gas prices

Paying Less at the Pump: NJ's Gas Tax Falls More Than 8 Cents a Gallon

On Oct. 1, New Jersey's gas tax dropped by about 16%

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New Jersey's gas tax went down by about 8.3 cents a gallon, or about 16%. Friday.

It's the first time in Gov. Phil Murphy's tenure that the gas tax is going down. The tax rate, which combines two different levies that are commonly known as the gas tax in the state, was scheduled to go from 50.7 cents a gallon to 42.4 on Oct. 1, 2021.

The reason, according to Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio over the summer, is that consumption so far this year is up, coupled with actual consumption in the previous fiscal year meeting projections.

The annual evaluation of the gas tax comes as part of a 2016 law that required state funding support bridge and road infrastructure at $2 billion annual for eight years. The law calls for yearly adjustments to the fuel tax if receipts don't meet that level.

The treasurer and legislative officials review revenue and set the tax rate to reach the target figure annually under the law. This year, officials say they concluded the rate would have to decrease by 8.3 cents a gallon.

Last year, the tax climbed by 9.3 cents a gallon. The year before that, it was flat, while in 2018 it climbed by more than 4 cents a gallon.

It’s the fourth time Murphy’s office has had to review the gas tax and the first time it's gone down in his tenure.

Murphy, a Democrat, took office in 2018. This year, he's seeking a second four-year term that would begin in 2022.

At 50.7 cents a gallon, New Jersey has the fourth-highest gas tax in the country, according to Tax Foundation, a nonprofit tax policy center. If no other state's gas tax falls, then the new 42.4 cent per gallon level would drop New Jersey down to 11th place.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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