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Washington Examiner
Article misinformation risk ★★☆☆☆ 2.0/5 Use caution · 2 checked claims
politics

The GOP must deliver immediate tax relief before the midterm elections, and it can start at the pump

The Washington Examiner urges Republicans to deliver immediate, visible tax relief before the midterms by temporarily suspending the federal gas tax and cutting the payroll tax by two percentage points. The piece cites federal fuel taxes (about 18¢/gal gasoline, 24¢/gal diesel), says some states tax gas up to 71¢/gal, and claims roughly 40% of taxpayers pay no income tax.

Open the original Washington Examiner article ↗

Accurate
Public importance 35/100

“Drivers pay a bit over 18 cents per gallon federal gasoline tax, while truck drivers pay more than 24 cents per gallon for diesel fuel.”

Attributed to Washington Examiner

✓ Proof standard met 4 reachable references Independent-source requirement passed
Original context and attribution

Article argues for temporarily suspending the federal gasoline tax to lower pump prices and gives the federal per-gallon gasoline and diesel excise tax rates as reasons this would be visible relief.

What the proof shows

Authoritative federal sources show the federal motor‑fuel excise tax is 18.4 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel (the statute sets base rates of 18.3¢ and 24.3¢ plus a 0.1¢ LUST surcharge). The Washington Examiner wording (“a bit over 18 cents” and “more than 24 cents”) matches these official rates.

Corrected version

Federal excise tax on gasoline is 18.4 cents per gallon; federal excise tax on diesel is 24.4 cents per gallon (18.3¢ and 24.3¢ base rates plus a 0.1¢ Leaking Underground Storage Tank surcharge).

Automated evidence confidence: 0%

References and proof

Every link was reachable when published. Each proof point states how that source bears on the claim.

Official data Supports

Publication 510 (Rev. December 2025), Excise Taxes (Including Fuel Tax Credits and Refunds) ↗

Internal Revenue Service
Proof point

The tax on gasoline is $0.184 per gallon. The tax on diesel fuel and kerosene is $0.244 per gallon.

Primary source Supports

26 U.S. Code § 4081 - Imposition of tax ↗

U.S. Code (as published by Cornell LII)
Proof point

In the case of gasoline ... 18.3 cents per gallon; in the case of diesel fuel ... 24.3 cents per gallon. The rates ... shall each be increased by 0.1 cent per gallon.

Official data Supports

How much tax do we pay on a gallon of gasoline and on a gallon of diesel fuel? - FAQ ↗

U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Proof point

Federal taxes include excise taxes of 18.3 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.3 cents per gallon on diesel fuel, and a Leaking Underground Storage Tank fee of 0.1 cents per gallon on both fuels.

Official data Supports

Highway Trust Fund and Taxes (FAST Act Fact Sheet) ↗

Federal Highway Administration (U.S. Department of Transportation)
Proof point

a Federal tax of 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and of 24.4 cents per gallon on highway diesel fuel.

Missing important context
Public importance 35/100

“Roughly 40% of all taxpayers do not pay income tax as a result of the many deductions and credits available.”

Attributed to Washington Examiner

✓ Proof standard met 4 reachable references Independent-source requirement passed
Original context and attribution

Article argues cutting income tax rates would fail politically/economically because many lower- and middle-income households pay little or no income tax; it quantifies that group as roughly 40%.

What the proof shows

The Washington Examiner’s headline‑style claim ("roughly 40% of all taxpayers do not pay income tax") is true under one common measure but misleading without specifying the unit and year. Tax Policy Center modeling shows about 40% of households (tax units) are projected to pay no federal individual income tax in 2025, which matches the Examiner’s figure if the author meant households/tax units and a forward year. However, IRS Statistics-of-Income based counts of individual tax returns (filers) show a lower share: roughly 49 million returns (about 30.5%) reported zero federal income tax liability in Tax Year 2023. Moreover, not all zero‑liability cases are solely the result of “deductions and credits”: many result from low income relative to the standard deduction, while refundable credits (EITC, Child Tax Credit) and some deductions/conventions also push some households to zero or negative liability. Many of these households still pay other federal taxes (notably payroll taxes). Because the Examiner’s sentence omits which metric (households vs. returns vs. year) and overattributes causation to deductions/credits alone, it needs qualification rather than being presented as an unambiguous fact.

Corrected version

More accurate: "Depending on the measure, a large share of households or returns report no federal individual income tax: IRS data show about 30.5% of individual tax returns had no income tax liability in Tax Year 2023, while Tax Policy Center estimates about 40% of households (tax units) will pay no federal individual income tax in 2025. These zero‑liability cases reflect a mix of low taxable income (standard deduction/shields), refundable credits (EITC, Child Tax Credit), and other tax provisions; many of these households still pay payroll and other taxes."

Automated evidence confidence: 0%

References and proof

Every link was reachable when published. Each proof point states how that source bears on the claim.

Research Supports

Who Will Pay No Federal Individual Income Tax in 2025? ↗

Tax Policy Center (Urban-Brookings)
Proof point

In 2025, according to the latest Tax Policy Center estimates, 40 percent of households, or about 76 million "tax units," will pay no federal individual income tax. ... These households include those with incomes too low to owe federal income tax after accounting for the standard deduction and other deductions or exclusions. They also include those eligible for certain tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Child Tax Credit (CTC), which can reduce tax liability below zero.

Other Contradicts

Who Doesn't Pay Taxes: 2023 (issue brief summarizing IRS SOI data) ↗

National Taxpayers Union Foundation (summary of IRS data)
Proof point

For Tax Year 2023, of the 160.6 million tax returns filed, just over 49 million returns (or 30.5%) were classified as non-paying. Non-paying returns include filers whose earnings fell below taxable thresholds or who qualified for credits or deductions that offset their liabilities.

Other Contradicts

Summary of the Latest Federal Income Tax Data, Tax Year 2023 ↗

Tax Foundation (data brief referencing IRS SOI)
Proof point

New IRS data shows ... For Tax Year 2023, roughly 49 million returns out of 160.6 million filed (about 30.5 percent of all returns) showed zero federal income tax liability. ... The bottom 50 percent paid a small share of federal individual income taxes, in part because many in that group owed no income tax.

Independent reporting Contradicts

Analysis and reporting on Tax Year 2023 IRS SOI: 'Bottom 50% Federal Income Tax Share: What the IRS Shows' ↗

LegalClarity (data explainer citing IRS SOI and Tax Foundation)
Proof point

For Tax Year 2023, roughly 49 million returns out of 160.6 million filed (about 30.5 percent of all returns) showed zero federal income tax liability. ... Many in this group owe no income tax because earnings are below the taxable threshold or because refundable credits offset their liability.

COMMUNITY EVIDENCE

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