compute the  tax  by  multiplying  the  mileage
  operated  under  such  conditions by the appropriate tax rate for trucks
  set forth in this paragraph determined at the  unloaded  weight  of  the
  tractor.
 
                             Gross Weight Method
                                Unladen Miles
                                  Tractors
                                                  Tax Rate
          Unloaded Weight                        (in mills)
  1.     7,001 to 8,500 inclusive                   6.0
  2.     8,501 to 10,000 inclusive                  7.0
  3.    10,001 to 12,000 inclusive                  8.0
  4.    12,001 to 14,000 inclusive                  9.0
  5.    14,001 to 16,000 inclusive                  9.5
  6.    16,001 to 18,000 inclusive                 10.0
  7.    18,001 and over                            add five tenths of
                                                   a mill per ton and
                                                   fraction thereof
 
                                   Trucks
                                                  Tax Rate
          Unloaded Weight                        (in mills)
  1.    18,001 to 20,000 inclusive                  6.0
  2.    20,001 to 22,000 inclusive                  7.0
  3.    22,001 to 24,000 inclusive                  8.0
  4.    24,001 to 26,000 inclusive                  9.0
  5.    26,001 to 28,000 inclusive                  9.5
  6.    28,001 to 30,000 inclusive                 10.0
  7.    30,001 and over                            add five tenths of
                                                   a mill per ton and
                                                   fraction thereof
 
    (d)  Provided,  however,  for  purposes  of determining the applicable
  rates of tax under this subdivision, for those miles when a  truck  does
  not  draw  a  trailer,  semi-trailer,  dolly  or other device, the gross
  weight and unloaded weight of the  truck  shall  be  determined  without
  regard to the weight of any trailer, semi-trailer, dolly or other device
  drawn  at  other times by the truck or the weight of any load carried by
  any such trailer, semi-trailer, dolly or other device.
    2. In lieu of basing the tax on the gross weight and mileage  of  each
  vehicular  unit consisting of a combination of motor vehicle and trailer
  operated as a unit, any carrier operating more than one  such  vehicular
  unit  may elect in his return to base the tax on (i) the gross weight of
  its heaviest laden motor vehicle and the number of laden  miles  all  of

  its  motor  vehicles  are  operated on the public highways of this state
  under such condition by the tax rate entitled "laden miles" set forth in
  paragraph (b) of subdivision one of this section plus (ii) the  unloaded
  weight  of  its  heaviest  unladen  tractor,  if  the  vehicular unit is
  propelled by a tractor and in all other cases, by the combined  unloaded
  weight  of  the  motor  vehicle plus the unloaded weight of the heaviest
  trailer, semi-trailer, dolly or other device to be drawn by  such  motor
  vehicle  (determined  in  a manner similar to the method for determining
  the unloaded weight of a motor vehicle) and the number of unladen  miles
  all  of  its  motor vehicles are operated on the public highways of this
  state under such conditions by the tax rate entitled "unladen miles" set
  forth in paragraph (c) of  subdivision  one  of  this  section  for  the
  tractor  or  truck,  as  the  case  may  be.  Provided, however, when an
  unloaded tractor is being operated alone, the carrier  in  lieu  of  the
  computation required by clause (ii) of this subdivision for such mileage
  shall  compute the tax for the mileage operated under such conditions by
  multiplying the appropriate tax  rate  for  trucks  set  forth  in  such
  paragraph  determined  at  the  unloaded  weight  of  the  tractor. Such
  election may be made with respect to each return filed by a carrier  and
  shall  apply  to  all  such  motor vehicles required to be included in a
  return of the carrier during the taxable period  covered  thereby.  Such
  election  shall  be  irrevocable  with respect to the taxable period for
  which the return is filed.
    3. In lieu of computing the tax on the basis provided in the preceding
  subdivisions, any carrier may elect to compute the tax on the  basis  of
  the  unloaded weight of each motor vehicle and the number of miles it is
  operated on the public highways in this state. The tax computed for each
  such motor vehicle shall be computed by multiplying the number of  miles
  operated  on  the  public  highways in this state by the appropriate tax
  rate in the following tables:
 
                                                  Tax Rate
         Unloaded Weight of Truck                (in mills)
  1.     8,00l to 9,000 inclusive                   4
  2.     9,001 to 10,000 inclusive                  5
  3.    10,001 to 11,000 inclusive                  7
  4.    11,001 to 12,000 inclusive                  8
  5.    12,001 to 13,000 inclusive                  9
  6.    13,001 to 14,000 inclusive                 10
  7.    14,001 to 15,000 inclusive                 11
  8.    15,001 to 17,500 inclusive                 12
  9.    17,501 to 20,000 inclusive                 14
  10.   20,001 to 22,500 inclusive                 18
  11.   22,501 to 25,000 inclusive                 22
  12.   25,001 and over                            27
 
         Unloaded Weight of Tractor
  1.     4,001 to 5,500 inclusive                   6
  2.     5,501 to 7,000 inclusive                  10
  3.     7,001 to 8,500 inclusive                  14
  4.     8,501 to 10,000 inclusive                 18
  5.    10,001 to 12,000 inclusive                 25
  6.    12,001 and over                            33
 
  Such election may be made by  the  carrier  only  on  the  first  return
  required  to be filed by him in any calendar year and shall apply to all
  motor vehicles required to be included therein. Such election  shall  be

  irrevocable  with respect to the taxable period for which such return is
  filed and all subsequent returns covering operations during any part  of
  the calendar year in which such election is made.

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