Excise fuel scheme fraud

A former manager of a small trucking business in Coffs Harbour, NSW, has been sentenced to weekend detention (with 12 months to serve) in the Newcastle District Court after pleading guilty to fuel excise fraud of almost $70,000.

The manager submitted 10 false claims totalling $68,661 under the Energy Grants Credit Scheme between June 2002 and July 2006. When subjected to an audit, he failed to provide any supporting documentation to support his claims.

The Energy Grants Credit Scheme was abolished in mid 2006 and replaced with the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme. The ATO is expanding the scheme to cover a wider range of activities such as fuel used in construction, landscaping and property management.

ATA Chairman Trevor Martyn has urged trucking companies to contact the ATO to assess their eligibility to claim fuel tax credits.

“The expansion of fuel tax credits will benefit trucking companies that operate other machinery such as backhoes, bulldozers, cranes, excavators and even chainsaws,” Martyn said.

More information on the fuel tax credits scheme can be found at the ATO Website or by contacting the ATO on 13 72 26.