Fuel Tax Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.35 (Historical version for the period December 4, 2023 to March 5, 2024)

Consolidation Period: From December 4, 2023 to the e-Laws currency date .

Last amendment: 2023, c. 21, Sched. 3 .

1 (1) In this Act,

“adjusted temperature method” means the method of measuring the dispensed volume of fuel by adjusting the volume to the volume at a reference temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, by means of a dispensing pump or other metering assembly that is equipped to effect the adjustment in accordance with the specifications established under the Weights and Measures Act (Canada); (“méthode de correction en fonction de la température”)

“biodiesel” means any liquid fuel that is derived entirely from biological matter that is available on either a renewable or recurring basis; (“biodiesel”)

“broker driver” means a person who has entered into a written agreement to drive a motor vehicle and be responsible for the purchase of the fuel used to generate power in the motor vehicle on behalf of the operator of the motor vehicle if the operator is an interjurisdictional carrier; (“conducteur-contractant”)

“bulk plant” means a storage facility, other than a terminal, that is capable of holding in storage fuel in bulk for subsequent sale or delivery to wholesalers, retail dealers or purchasers but from which fuel is not sold or delivered directly into a fuel tank; (“installation de stockage en vrac”)

“clear fuel” means fuel that contains no dye or less dye than the minimum quantity established by the Minister; (“carburant incolore”)

“collector” means a person designated as a collector by the Minister under section 3; (“percepteur”)

“coloured fuel” means fuel which contains dye in a quantity greater than or equal to the amount established by the Minister; (“carburant coloré”)

“colouring” and “colour” mean, in respect of fuel, the addition to the fuel of dye in the proportion established by the Minister by a person authorized to do so by the Minister; (“coloration”, “colorer”)

“debtor” means a person to whom a collector, importer, wholesaler or retail dealer has sold fuel; (“débiteur”)

“distributor” means a person who sells special products only and who is designated as a distributor by the Minister; (“distributeur”)

“driver” means the person having care and control of a motor vehicle whether the motor vehicle is in motion or not; (“conducteur”)

“dye” means chemical substances that are approved by the Minister for the purpose of blending with fuel to make coloured fuel; (“colorant”)

“dye-point” means a terminal or other storage facility designated by the Minister for the purpose of colouring fuel or a facility that meets the requirements established by the Minister for colouring fuel at the facility; (“station de coloration”)

“exporter” means a person who takes or causes to be taken out of Ontario fuel in bulk and who is accountable for the tax on the fuel to the jurisdiction into which the fuel is taken; (“exportateur”)

“facility” means a facility that is owned or operated by a distributor and that meets the requirements set out in the regulations; (“installation”)

“fuel” means any gas or liquid that may be used for the purpose of generating power by internal combustion, and includes any special product or any substance added to the gas or liquid, but does not include,

(a) any product excluded from this Act by the regulations and to which subsection 2 (3) does not apply,

(b) gasoline, aviation fuel or propane on which the tax imposed by the Gasoline Tax Act has been paid; (“carburant”) or

“fuel in bulk” means fuel transported or transferred by any means other than in a fuel tank of a motor vehicle in which fuel for generating power in the motor vehicle is kept; (“carburant en vrac”)

“fuel tank” means that part of a motor vehicle in which fuel for generating power in the motor vehicle is kept; (“réservoir à carburant”)

“gross vehicle weight” means,

(a) the combined weight of the motor vehicle and load, or

(b) where the motor vehicle is drawing a trailer or trailers, the combined weight of the motor vehicle, trailer or trailers and load; (“poids brut du véhicule”)

“importer” means a person who brings or causes to be brought into Ontario fuel in bulk; (“importateur”)

“interjurisdictional carrier” means a person who,

(a) operates one or more interjurisdictional vehicles inside and outside Ontario to which number plates are attached as required by the Highway Traffic Act, or

(b) engages in the commercial transportation of goods or passengers inside and outside Ontario and operates for that purpose railway equipment on rails in connection with and as part of a public transportation system; (“transporteur interterritorial”)

“interjurisdictional transporter” means the registered owner of a motor vehicle, the operator or shipping agent of record of a vessel, the operator of railway equipment on rails or the owner or operator of a pipeline facility if the registered owner, owner or operator engages in the transportation or transfer of fuel in bulk and operates for that purpose,

(a) one or more motor vehicles inside and outside Ontario to which number plates are attached as required by the Highway Traffic Act,

(b) one or more vessels under the Canada Shipping Act,

(c) railway equipment on rails in connection with and as part of a public transportation system inside and outside Ontario, or

(d) a pipeline facility inside and outside Ontario; (“agent interterritorial”)

“interjurisdictional vehicle” means a motor vehicle, other than a recreational vehicle,

(a) that is operated by an interjurisdictional carrier,

(b) that is powered by fuel,

(c) that is used, designed or maintained for the transportation of persons or property and,

(i) has two axles and a gross vehicle weight or registered gross vehicle weight exceeding 26,000 pounds or 11,797 kilograms,

(ii) has three or more axles regardless of weight, or

(iii) draws a trailer or trailers when the combined weight of the vehicle and the trailer or trailers exceeds 26,000 pounds or 11,797 kilograms gross vehicle weight or registered gross vehicle weight, and

(d) that is operated or expected to be operated both inside and outside Ontario during a registration year; (“véhicule de transport interterritorial”)

“manufacturer” means a person who manufactures, blends, modifies or produces fuel for distribution, sale or storage in Ontario but does not include a person designated by the Minister as a distributor; (“fabricant”)

“Minister” means the Minister of Finance; (“ministre”)

“motor vehicle” means a machine operated, propelled or driven otherwise than by muscular power; (“véhicule automobile”)

“northern terminal” means a storage facility situated in Ontario north of 46 degrees north latitude, owned or operated by a collector, that is capable of holding middle distillate fuels in storage for subsequent sale by the collector, to which not less than 70 per cent by volume of its receipts of middle distillate fuels in any year are transported by rail; (“terminal du Nord”)

“operator” means, when used with reference to a motor vehicle other than a motor vehicle designed for use as a vessel, an aircraft or railway equipment operated on rails,

(a) the registered owner, if the motor vehicle is not leased to another person or, if leased, is leased to another person for not more than thirty consecutive days,

(b) the lessee, if the motor vehicle is leased for more than thirty consecutive days, unless the lessee has entered into a written agreement with the lessor under which the lessor agrees to account for and remit to the Minister the tax imposed by this Act on all fuel used by the motor vehicle during the term of the lease, or

(c) the lessor, if the lessor has entered into a written agreement under which the lessor agrees to account for and remit to the Minister the tax imposed by this Act on fuel used by the motor vehicle during the term of the lease; (“utilisateur”)

“prescribed” means prescribed by the regulations; (“prescrit”)

“purchaser” means a person who acquires or receives fuel for his, her or its own use or consumption or for the use or consumption by others at his, her or its expense, or on behalf of, or as agent for, a principal who desires to acquire the fuel for use or consumption by him, her or it or other persons at his, her or its expense; (“acheteur”)

“recreational vehicle” means a motor vehicle, whether or not it draws a trailer or trailers, used as transportation without compensation and for personal or recreational purposes and not used in connection with any business endeavour; (“véhicule de tourisme”)

“registered consumer” means the holder of a valid fuel acquisition permit under this Act; (“consommateur inscrit”)

“registered dyer” means a collector or distributor who holds a certificate of registration under the Act as a dyer; (“préposé à la coloration inscrit”)

“registered exporter” means an exporter to whom a subsisting certificate of registration as an exporter has been issued under this Act; (“exportateur inscrit”)

“registered gross vehicle weight” means the weight for which a permit has been issued under the Highway Traffic Act; (“poids brut enregistré du véhicule”)

“registered importer” means an importer to whom a subsisting certificate of registration as an importer has been issued under this Act; (“importateur inscrit”)

“registered owner”, in relation to a motor vehicle or trailer, means the person to whom a numbered permit for the motor vehicle or trailer has been issued under the Highway Traffic Act or would have been issued but for a reciprocal agreement between Ontario and another jurisdiction; (“propriétaire inscrit”)

“regulations” means the regulations made under this Act; (“règlements”)

“retail dealer” means a person who sells fuel to a purchaser; (“détaillant”)

“special products” means products prescribed by the Minister as special products; (“produits spéciaux”)