How much is Kentucky's gas tax?

Kentucky's gasoline excise tax is about 26 cents per gallon, which includes the base motor fuels tax plus a supplemental highway and storage tank fee. The exact rate is adjusted periodically, so confirm the current figure when you calculate.

Does the gas price at the pump include the tax?

Yes. Both the Kentucky excise tax and the federal 18.4-cent-per-gallon tax are already baked into the posted price per gallon. This calculator isolates how much of what you pay is actually tax rather than an extra charge on top.

What is the federal gas tax?

The federal gasoline excise tax is 18.4 cents per gallon and applies in every state, including Kentucky. Combined with Kentucky's roughly 26-cent state rate, drivers pay around 44 cents per gallon in fuel taxes before any sales tax.

How is tax per mile calculated?

Tax per mile equals the combined per-gallon tax divided by your fuel economy in miles per gallon. A car getting 30 mpg with a combined 44-cent fuel tax pays about 1.5 cents of fuel tax per mile driven.

Is diesel taxed the same as gasoline in Kentucky?

No. Kentucky taxes diesel (special fuels) at a slightly different per-gallon rate than gasoline, and the federal diesel rate is 24.4 cents rather than 18.4 cents. This calculator is set up for gasoline, so adjust the rates if you drive a diesel vehicle.

Kentucky Gas Tax Calculator

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Kentucky drivers pay a state gasoline excise tax of about 26 cents per gallon on top of the federal 18.4-cent rate, for a combined fuel tax near 44 cents per gallon — all built into the price at the pump. This tool isolates how much tax you pay per fill-up, per year, and per mile.

How it works

Total fuel tax is gallons purchased times the combined per-gallon tax rate:

combined rate = KY excise + federal excise
gallons       = tank size, or annual miles ÷ mpg
total tax     = gallons × combined rate
tax per mile  = combined rate ÷ mpg

The posted pump price already includes these excise taxes, so the figures here show the tax portion you are effectively paying. For an annual estimate, the tool converts your mileage and fuel economy into gallons first.

Example and notes

A driver covering 12,000 miles a year at 30 mpg burns 12,000 ÷ 30 = 400 gallons. With a combined 26 + 18.4 = 44.4 cents-per-gallon tax, the annual fuel tax is 400 × 0.444 = 177.60 dollars, or about 1.48 cents per mile. A single 14-gallon fill-up carries 14 × 0.444 = 6.22 dollars of tax. These are excise taxes only and exclude any sales tax; confirm Kentucky’s current per-gallon rate, which is adjusted periodically.