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N.C. logs 259 gas-station complaints after 41-cent tax pause
North Carolina received 259 reports of possible gas-station overcharging by the morning of Oct. 16, less than a week after a temporary suspension of the state’s 41-cent fuel tax began. The attorney general says the state will use pricing data to identify potential violations.
North Carolina had received 259 complaints about possible gas-station overcharging by 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16, days after the state suspended its 41-cent-per-gallon motor fuel tax.
The temporary suspension took effect Oct. 10 and is scheduled to last through Nov. 30. Gov. Josh Stein signed the measure authorizing it on Oct. 9 as a way to ease high fuel costs for families.
The state created an online Fuel Check form for people to report stations they believe are not passing the tax savings along to customers. A complaint is a report of a concern, not a determination that a station broke the law.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson has warned station operators against keeping the savings. In a social media video, he said the state has extensive fuel-price data and would look for outliers. The suspension, he said, was intended to provide families with relief at the pump, and his office would enforce the law.
The volume of complaints puts attention on whether consumers see the intended benefit of the temporary tax break. Drivers can submit concerns through the North Carolina Department of Justice’s Fuel Check form.