When gas prices spike, you can’t be afraid of another hurricane.
But if you don’t plan ahead and take the necessary precautions, you may be left stranded in your hometown with no one to go to when things get tough.
Here are the key things you need to know to prepare.
1.
The Gasoline Tax is a Huge Tax When you purchase gas, you pay a tax on every gallon of gas sold.
The tax is a tax that the government levies on every consumer to fund its vital programs.
It’s a big one, costing about $1.5 trillion a year, according to the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax policy think tank.
If you want to keep your gas bill down, this is a good place to start.
There are two tax rates, a 10% tax on most gasoline purchases, and a 15% tax that applies to gas stations, as well as all retail stores that sell gas.
Both rates are higher than the tax rates for cigarettes and alcohol.
If your gas tax goes up, you’re looking at a higher tax bill, and that’s when you should consider making a contingency plan.
2.
You Don’t Need a Tax Plan If you’re a gas guzzler, you should be able to make some kind of contingency plan, said Matt Schatz, senior vice president of energy and environmental studies at the American Petroleum Institute.
If that’s not possible, the best you can do is figure out how much you can afford to spend on gas to meet your basic needs, Schatz said.
3.
Your Gas Tax Doesn’t Apply to Wholesale Gas You don’t have to have a gas tax plan, but you do need to make sure you’re aware of what taxes apply to what kinds of gas.
The Tax Foundation estimates that the tax on gasoline is one-fifth of what the price of diesel is.
You’ll need to check with your local or state government.
Gas prices are generally rising and gas companies aren’t reporting much revenue.
So don’t be surprised if the gas tax increases by a factor of two or three.
4.
You Can Make a Gas Tax Adjustment Plan If gas prices go up, it may be hard to pay for groceries, Schulz said.
In this scenario, you could make an adjustment to your tax bill based on the cost of food you plan to eat and other necessities you might need.
For example, if gas prices drop, you might consider paying less for groceries and putting in a higher-priced item like a food prep kit.
But be careful not to make an additional expense like this one if you are already paying a higher price for groceries.
5.
Your Tax Bill Could Go Up If You Are a Gas User If you buy gas from a gas station and then use it at a grocery store or gas station convenience store, you don-t need to worry about the extra taxes, Schultz said.
That’s because you can use that money to pay off your gas taxes.
If gas price increases by more than 10% a year (depending on how high the rate goes), the government will collect more money from the government than it spends.
The government will also collect more revenue from sales taxes on gasoline than it does from sales of gasoline to consumers.
The money it collects from gas taxes goes into a special fund to help pay for other programs.
That money can then be used to pay down your gas debt.
The extra money is used to reduce other government debts, like those from the Affordable Care Act, he said.
The difference is that if you’re paying your gas bills, the money doesn’t go to the government directly.
It goes to a trust fund, which means that the money goes into the Treasury instead.
6.
Gas Prices Are Going to Be Up Again If gas is going to go up again, there are a few things you can try to keep things on track.
You might consider buying a second tank of gas to keep it from rising again.
You can also make a contingency account that will give you a credit if gas price spikes in the future.
7.
You Might Be Able to Pay Off Your Gas Bills if You’re a Gas Consumer If you plan on buying gas from gas stations or gas stores, you need some kind in place to avoid having to pay the higher tax rate.
If there’s a gas price increase, you’ll be able, at least temporarily, to pay that additional tax, Schitz said.
If the tax increases, you still might be able use some of the money you paid to pay your gas costs to pay another bill.
You could pay that bill off by putting the money in a retirement account or other savings account, Schutz said.
8.
You Won’t Be Able To Pay Off your Gas Bills If gas taxes go up or you have a new bill, the government may take money from your account and give it to another account, he added.
That could be a tax refund,