Category: express truck tax

What is IRS Form 2290 in Trucking?

Before we go in-depth on what happens when you don’t file IRS Form 2290 let’s quickly review what is required.

If you own and operate a heavy use vehicle with a gross weight of 55,000 lbs or more, then you are required to file IRS Form 2290. Gross weight means the weight of your truck when it is fully equipped for service. This includes the body and accessories that are a normal part of your hauls. Your gross weight does not include yourself or any specialized equipment that is typically not used.

You will need to file HVUT Form 2290 and pay any taxes owed to receive your stamped Schedule 1.

What is a Stamped Schedule 1?

Your stamped Schedule 1 is proof of payment for your Heavy Vehicle Use Tax. Without this proof of payment, you will be unable to renew your tags at the DMV or renew your registration for IFTA, IRP, or UCR.

Once the IRS receives and approves your HVUT Form 2290, you will receive your stamped Schedule 1. When you e-file Form 2290, the IRS stamps it with a digital watermark. This digital Schedule 1 is your official proof of payment and will be accepted by the DOT, DMV, and other federal authorities.

It is always a good idea to keep a copy of your stamped Schedule 1 in your glovebox, especially if you are crossing international borders (Canada and Mexico). Border patrol will check that you have a current stamped Schedule 1 before allowing you back into the United States.

What Happens If You File Your IRS Form 2290 Late/Not At All?

If your form is late or you fail to file at all, you will face a penalty of 4.5% of the total amount of HVUT you owe. This amount will accrue on a monthly basis for up to five months. Plus, if you fail to make a HVUT payment by the deadline you’ll face a monthly fee of 0.5%. On top of all of that, you will face an additional interest charge of .54%. These penalties will make the amount you owe skyrocket!

If you don’t file by the deadline or fail to file at all, then you won’t have a copy of your stamped Schedule 1, which serves as proof of payment. You need your stamped Schedule 1 in order to register new vehicles and to renew your tags with the DMV. Without it, you’ll be operating illegally . . . just imagine the hassle of getting pulled over and trying to explain expired tags! Plus, your registration may be suspended.

Now if you forget to file your HVUT, don’t panic. You may not be penalized if you can show reasonable cause for filing late, or why your payment is late. Simply file as soon as you can and attach an explanation for filing late to your return. The IRS will then either accept or reject your explanation as a reasonable cause. There are also penalties for filing fraudulent or false returns.

Form 2290 Filing Made Easy With ExpressTruckTax

Now that you know what to expect if you file or pay after the Form 2290 due date we are sure you will avoid it. Thankfully there is a super easy solution. ExpressTruckTax provides you a quick and convenient e-filing process for hassle-free Form 2290 filing.

If you have any questions, ExpressTruckTax is here for you every step of the way. We have a dedicated ExpressTruckTax US support team ready to help you! We promise never to stick you with a robot or automated call system. Give us a call at 704.234.6005 or send us an email at support@expresstructax.om for 24-hour support in both English and Spanish.

Start My Form 2290 Filing Today!

Looking for an even easier way to file? Our sister product, TSNAmerica, is a full -service 2290 filing solution. The process is straightforward and will take less than 5 minutes. Simply give them your information over the phone, and they will file your IRS Form 2290 on your behalf. Once they have submitted your information to the IRS, you will receive a copy of your stamped Schedule 1 via email. Their outstanding bilingual team supports filing in both English and Spanish.

TSNAmerica: 803.386.0320

It’s official! The IRS is now accepting your Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) 2290 returns! But do you know what that means here at ExpressTruckTax? When you complete your Form 2290 filing with ExpressTruckTax, you will receive your stamped Schedule 1 in just a matter minutes!

Why wait to file your heavy highway use tax when you can complete your Form 2290 for 2018 today? ExpressTruckTax offers an easy-to-use filing process making Form 2290 filing easier than ever before. Here is how you can get started.

Before we start the ExpressTruckTax Form 2290 filing process, you will need some essential information.

• Business Name & Address
• EIN (Employer Identification Number)
• VIN (Vehicle Identification Number 
• Gross Taxable Weight
• Authorized signatory details

If you are going to pay the IRS via direct debit, be sure to have your routing and account number ready. With ExpressTruckTax your can also pay 2290 with credit card or debit starting this tax season.

Please Keep in Mind: You have to have an EIN for Form 2290 filing online. You can not use your SSN (Social Security Number). If you need to apply for an EIN, click here. Once you apply, you will need to wait up to 10 business days for it to become active in the IRS system.

How to File IRS Form 2290?

Step 1:

Using your email address and password, you will need to create a free ExpressTruckTax account.

Step 2:

When you are ready to start the Form 2290 filing process with ExpressTruckTax, you will click the orange ‘Start New Return’ button and enter the basic information for your trucking business (Name, address, and EIN).

Step 3:

You will enter your tax year and your vehicle’s first used month. ExpressTruckTax Form 2290 filing is based on your vehicles first used month and is due the last day of the month following when it is was first used.

For example: If you first used your vehicle in July, your IRS Form 2290 will be due August 31, 2018. The current tax period runs from July 1st, 2018 until June 30th, 2019. Your current schedule 1 for the 2017-2018 season expired on June 30th, 2018. You will need to file with ExpressTruckTax before the 2290 due date to ensure your information is accepted by the IRS.

Step 4:

Enter your vehicle information including the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and taxable gross weight. You will need to select if your vehicle was used specifically for logging or agricultural purposes. If so you will be granted a break on your taxes or be exempt. However, you will still need to file to receive your stamped Schedule 1. You will also need to indicate if your vehicle is suspended.

Step 5:

ExpressTruckTax will then calculate the tax amount you owe the IRS. Once you have this amount you can then pick from one of the following payment options: Pay 2290 with credit card, debit, direct debit, electronic funds withdrawal, EFTPS, check, or money order.

Step 6:

ExpressTruckTax will then give you the ability to review all your information and make any corrections. Our system will perform an instant internal audit to ensure error-free filing; however, we highly suggest that you double check your VIN number at this time as it is the number one reason for HVUT rejection.

Step 7:

Once any and all corrections have been made, you will then transmit your form directly to the IRS. You will enter a 5-digit code of your choice at the bottom of your form to electronically sign and transmit.

The heavy highway use tax or Form 2290 due date is quickly approaching. Have no fear, you still have plenty of time for Form 2290 filing with ExpressTruckTax. But what happens if you miss the Form 2290 due date? Well, in short, you will have some major IRS penalties. Here are the Form 2290 filing penalties you need to know before the deadline and how to file with ExpressTruckTax.

Taxes can be confusing and often frustrating when trying to decipher IRS terminology, but if you miss your Form 2290 due date, the penalties will make the whole tax situation even worse. That is whyExpressTruckTax is here to help you with your Form 2290 filing.

Heavy Use Tax Penalties

If you can show reasonable cause for failing to file or paying on time, you may not be penalized. If you complete your Form 2290 filing with ExpressTruckTax after the deadline be sure to attach an explanation to your return to show reasonable cause. However, your explanation may or not be accepted by the IRS.

The penalty for failing to file your heavy use tax IRS Form 2290 by the August 31 deadline with ExpressTruckTax is equal to 4.5% of the total tax amount due, and the penalty will increase on a monthly basis for up to five months. The penalty for failing to pay your heavy highway use tax payment is .5% of your total tax amount. You will also face an additional interest charge of .54% per month. This penalty can make the amount you owe increase pretty quickly.

Depending on the state, your vehicle may be suspended until you can provide proof of HVUT payment. Your stamped Schedule 1 serves as your proof of payment, and you receive it after your Form 2290 filing. You need a stamped Schedule 1 to renew your tags and register new vehicles. Without it, you will be operating illegally. Trust me you don’t want to mess with that so it is important you file on time with ExpressTruckTax and receive your stamped Schedule 1. 

Form 2290 Filing Made Easy With ExpressTruckTax

Now that you know what to expect if you file or pay after the Form 2290 due date we are sure you will avoid it. Thankfully there is a super easy solution. ExpressTruckTax provides you a quick and convenient e-filing process for hassle-free Form 2290 filing.

If you have any questions, ExpressTruckTax is here for you every step of the way. We have a dedicated ExpressTruckTax US support team ready to help you! We promise never to stick you with a robot or automated call system. Give us a call at 704.234.6005 or send us an email at support@expresstructax.om for 24-hour support in both English and Spanish.

Start My Form 2290 Filing

Attention all truckers! The Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) season is upon us!

However, time and time again we tend to make the same mistakes when it comes to Form 2290 filing. So let’s go over the seven important mistakes to avoid when filing your heavy use tax.

1. Incorrect EIN

As an owner-operator, you are required to have an employer identification number (EIN) to file your heavy use tax. An EIN is assigned to companies operating in the United States to identify them for tax reporting purposes.

Your trucking business’s EIN will be a string of nine digits, similar to your Social Security Number, but they can be easily distinguished because of their format (EIN: 12-3456789 SSN: 123-456-789). Although this number is labeled as identification for “employers,” your trucking business is still required to have one for Form 2290 filing. If you use your SSN, your IRS Form 2290 will be rejected.

If you still need an EIN don’t worry, you can quickly apply for one over the phone with our sister product, TSNAmerica. It will take you less than 10 minutes to request your EIN! However, once you apply, please keep in mind it will take approximately two weeks for it to be active in the IRS database.

2. Incorrect VIN

Your Heavy Highway Use Tax will be rejected if your VIN or Vehicle Identification Number is wrong. Because VINs consist of 17 characters including both numbers and letters it can be really easy to mistype one or more of them.

So whip out those glasses to clearly read your VIN and remember to type slowly. Double check your VIN to make sure that it is correct. If you have gotten your VIN wrong in the past, you might want to triple check before sending it to the IRS.

Thankfully when you file your heavy use tax with ExpressTruckTax, you can correct your VIN and retransmit to the IRS for free.

3. Tax Calculation Errors

At ExpressTruckTax we understand that tax calculations can be hard; which is why our system automatically calculates your tax amount for you. So during the Form 2290 2018-19 season, you don’t have to worry about all the complicated tax math.

Plus, when you are ready to file your Heavy Highway Use Tax, you don’t have to worry about paying right then. Merely pay before the August 31st deadline to avoid any IRS penalties.

4. Incorrect Filing Status

If you know you will travel fewer than 5,000 miles on public highways during the upcoming tax year, then you should file your vehicle as suspended, This will save you both time and money, and if you ever exceed the mileage limit, you can always submit an Amendment through ExpressTruckTax.

5. Incorrect Tax Year

When you start your Form 2290 filing process be sure to select the correct year! You will want to file for the 2018-19 tax year. If you have any questions contact our US-based support team.

6. Duplicated Vehicle Information

You don’t need or want to enter a single vehicle more than once. However, if you accidentally enter the same vehicle’s information twice, you can remove it easily by clicking the “remove” button next to the duplicate vehicle.

7. Incorrect First-Used Month

If you make this mistake, your Heavy Highway Use Tax might not be rejected, but it will cause a problem when it comes time to get your new truck tags. The tax year for HVUT begins July 1st. This means the first-used month is automatically July even if you are filing in June or August. There is only one instance where you would choose a later month, and that is if your truck was purchased after the beginning of the tax year.

For example, if you purchase a new truck in September, then that would be the first-use month.

The Key to Correct Form 2290 Filing

So what does it all boil down to? Make sure you check, re-check, and triple check your taxes again before hitting submit.

If you have any questions, we are here for you every step of the way! We have a dedicated US support team ready to help you! We promise never to stick you with a robot or automated call system. Give us a call at 704.234.605 or send us an email at support@expresstrucktax.com for 24-hour support in English and Spanish.

Start My Form 2290 Filing