Interactive sample

Off-Road Diesel Tax Savings Check

Clear diesel carries $0.5976 a gallon in federal and Colorado tax and fees. Equipment that never runs on a public road can run on dyed diesel, which skips $0.5780 of that. Enter your numbers to see what that is worth.

Your fuel

Clear diesel per month going into off-road equipment (gallons)

Excavators, dozers, loaders, skid steers, generators, compressors. Not plated trucks.

Delivered clear diesel price ($ per gallon, tax included) Dyed premium over clear, before tax ($ per gallon)

Ask your supplier. Usually small. Enter 0 if unknown.

Local sales or use tax on dyed diesel (%)

Colorado state sales tax does not apply to dyed diesel, but some home-rule cities charge their own tax on it (Aurora does, for example). Use the rate where the fuel is burned.

Months of past clear diesel to look back on: 12

Colorado refund claims must be filed within one year of purchase, for at least 20 gallons.

What you could save

Going forward, per year

Per month: $0
Tax and fees avoided per gallon: $0.0000
Net savings per gallon after local tax and premium: $0.0000
Status

Tax already paid you may recover

Colorado excise refund estimate: $0
Federal fuel tax credit estimate: $0
Total lookback estimate: $0

Your CPA files these claims. The federal credit depends on which tax years are still open.

Where the money goes on a gallon of clear diesel

Tax or fee	Rate ($ per gallon)	Effective	Paid on dyed?
Federal diesel excise, the part dyed skips (credit rate)	$0.2430	Current	No
Federal storage tank tax	$0.0010	Current	Yes, no savings
Colorado special fuel excise	$0.2050	January 2019 onward	No
Colorado Road Usage Fee	$0.0600	July 2026 to June 2027, then $0.0700	No
Colorado Bridge and Tunnel Impact Fee	$0.0700	July 2025 to June 2027, then $0.0800	No
Environmental response, PFAS, and fuel impact fees	$0.0186	October 2026 to June 2027	Yes, no savings
Total on a gallon of clear diesel	$0.5976		$0.5780 skipped on dyed

Before you switch. Dyed diesel needs its own tank. If one yard tank fills both your iron and your plated trucks, the dyed fuel needs a second tank, or no savings are possible from that tank.

Never put dyed diesel in a vehicle plated for highway use. The federal penalty is the greater of $1,000 or $10 per gallon each time, and it grows with repeat violations.

About these numbers

These are estimates only, not tax advice. Your CPA prepares and files any refund claim: the Colorado DR 7189 permit and DR 7118 claim, and the federal Form 4136.

Rates were checked October 26, 2026, against the Colorado Department of Revenue fuel tax and fee rates, the Colorado Fuel Tax Guide (revised January 2026), C.R.S. 39-26-715(1)(a)(III) (dyed diesel sales tax exemption), the City of Aurora sales tax guidance, IRS Form 4136, and 26 U.S.C. 6715. Colorado rates change every July 1.

Want the full review? We go through a year of your fuel invoices and your equipment list, show you the numbers, and give your CPA a summary to work from. Your CPA prepares and files any claim.
Jacob Johnston | 719-204-6365 | jacob@truenorthstrategyops.com