Gas tax not going up next year, but Southern Utah drivers still paying more at pump
ST. GEORGE — The Utah State Tax Commission announced that the tax on gasoline purchases in Utah will not go up in 2018. Meanwhile, gas prices in the St. George metropolitan area are more than 15 cents higher than the state average.
The tax rate for gasoline and diesel will remain at 29.4 cents per gallon for any fuel sold, used or received in Utah.
The rate went unchanged based on state regulation that places the tax rate at 16.5 percent of the statewide average motor fuel price for the previous fiscal year.
As the rate is dependent on statewide average prices, that rate could go up or down in the coming years.
The average price of gas in Utah Sunday was $2.40 per gallon of regular unleaded fuel, up from $2.18 on the same day one year ago, according to data compiled by AAA.
However, the average statewide price is down about 10 cents from one month ago, even factoring in the 2 cent average increase that comes along with holiday travel.
More than 97 million Americans hit the road for the holidays this year – the most ever on record, AAA spokesperson Jeanette Casselano said in a news release.
“At 20 cents more per gallon than the same time last year, pump prices don’t seem to be a deterrent for today’s travelers,” Casselano said. “The good news is that in most states, gas prices are 12 cents less than they were a month ago. So today, motorists can find gas for $2.50 or less at 71 percent of gas stations in the country.”
The St. George metropolitan area falls in the 29 percent of the country where average gas prices are above $2.50 per gallon. As of Sunday, the average price per gallon in the region was $2.57 for regular unleaded fuel.
Of all the state’s major metropolitan areas, Southern Utah motorists are paying the most, while drivers in the Provo-Orem area are paying the least at an average of $2.28 per gallon.
Email: jwitham@stgnews.com
Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.