MADISON, Wis. — Electric vehicle (EV) owners will start paying a new excise tax to charge their vehicles in the new year.
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue has the new tax of 3 cents per kilowatt-hour starting January 1, 2025. The charge will apply to electricity “delivered or placed into the battery or other energy storage device of an EV by a Level 3 charger, or a Level 1 or Level 2 charger installed on or after March 22, 2024, of an EV charging station”.
The DOR also stipulated that “an owner, operator, manager, or lessee of an EV charging station must register with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue using the Online Business Tax Registration prior to delivery or placement of electricity from an EV charging station that is subject to the excise tax”.
Registration and excise tax won’t apply to those using residential chargers, except for hotels.
“The excise tax represents a crucial source of revenue for maintaining Wisconsin’s roadways and infrastructure,” said Department of Revenue Secretary Designee David Casey. “It will help ensure continued funding for road repairs and construction as Wisconsin drivers increasingly make the switch to electric vehicles, while creating a more equitable system in which all drivers contribute to road maintenance costs.”
