FUEL TAXES
EXTRACTION COST ANALYSIS — SP95-E10, April 24, 2026
Data 2025
When you fill up your tank, you think you're buying gasoline. In reality, you're also funding the State. Out of every liter of SP95-E10 at €1.983, about €1.00 goes to taxes. And the best part: VAT is applied ON TOP of the excise duty. Yes, it's a tax on a tax. France invented VAT, and it stops at nothing to apply it.
PRICE BREAKDOWN — SP95-E10 (~€1.983/L)
| Component | Amount | % of price |
|---|---|---|
| Crude oil + refining | 0.68 \u20ac | ~34% |
| Distribution + margin | 0.30 \u20ac | ~15% |
| Excise duty (ex-TICPE) | 0.67 \u20ac | ~34% |
| VAT on product | 0.20 \u20ac | ~10% |
| VAT on excise duty | 0.13 \u20ac | ~7% |
| TOTAL TAXES | ~1.00 \u20ac | ~50% |
THE TAX ON A TAX
The 20% VAT applies to the pre-VAT price, which includes the excise duty. Concretely, you pay VAT on the excise duty: ~€0.13 per liter of tax on a tax. It's perfectly legal, perfectly absurd, and perfectly French.
ENERGY EXCISE DUTY (ex-TICPE) — 2026
- ▸ SP95-E10: €0.670/L; SP95-E5 / SP98: €0.690/L
- ▸ Diesel: €0.608/L
CARBON COMPONENT
The carbon tax has been frozen at €44.60 per ton of CO2 since 2018, following the Yellow Vests movement. It was supposed to reach €100/ton by 2030. The government preferred to avoid another episode of roundabout democracy.