Home » Frugal Living Forums » Let's talk! » Personal Finance

Airline ticket tax refund for some

6 replies
Thu, 08/04/2011 - 22:22
purplerain's picture
purplerain
User offline. Last seen 11 hours 56 min ago. (Offline)
Joined: 03/24/2009
Posts: 722

Did you buy an airline ticket before July 23 but didn't fly until that day or later? Then you paid a federal aviation tax that has since expired. And that means you're eligible for a tax refund of your ticket tax money.
The good news is that the Internal Revenue Service and some airlines are refunding the taxes. The bad news is that it will be awhile before you'll get your money.
The ticket tax snafu came about when the Senate couldn't agree last month on a Federal Aviation Administration re-authorization bill. The House had passed a version of the bill, but because both chambers couldn't reconcile differences, the FAA was unable to collect the various ticket taxes once the existing law ended on July22.
For fliers, that means the taxes, most notably the 7.5 percent tax on each domestic ticket purchase and the $3.70 tax on each leg of your journey, are now off the books. So, too, are international travel taxes on fares of those headed further afield.
An estimated 12.5 million people paid the various aviation taxes by buying their tickets before the taxes expired, but then boarded the planes when it the taxes were no longer in effect.

http://www.bankrate.com/financing/taxes/airline-ticket-tax-refund-for-some/

Top

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Fri, 08/05/2011 - 23:56
#1
Zoey's picture
Zoey
User offline. Last seen 14 weeks 4 days ago. (Offline)
Joined: 05/24/2009
Posts: 889
Re: Airline ticket tax refund for some

 I've not flown recently. I feel the airlines should follow JetBlue's lead and not expect the customer to have to pursue it. They were fast enough to take it in the first place! 
 

Most airlines at first balked at being in charge of paying back the now nonexistent tax they collected. Only JetBlue initially offered to directly refund its passengers.

This week, however, Delta and US Airways said they, too, will refund the ticket taxes paid by their customers. And Alaska Airlines reportedly is working with the Air Transport Association, the airlines' trade group, to develop a way for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air customers to get their refunds.


Top Ten Reasons Why I Procrastinate.
1.
 

Top
Mon, 08/08/2011 - 02:46
#2
Savannah's picture
Savannah
User offline. Last seen 11 hours 58 min ago. (Offline)
Joined: 12/19/2008
Posts: 1059
Re: Airline ticket tax refund for some

 I agree, Zoey. It shouldn't been down to the customer to have to be bothered with this. The airlines can send it out to those affected. They'll have a record of them all obviously.

Top
Fri, 08/12/2011 - 01:01
#3
cheapncheerful's picture
cheapncheerful
User offline. Last seen 1 week 3 days ago. (Offline)
Joined: 12/22/2008
Posts: 817
Re: Airline ticket tax refund for some

 I'm pretty sure it would be against the law to collect taxes that never make it to the IRS. The airlines should just pay them all back to the customers and be done with it. 


The only reason a great many American families don't own an elephant is that they have never been offered an elephant for a dollar down and easy weekly payments. - Mad Magazine.

Top
Fri, 08/12/2011 - 22:15
#4
cookiefan's picture
cookiefan
User offline. Last seen 2 days 17 hours ago. (Offline)
Joined: 12/24/2008
Posts: 843
Re: Airline ticket tax refund for some

cheapncheerful wrote:

 I'm pretty sure it would be against the law to collect taxes that never make it to the IRS. The airlines should just pay them all back to the customers and be done with it. 

 
You would assume that would be the case. They need to get their act together because you can bet if they don't, the IRS will soon be knocking on their door. 


Without frugality none can be rich, and with it very few would be poor.
- Samuel Johnson

Top
Sun, 08/14/2011 - 00:14
#5
bringmeroses's picture
bringmeroses
User offline. Last seen 2 weeks 3 days ago. (Offline)
Joined: 03/07/2009
Posts: 893
Re: Airline ticket tax refund for some

I wish I could say I'd flown off to some faraway beach somewhere nice but I'd be lying. Hope they all get their money soon! 


When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a rose with the other.

Top
Sun, 08/14/2011 - 16:17
#6
micharch
User offline. Last seen 5 hours 26 min ago. (Offline)
Joined: 02/22/2009
Posts: 479
Re: Airline ticket tax refund for some

Thanks for the linked story.
DW recently flew on SWA and they are not listed as one of the airlines that will be refunding any cash. Maybe they will automatically refund it to us because we are so nice.

Top