Free calculator
KYU tax calculator (Kentucky weight distance tax)
Kentucky taxes every motor vehicle over 59,999 lb combined licensed weight at a flat $0.0285 a mile on Kentucky roads. Type the licensed weight and the Kentucky miles of each truck for the quarter.
Sample data: a made-up quarter for one 80,000 lb tractor, so you can see the result. Type your own weight and miles.
Rates: the official tables of each state, read 2026-09-30 (sources below). Your numbers stay in this browser; nothing is uploaded.
Result
- KYU for 3Q2026
- $34.20
- Miles
- 1,200 mi
- Due
- Saturday, October 31, 2026
Saturday, October 31, 2026 is a weekend and the state pages we read do not say whether it moves; file by the Friday before to be safe. Estimates from the official rate tables of Kentucky, New York, New Mexico, Oregon and Connecticut for the period shown. Not tax advice. File with each state and check its figures. Not affiliated with any state agency.
| State | Miles | Tax | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| KYUFile the KYU return and pay. | 1,200 | $34.20 | Oct 31, 2026a weekend |
| Truck, state | Miles | Rate | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truck 1, KYUKentucky miles at 80,000 lb | 1,200 | $0.0285/mi | $34.20 |
Your IFTA fuel tax for the same quarter: FuelTaxTally.
Filing this quarter? Pro makes the worksheet.
One Excel sheet per state with live rate lookups and totals for every truck, and a printable summary per truck to keep for audit or hand to your filer.
How it works
KRS 138.660(3): a vehicle with a combined licensed weight above 59,999 lb pays $0.0285 a mile. One rate for every weight, so the tax is Kentucky miles x $0.0285: 1,000 miles cost $28.50. At 59,999 lb or less there is no KYU. Farm-plate vehicles are exempt.
Sample data: 1,200 Kentucky miles at 80,000 lb = $34.20.
The return is quarterly, filed and paid online through KYU E-File in the Motor Carrier Portal, on or before the last day of the month after the quarter: for July to September 2026, Saturday, October 31, 2026 (a Saturday; the statute gives no weekend rule, so file by the Friday before to be safe). File zero miles for a quarter without Kentucky travel, or the license can be revoked with a $500 fee.
Sources
- KYU rate and threshold: KRS 138.660(3), Kentucky Revised Statutes — https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=28792; Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Motor Carriers, Kentucky Weight Distance (KYU) — https://drive.ky.gov/Motor-Carriers/Pages/KYU.aspx; KRS 138.685(2), quarterly returns — https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=55054, read on 2026-09-30
- Due date: KRS 138.685(2) — https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=55054; KYTC KYU page — https://drive.ky.gov/Motor-Carriers/Pages/KYU.aspx, read on 2026-09-30
Frequently asked questions
- What is the KYU tax rate?
- $0.0285 a mile (two and eighty-five hundredths cents) under KRS 138.660, for vehicles with a combined licensed weight over 59,999 lb.
- How do I file the KYU tax online?
- Through KYU E-File in the Kentucky Motor Carrier Portal, with a KYID account; payment by credit card or ACH. The return is quarterly.
- Do I file KYU if I did not drive in Kentucky?
- Yes. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet requires a quarterly return for all qualified vehicles regardless of travel: file zero miles to avoid a penalty, interest and a $500 revocation fee.
- Is there a KYU form?
- The quarterly return is filed online only (KRS 138.685). The paper TC 95-1 is the Kentucky trucking application for the license, not the return.