Category: E-File Form 2290 Return

FAQ Friday: Do you need Form 2290 to register your vehicle?

Do you need Form 2290 to register your vehicle?

It is important that you file Form 2290 for vehicles weighing 55,000 pounds or more in order for it to be registered. By filing Form 2290, you will receive a Stamped Schedule 1 upon its acceptance. This will serve as proof of filing Form 2290 for the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) and needs to be presented in order to receive the registration and tags for the vehicle. When filing Form 2290 there are some important factors to consider so that you do not receive fines.

Taxable Gross Weight

When filing Form 2290, you must indicate a vehicle’s Taxable Gross Weight. A vehicle’s taxable gross weight is the weight of the truck, the trailer, and the maximum weight of the load it can carry. A vehicle’s weight classification affects the amount of tax owed for the vehicle. If the wrong weight class is reported on Form 2290 and you are found to have reported the wrong weight, this may result in fines for failing to provide correct information on your vehicle especially if the amount you pay ends up being less than what is actually owed for the vehicle’s correct weight class. If you file for the wrong weight class, ExpressTruckTax offers convenient ways for resolving this type of mistake. If the weight is actually more than was reported you must file a weight increase amendment. If the weight of the vehicle is less than what was reported, you can file Form 8849 to get a refund on the form and then file a new Form 2290 for the correct weight. 

Is your vehicle suspended?

Does your vehicle weigh 55,000 pounds or more and drive less than 5,000 miles in a year? If it is used for agricultural purposes, does it drive less than 7,500 miles a year? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then your vehicle is considered suspended by the IRS. If your vehicle is suspended, you still have to file Form 2290 but no tax will be owed for this vehicle. If you file your Form 2290 and report your vehicle as suspended and it ends up going over the mileage limit, and you are caught, this could result in fines. In order to fix this you can file a mileage exceeded amendment with ExpressTruckTax and pay the tax owed for the full tax year. If you file Form 2290 and pay the tax for the full tax year but you end up not exceeding the mileage limit, you can file Form 8849 to receive a refund for the tax amount paid. 

Filing by the deadline

Filing Form 2290 late can result in fines and if you are caught not having filed Form 2290 by the deadline you will be fined and need to file the form. If your vehicle has been on the road for a year or more or you are putting it on the road for the first time in July, the deadline to file Form 2290 is August 31st. If you are putting a vehicle on the road for the first time during any other month in the year, the deadline to file Form 2290 will be the last day of the month following your vehicle’s First Used Month. Failing to file by the deadline will result in fines and you will not be able to obtain the tags or registration for your vehicle. 

Why File with ExpressTruckTax?

If you are worried about getting the registration for your vehicle, don’t be. ExpressTruckTax makes the entire Form 2290 filing process a breeze. It will only take you a few minutes to complete the filing, and once the IRS accepts your form you will receive your Stamped Schedule 1. You will need to provide your business information including your Employer Identification Number (EIN), vehicle identification number (VIN), credit vehicles you are claiming if any, and payment information. You are able to pay using a check or money order, EFTPS, Electronic Funds Withdrawal (EFW), or a credit or debit card through either a third-party payment processor or directly through ExpressTruckTax alongside your filing fee. If this all sounds easy, it is. Hurry and file your Form 2290 with ExpressTruckTax today so that you can get your Stamped Schedule 1 as soon as possible!

E-Filing Form 2290 vs Making Your HVUT Payment

So you filed your Form 2290 and received your stamped Schedule 1? That’s great!…. but unfortunately you’re not done quite yet.

It is now time to pay the IRS the tax due on your vehicles. You can only make your HVUT payment after your Form 2290 was completed and accepted by the IRS. Filing and paying your HVUT are two different processes, so It’s important that you complete both of them before the deadline. 

When is the Form 2290 due date and when do you have to Pay?

Both the Form 2290 and your HVUT payment are due by the same date, which is determined by your first used month. If you have a vehicle that was used for the first time during the tax year (bought new or used vehicle,etc) then the due date to file and pay would be the end of the following month of first use.

If the truck has been in use since the last tax year, then your due date will be on August 31st!

Even though the filing and payment are due on the same day, it is important that you don’t wait to file and pay. Your Form 2290 must be accepted before the payment is made or the IRS will not be able to process your payment.

Some payment options take a few days or weeks to be sent and accepted by the IRS. Even if the payment is sent on time, if it is not in the IRS’s hands by the end of the due date, then your HVUT will be considered late and penalties will be involved. 

File now to ensure that your Form 2290 will be accepted and that, regardless of the method you choose to make the payment, your HVUT will be received at the IRS on time.

How To Pay Your HVUT to the IRS?

The IRS offers multiple options to make your HVUT payment. It’s important that you understand all these options so you can best determine which form of payment is the best option for you. 

  • Debit and Credit Card- to make your HVUT payment using your debit and credit cards, you must make your payment at IRS.Gov/PayUsingCard 
  • Electronic Funds Withdrawal (EFW)– a standard bank account transfer. You will need to provide your bank account and routing numbers to the IRS. The payment will be withdrawn within 1 or 2 business days
  • Electronic Federal Tax Payment Systems (EFTPS) a service that the IRS offers to simplify tax payments. You will have to create an account here and enroll in the program.
  • Check or Money Order If you choose this option, you will have to remember to mail out your check or money order before the HVUT payment due date. You will also have to include the Form 2290-V along with the payment. Mail it to the following address:

Once you submit your Form 2290, the payment method that you checked can be changed, unless you picked the EFW option. So, before you submit your tax return, make sure the payment option that you picked is the one you’re committed to using. 

Why Can’t You Pay the IRS Through ExpressTruckTax?

The HVUT payment must be paid directly to the IRS. ExpressTruckTax does not initiate any of the HVUT payments and cannot accept the tax money. 

When you pay on ExpressTruckTax, you are only paying for the filing fees, not the actual payment. It is important to remember that, even though you received your stamped Schedule 1, you still need to complete the next step and send out your payment to the IRS.

File Form 2290 and Pay Your HVUT Now!

The deadline to file your Form 2290 is right around the corner. Don’t wait any longer! 

File your Form 2290, make your HVUT payment now, and get it over with (until next year of course)!

If you need help, our US-based customer support team is always here to help!  Until the tax return deadline, our team has extended their hours to 8am to 7pm EST Monday-Friday to help as many clients as possible!

Call 704.234.6005 for any questions or assistance you may need! We are always here to help!

How to get refund of your HVUT taxes

The IRS Form 8849 is the “Claim for Refund of Excise Taxes.”


If you need to file the Form 8849 Schedule 6 to claim a refund or credit of heavy vehicle use taxes previously paid, you can use ExpressTruckTax if you paid HVUT taxes last year but did not exceed the mileage use limit or if the vehicle was stolen/destroyed or sold.  Simply choose the Form 8849 Schedule 6 option as shown below.


We can automatically generate a Form 8849 or even apply a credit directly to any taxes due during the current tax period.

To E-File the Form 2290 online now, go to ExpressTruckTax.com or contact our Express Tax Support Center in Rock Hill, SC at 704-234-6005 or email us at support@ExpressTruckTax.com.  We have Spanish Support too!


Form 8849-Claim For Refund of Excise Taxes

If you sell a vehicle after you have filed your Form 2290 Return, you would need to file Form 8849, Schedule 6 in order to claim your credit.  You would also use Form 8849 if your vehicle was stolen, destroyed or for any vehicle on which the tax was paid on Form 2290 if the vehicle was used 5,000 miles or less on public highways (7,500 or less for agricultural vehicles) during the tax period (July 1–June 30).


With ExpressTruckTax, filing your Form 8849 is quick and easy.  Just create an account or log in if you already have an account and choose the option Form 8849 and follow the steps. We can automatically generate a Form 8849 or even apply a credit directly to any taxes due during the current tax period when using ExpressTruckTax.com.


For more information or to get started today, visit ExpressTruckTax.com or contact our Express Tax Support Center in Rock Hill, SC at 704-234-6005 or email us at support@ExpressTruckTax.com.  We have Spanish Support too!

Form 8849-Claim For Refund of Excise Taxes

If you sell a vehicle after you have filed your Form 2290 Return, you would need to file Form 8849, Schedule 6 in order to claim your credit.  You would also use Form 8849 if your vehicle was stolen, destroyed or for any vehicle on which the tax was paid on Form 2290 if the vehicle was used 5,000 miles or less on public highways (7,500 or less for agricultural vehicles) during the tax period (July 1–June 30).

With ExpressTruckTax, filing your Form 8849 is quick and easy.  Just create an account or log in if you already have an account and choose the option Form 8849 and follow the steps. We can automatically generate a Form 8849 or even apply a credit directly to any taxes due during the current tax period when using ExpressTruckTax.com.

For more information or to get started today, visit ExpressTruckTax.com or contact our Express Tax Support Center in Rock Hill, SC at 704-234-6005 or email us at support@ExpressTruckTax.com.  We have Spanish Support too!

How To Handle Overpaid Form 2290 Taxes

There are sometimes situations resulting in an “overpayment” of Heavy Vehicle Use Taxes, in which a credit is due.  This can occur if your vehicle is stolen, destroyed or if the vehicle did not exceed 5,000 miles (7,500 miles for agricultural vehicles) during the tax period.  Here we explain the process for claiming  IRS Form 2290, Highway Heavy Vehicle Use Tax credit for the following scenarios:

  • You can take credit for the vehicle if it was stolen, destroyed or sold before June 1 and not used during the remainder of the period, or
  • Used during the prior period 5,000 miles or less (7,500 miles or less for agricultural vehicles).

A credit, lower tax, exemption, or refund is not allowed for an occasional light or decreased load or a discontinued or changed use of the vehicle.  What that means is if you filed your Form 2290 at 80,000 lbs, but had occasions where you operated at a lower weight class, that will not qualify you for a credit.  If you used your vehicle for only a portion of the tax year, you will qualify for the credit IF you did not exceed 5,000 miles (7,500 miles for agricultural vehicles).  If you did travel more than 5,000 miles (7,500 miles for agricultural vehicles) then you will NOT qualify for the credit.

The credit for vehicles that were stolen, destroyed or sold during the tax year will be prorated based on the dates of the occurrence.  For vehicles sold, destroyed or stolen, you must include the VIN, taxable gross weight, and date of sale, accident or theft. The credit for the tax paid can be claimed on the next Form 2290 filed or the refund can be claimed on Form 8849.  You do not have to wait until the tax period ends.

The credit for low mileage vehicles you either qualify for it and you will get the full amount that you paid as a credit or you will not qualify and you will not get any portion of the credit.  This credit is never prorated. For vehicles that tax was paid and the vehicles were used 5,000 miles or less (7,500 miles or less for agricultural vehicles), the credit (or refund) cannot be claimed until the end of the tax period for which the initial tax was paid.  Even if you know at some point during the tax year that you will not exceed the 5,000 mile mark, you will not be able to claim the credit until the tax period ends, which is on June 30th.

The credit claimed cannot exceed the tax reported on IRS Form 2290. If this occurs, any excess credit must be claimed using Form 8849, Claim for Refund of Excise Taxes, and Schedule 6, Other Claims. When you use IRS Authorized E-File provider,  ExpressTruckTax to E-File HVUT Form 2290, if your credit exceeds the tax due, our program will automatically generate the Form 8849 for you.

For more information or to get started today, visit ExpressTruckTax.com or contact our Express Tax Support Center in Rock Hill, SC at 704-234-6005 or email us at support@ExpressTruckTax.com.  We have Spanish Support too!

Form 8849-Claim For Refund of Excise Taxes

If you sell a vehicle after you have filed your Form 2290 Return, you would need to file Form 8849, Schedule 6 in order to claim your credit.  You would also use Form 8849 if your vehicle was stolen, destroyed or for any vehicle on which the tax was paid on Form 2290 if the vehicle was used 5,000 miles or less on public highways (7,500 or less for agricultural vehicles) during the tax period (July 1–June 30).

With ExpressTruckTax, filing your Form 8849 is quick and easy.  Just create an account or log in if you already have an account and choose the option Form 8849 and follow the steps. We can automatically generate a Form 8849 or even apply a credit directly to any taxes due during the current tax period when using ExpressTruckTax.com.

For more information or to get started today, visit ExpressTruckTax.com or contact our Express Tax Support Center in Rock Hill, SC at 704-234-6005 or email us at support@ExpressTruckTax.com.  We have Spanish Support too!