Fuel retailers welcome passage of budget reconciliation

NATSO, representing truck stops and travel centers, and SIGMA: America’s Leading Fuel Marketers issued the following statement praising Congress for passing its reconciliation bill, a sweeping tax reform package that will drive growth, investment and job creation within the fuel-retail and travel-center industries.

“We thank the Trump administration and congressional leaders for advancing a strong tax-reform package that advances our nation’s economic and energy goals while supporting the fuel-retail and travel-center industries through a competitive tax environment and technology-neutral biofuels policies,” said David Fialkov, the executive vice president of government affairs for NATSO and SIGMA.

Fialkov said the legislation marks a major victory for the nation’s fuel retailers, their employees and the communities in which they operate.

“We applaud the inclusion of key tax provisions, such as the 199A qualified business-income deduction and the full expensing of capital investments, which help spur innovation in our competitive marketplace,” he said.

NATSO and SIGMA, which together represent nearly 90 percent of fuel sold at retail, added that they strongly support the revision to the section 45Z clean fuel production credit, which restores equal tax treatment between sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other advanced biofuels such as biodiesel and renewable diesel.

“Modifying 45Z to be technology-neutral marks a critical step in revitalizing U.S. biofuel production,” Fialkov said.

“Incentivizing SAF at the same tax rate as all other biofuels will result in more gallons of biofuel being produced and consumed at a lower cost to taxpayers,” he added.