Category: Express Excise

Starting a Trucking Company? Be Sure to Obtain Your Intrastate Authority

Featured Blogger
Benjamin Bellville
If you are just starting a trucking company then it’s important to obtain your intrastate authority as well as your interstate authority. Many people will tell you it’s a waste of money and that you will rarely use it or that it’s rare to get caught hauling freight that it’s required for, but I’m going to show you the importance of the intrastate authority and how it can make you extra money from time to time and the punishment that will come with getting caught hauling freight without it that requires it’s usage.

Interstate hauling is picking up freight in one state then transporting it to another state while an intrastate authority is required to pick up freight in a state and deliver it to the same state. Technically you are required to have an intrastate authority inside every state that requires it as law if you are going to be hauling intrastate freight within their borders. You can find out which of these states by asking whoever is handling the filing of your interstate authority.

By federal law you are required to keep records for every load you haul as well this information will be needed for your accounting. So you are going to have at a minimum a paper trail of 2-3 copies of this information out in the open that can be looked at by regulators any time they feel the need. In other words it’s going to be hard to hide this proof from state authorities. While it is rare that these records will be scrutinized for intrastate infractions you may face stiff penalties if caught. So why would anyone ever mess with an intrastate authority when they are starting a trucking company?

It’s a situation that’s not going to come up often like I mentioned therefor you won’t have much use for getting one in every state it requires, but for the state you are based in this is a situation that may occur from time to time. Take me for example, I live in Marietta, Ohio which is not a hotbed for outgoing great paying freight. So often when I would come home in order to get back on the freight circuit I ran, I would have to either dead head to Columbus, Cleveland or Cincinnati which was anywhere from 130-210 miles. Rather than lose money I would book a short load to get me there that I could easily incorporate into my schedule with picking up another longer better paying load in one of those cities all in the same day.

Unless you obtain your intrastate authority this would not be possible. Likewise after return trips to the state you could link a short load to get closer to home to cut down dead head on that end. Just a couple times of this scenario playing out easily pays the cost of the licensing and makes you more money in the long run, so despite what the average trucker says it’s planning like this that will put you over the top in being successful. So why would you not want to get it just in case?

Be sure to check out the great service and reliability that is offered for all of your highway vehicle use tax needs by Express Excise.

File 2290 – Month end is here

Express2290.com is the best solution for filing your Form 2290 (Heavy Truck Use Tax) Always double check the tax information you enter in your 2290 returns.

Few points to keep in mind while e-filing.
* E-file your 2290 returns with Express2290.com
* Review Federal Tax ID# or EIN# [Employer Identification Number]
* Review your Tax Year and Month
* Review your VIN# [Vehicle Identification Number]
* Sign and date your return electronically
* Choose IRS payment option
* Review all the information
* Double check your Business Name
* E-File Your 2290 Return

Choose IRS payment option:
There are several options to pay the HVUT taxes with the IRS.
Direct Debit or EFW: IRS will debit directly from your bank account.
EFTPS: You have to schedule the payment to the IRS by going to EFTPS.gov.
Check/Money Order: IRS also supports Check/Money Order if you have can schedule it in time. We strongly advice our Canadian customers to use this option as EFW option may not work for canadian banks.

Just a reminder, if you choose Direct Debit (EFW) as a payment method, the IRS will not process your return during the weekends, or on federal holidays, but on the next business day.

Review Tax ID Numbers
Carefully check Tax Identification numbers on your return.

Review Your Return
Express 2290.com is a very smart program, it automatically checks for any errors before you transmit your 2290 return to IRS, but its always good to double check everything before you hit the ‘Transmit to IRS’ button.

We are always available to help if needed. We are one of the few companies which is locally based to offer customer support. Call 704.234.6005

What Happens If I Forgot to File My Form 2290 to the IRS?

A 2290 can be filed with the IRS at any time after the deadline has passed but the tax due may be subject to penalties and interest. The penalties for filing late will not be imposed if you can show reasonable cause for not filing on time.

The penalty for failing to file IRS Form 2290 in a timely manner is equal to 4.5 percent of the total tax due, assessed on a monthly basis up to five months. Late filers not making an HVUT payment also face an additional monthly penalty equal to 0.5 percent of total tax due. Additional interest charges of 0.54 percent per month accrue as well.

As you can see, the penalties for failing to file can add up quickly. HVUT for an 80,000 lbs vehicle would typically cost about $550. However, for every month that passes without filing, penalties and interest add more than $30 to the total tax due. If you fail to file for 5 months, the total HVUT tax due to the IRS for that vehicle would be more than $700.

Additionally, many states won’t permit the vehicle to be registered without proof of payment for the HVUT. Needless to say, it’s important to file your Form 2290 on time!

If you would like more information about heavy vehicle use taxes and penalties and interest, please visit the IRS or DOT websites.

IRS To Stop Mailing Out Tax Forms

The IRS continues to encourage taxpayers to E-File in order to save time and money!

The IRS has announced that starting next year it will stop mailing out tax forms as an effort to reduce the costs associated with printing and postage. However, the IRS also cites the growing trend of electronically filing as a major reason for the change.

Have you considered E-Filing IRS Form 2290 for your heavy vehicle use taxes (HVUT)? It’s fast, convenient, and secure! Stop driving to the “nearest” IRS office miles away. Stop waiting in line or wondering if the IRS received your 2290 you put in the mail. You can electronically file your single-vehicle IRS Form 2290 for just $9.90. Receive your stamped Schedule 1 back in minutes. Electronically file today!

For more information about the new IRS policy, please visit the IRS website at http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=228162,00.html

How Do We Keep Our 2290 Prices So Low?

We get asked this question all the time and we love it! We can’t say why the other companies charge so much but we can certainly explain why we keep our prices so low. The short answer is value and customer loyalty.

As a single vehicle owner-operator, we understand how important it is to manage your time and money. We’re here to help. We believe very strongly in solid, long-term customer relationships. Our business model is founded on providing more features and better services for less than the other guys – a lot less. For just $9.90, you can e-file your IRS Form 2290 and still get all the great services and features that we provide to every one of our Express2290 customers.

We believe that this approach helps establish long term customer relationships, repeat business, and customer referrals. We’re in this for the long haul and we hope you are too.

Want proof for yourself? Look at the other E-Filing providers and the services they offer (or don’t offer!) Then come check out all of the services you get with Express2290 for just $9.90. You can even try our program for free. Give us a call right here in the Queen City (Charlotte, NC) and experience our USA-based customer support. We dare you to compare. We know you’ll be blown away! E-File your single vehicle tax 2290 forms today for just $9.90!

A Genuine Thank You to Our Customers!!

Now that August has finally passed we’d like to take the time to give our genuine thanks to the thousands of trucking companies and Owner-Operators that E-Filed their 2290s, 8849s, amendments and VIN corrections to the IRS with us.

An extra thank you goes out to those of you that emailed, called, or chatted with our customer support team. I hope we exceeded your expectations with our knowledge of HVUT, quick response and friendliest support in this field. Our entire team worked well into the night on August 31st making sure all of our customers were able to get their questions answered and 2290s filed on time.

We love helping our customers in any way that we can. We believe our efforts to go above and beyond are showcased by our numerous free services – such as free VIN corrections, free automatic notification of your Schedule 1 to your contracting company, free text alert, free fax of schedule 1 and free full-service filing – found exclusively at www.express2290.com.

For many of you, we probably won’t hear from you again until next year. That’s OK, we understand! But we encourage you to stop by and check out the new services and features we continually add throughout the year. Let us know what you think or how we can better serve you. We never stop looking for better ways to provide the best service at the best value. We truly appreciate any referrals you may provide to your trucking business friends about our HVUT services.

Thank you again to everyone. Drive safe and we look forward to working with you soon.

James Harris
Director – Tax Products
Express Tax Zone
www.express2290.com

Express2290 now offers proof of payment notifications!

Express2290.com is all about saving customers time and money. The program is already packed with great features–like free VIN correction, bulk uploads, text message notifications–but they went ahead and added one more.

Usually owner-operators are required to provide proof to their contracting trucking or leasing company that they have filed their 2290 form and paid the HVUT. The problem is, as owner-operators, they’re not always near a fax machine, computer, or post office. That’s where Express2290.com comes in. 

The folks at Express2290.com will send a free proof of payment notification on behalf of the owner operators that file through them. All they have to do is enter in the contact information for the trucking company they drive for and Express2290 will automatically send both the owner-operator and their company a copy of the stamped Schedule 1 form when it comes in.

Everyone wins with this system–the owner-operator doesn’t have to find a fax machine, and the trucking company doesn’t have to follow up with drivers to make sure they submitted their proof of payment. As with the other exclusive features at Express2290.com, the proof of payment notification is completely free. Just another way the folks at Express2290.com make taxes less taxing.

Last Minute Tax Tips

There are just 10 days left to e-file your HVUT forms at www.Express2290.com. Here are some tips to help you get through the process as quickly as possible,

Have your information close by. Know your business name, address and EIN. Also make sure to have the correct VINs for all the vehicles you’re reporting.

Know your vehicles. Got any suspended vehicles? Any vehicles lost or stolen? Make sure you report all your relevant vehicles to the IRS.

Get instant notification. With www.Express2290.com you can get fax and text message notifications so you know exactly when your Schedule 1 is ready.

Get some help from the experts. If you’re pressed for time, or just need a bit of assistance www.Express2290.com has incredible customer support. They can walk you through the program, even assist you in filing. Contact them via email, chat or phone.

Just 10 days left. Gather your info and head over to www.Express2290.com now to get started!

Take advantage of some great Express2290.com exclusives!

Express2290.com is all about speed and convenience–hence the Express name. Here are a couple of great exclusives you get with Express2290 that will help save you time and money.

-FREE fax and text message notifications. You’ll know when your Schedule 1 is ready just minutes after filing!

-Send a fax of your stamped Schedule 1 from within the application–FREE

-CPA’s/tax professionals can fax paperwork to their clients without leaving the application

-E-file a VIN correction FREE

-Automatic generation of your 8849 form while you’re filing 2290.

On top of all this, they also have US-based phone, email and chat support. Head to Express2290.com now to take advantage of these great features and so much more.

Filing Form 2290? Express2290.com can help!

Any individual buying or using a heavy duty truck must file and pay the Heavy Duty Trucks Road Tax. The filing process involves filling out Form 2290. You can use Express2290.com to fill it out and get it done in just a few minutes.

Make sure to have the Vehicle Identification Numbers of any vehicles you are filing for. If the truck(s) you’re filing for will travel 5,000 miles or less during the tax period (July to June of the next year), a tax refund can be claimed by the filer. That also applies if the heavy highway vehicle was destroyed, stolen or sold during the tax period. Claiming the refund requires a different form. Express2290 will even help tax payers file for their refund using Form 8849.

There are different tax rules for different types of trucks–depending on the weight and what the truck is being used for. The taxable gross weight is 55,000 pounds or higher in most cases. Refer to Form 2290 or Express2290.com for help with your particular truck.

Express2290.com offers bundles that will let you file forms for hundreds of trucks for one price. This is useful if you have trucks that aren’t going on the road till later in the year.