Category: Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax

ExpressTruckTax Additional Users Feature

ExpressTruckTax Additional Users Feature
ExpressTruckTax Additional Users Feature

Exciting news! ExpressTruckTax now allows account holders the option to share their account with others – with the proper permission, of course.

With this multi-user access, you can e-file your Form 2290 (with the help of others) quickly and easily.

Want to learn a little bit more about our new additional users feature? Well strap in!

E-File your Form 2290

With this new additional users feature, you (as the account holder) can share the burden of completing your Form 2290 with someone else.

But don’t worry, you still have the power to set permissions and levels of access for how your additional user can edit, view, and transmit their 2290 returns.

And besides, with this help, you can get a 2290 stamped Schedule 1 faster than you think.

So Here’s How It Works!

When you send a user an invite, they’ll receive a temporary username and password. (They can change this after they’ve signed in for the first time.)

Then, based on the level of access you gave them, the user will be able to view business details and the existing IRS Form 2290, create and edit the forms, and file IRS Form 2290 to the IRS.

And with pre-filing season in full swing, now’s the best time to pre-file 2290 with ExpressTruckTax.

So what are you waiting for? Take advantage of the new additional user feature now and get to e-filing your 2290s.

3 Steps to Pre-File Your 2290 Today

3 Steps to Pre-File Your 2290
3 Steps to Pre-File 2290 Today

Now that we’re in the pre-filing season, it’s time we break down how you can pre-file your HVUT renewal at no additional cost.

In fact, with promo code ETT10, it’ll actually cost you less! Best of all, pre-filing with us is virtually the same as e-filing for any other tax year.


Let’s take a look:

Step 1: Set up Your Account


The first step is logging in or creating your account, if you’ve yet to register, that is. If you need to register, use your email and choose a password – once you’ve done that, you need to click ADD on the business list on the right.


Add Bussiness Details



After that, add your business details and your EIN number.


business details and your EIN number.



Once your business is in the system, start a new return. You may need to proceed back to the dashboard in order to start it. Simply click START under the Form 2290 option and you’ll be taken to the next screen.



This is where things get a little different. After you’ve selected your new Form 2290, you will be asked on the next screen whether you’re pre-filing or filing for the current tax year.


pre-filing



Once you select start pre-filing, you will be able to choose to pre-file for the 2016-17 year and select the first used month of your vehicle.


choose to pre-file for the 2016-17



Hit next and we’ll keep moving on, then.


Step 2: Enter Your Vehicle Details


In the next step of the process, you need to add all of your heavy vehicle information. If you’re a returning user and you are filing for a previously used truck, just select the truck you’d like to file for from the Truck Zone. All of your information is stored there and ready to go!


If you’re a new user, you can enter your vehicle details individually, or you can bulk upload multiple trucks from a CSV file.


Enter Your Vehicle Details



Remember, there are 3 different types of vehicles that you can add.


  • Taxable Vehicles are vehicles that have exceeded the 5,000 mile limit (or 7,500 miles for agricultural vehicles) for the tax year. Don’t forget, if you drive a logging vehicle (a vehicle used to transport foresting materials) you are eligible for a tax discount!
  • Low Mileage or Suspended Vehicles are vehicles that have not exceeded the mileage limit for the tax year. These vehicles do not cost you in taxes, but still need to be filed for in order to get the stamped Schedule 1.
  • Sold, Lost, or Destroyed Credit Vehicles are vehicles that you no longer have, but you are still required to file for them if they were used for any part of the tax year.
You can also enter vehicles that you have previously filed as suspended, and you can enter low mileage credits at the end of this step.



Related Blog: How to E-File Form 2290 with a Credit Vehicle?


Step 3: Select Your Payment Account

Your final step for pre-filing is selecting your payment method and securely transmitting your return to the IRS. This step is a little bit different than when you e-file your regular tax year, since we will transmit the return for you when the IRS begins accepting them on July 1st.

Select Your Payment & Transmit



There are 3 payment methods for you to choose from, and these determine when the IRS will accept your payment and take money out of your account.


If you go with direct debit, the taxes you owe will come out of your account one or two days after the IRS processes your return on July 1. For EFTPS or a check/money order, you can schedule your payment for as late as August 31, the renewal due date.


Once you’ve decided what payment method to use, you will be taken to your account summary page. Here you can correct any errors you see and then continue to submit your return.


With our Instant Audit feature, we will even check your return for you to minimize the risk of being rejected by the IRS due to missing information.


Then you simply transmit! Yeah, that’s it. It’s that easy. Congratulations, you’ve successfully pre-filed your form 2290!


If you have any questions throughout your pre-filing experience, we’re here to help! Our dedicated support team can answer your questions at 704.234.6005 or by email at support@expresstrucktax.com.

Pre-File Your 2290 Now!

Pre-File Your 2290 Now!
Pre-File Your 2290 Now!

Whether you’re a trucker or a trucking company, you know that HVUT season is rapidly approaching.

Of course, here at ExpressTruckTax, it’s already begun. How’s that?

Easy – starting today, we’re offering pre-filing for the 2016-17 heavy vehicle use tax season. One month early!

So instead of waiting until the last moment to e-file your 2290s, pre-file now and get back to what you need to do – driving.

It’s Heavy Vehicle Use Tax Time

The HVUT season runs from July 1 through June 30 of the following year.

If you’re an owner operator, leasing company, trucking company, or any other business that owns heavy vehicles with a gross weight above 55,000 pounds traveling on public highways, you must file form 2290.

Usually, you can’t start filing until the tax period begins on July 1, but we’ve gone ahead and started pre-filing now.

What is Pre-Filing?

Pre-filing is the easiest way to e-file your taxes early. You can get ahead of the game by filing an entire month early. After you’re done pre-filing your return, ExpressTruckTax will hold onto it until July 1st—once the IRS starts accepting 2290s, yours will be at the top of the stack.

Should I Pre-File Form 2290? Why?

Even though the tax period hasn’t started for the 2016-17 season, pre-filing starts now! With pre-filing, users get advantages they won’t get once the official season starts. They include:

  • Finishing your taxes early, leaving more time to focus on work and life
  • No additional cost to pre-file
  • When selecting the check (or) money order option, you will get until August 31st to pay the IRS, giving you almost 3 months to save for the amount of tax you owe
  • Your Form 2290 will be automatically transmitted to the IRS on July 1st, so you will receive your stamped schedule 1 in minutes once transmitted
  • If the return is rejected for any reason, you have plenty of time to re-submit it before August 31st, making it much easier to avoid late penalties
  • VIN corrections and retransmissions for rejected returns are FREE for anyone who e-files with ExpressTruckTax
  • Customer support is available via phone, live chat, and email, with 24/7 emergency email support

If you have any questions about pre-filing 2290, (or) have questions about the e-filing process, we’ll be here to help. Give us a call at 704.234.6005!

Happy pre-filing, Trucking Nation!

Working Together in the Trucking Industry

 

You hear of it all the time—truckers dealing with nightmare dispatchers, pushing them to their limits and making the job dangerous.

And from the dispatcher’s desk you’d probably hear a slew of bad trucker stories.

But we’re not here to point fingers!

We’re actually here to discuss communication between the many facets of the trucking industry.

Start from the Top

Truckers take the freight where it needs to go. Everybody knows that!

But business plans, shipment orders, and staffing requirements come from the top half of the industry. Sure, sometimes it’s fun to dog on the suits in the offices, but they do play a vital role in the industry.

With support staff including managers, sales teams, dispatchers, communications professionals, and mechanics, truckers aren’t the only hats in the business.

But they sure are the most important! Much like an assembly line or a rowing team, everyone needs to play their part, but the truckers are your star athletes.

With the right people at the top watching out for drivers, we’ll be in a good spot as an industry.

People Are People

Sometimes it’s easy for both sides of the industry to forget they’re dealing with people.

As a trucker, you KNOW you’re a person, but it’s sometimes hard to get along with someone when your dispatcher sees you just as a number they’re tracking.

You represent a set of statistics, yes, but you’re still a person.

And you know more than anyone that electronic devices shooting out numbers can’t match up to human intuition.

On the flip side, the dispatchers, managers, and clients you deal with are also trying to do a job.

Just like you sometimes have a bad day, they do, too. And they also have to deal with all of their drivers’ bad days, too.

So above all else, make sure both sides use people skills and we can make working together a lot easier for the whole industry.

The Rig vs. The Office

You might know how we feel about offices already.

That job works for some, but it’s a different ballgame altogether. An office is a field where employees need to work together, day to day.

There are lots of spoken and unspoken rules about how coworkers can act and speak to each other.

Yet as a trucker, you are more frank with your thoughts and feedback, like a warrior-poet strapped to 18 wheels of philosophy. You’ll share your thoughts with whoever you please!

This might come as a shock to anyone who is new to the industry, or has minimal contact with truckers on a daily basis.

That’s not your fault, by any means. But with a little understanding, both sides can communicate better.

Let’s Work Together

But when it comes down to it, the best thing you can do as a driver, a dispatcher, or a manager is to keep the people in your industry on your good side.

A positive attitude, some kindness, and mutual respect will go far.

There are always going to be people who grind your gears, but with some honest effort and respect, there can be plenty of personal friendships and professional alliances you rely on in this job.

When it comes to working together, let us work with you on your HVUT 2290s this next truck tax season. If you have questions about filing Form 2290, reach out to our support experts at Support@ExpressTruckTax.com and by phone at 704.234.6005.

How do you think we can improve communication between players in the trucking industry?

Now THOSE Are Heavy Vehicles!

Alright, we like to talk about heavy vehicles around here. That’s no surprise to anybody.


But there are a few REALLY BIG vehicles out there.


Sure, there are big vehicles like this.



But there are some other big vehicles out there, like triple trucks, customized rigs, and road trains.


Sounds hard to handle!

Double & Triple Trucks

Now every now and then, you might see a few double and triple trucks here in the states. You’re more likely to see the a Rocky Mountain double, a B-Train, or a triple trailer.


In the US, most rigs on public roads are limited to two trailers. Some states allow triple trailers, but that’s restricted to less populous states (Like Idaho and Montana).


Triples tend to get used for less-than-truckload freight hauled over long distances.





Custom Rigs

We do have some large trucks around here, like the Red Giant.


A one-of-a-kind, customized 1990 Diamond Reo, this truck dwarfs any rig beside it. The truck runs with two giant LED screens, which lets the owner-operators offer mobile advertising wherever the rig takes them.


[image ℅ of Overdrive Online]

Road Trains

Now, if we’re talking road trains—which are almost exactly what they sound like—you have some really big rigs. Instead of linked train cars on a rail, you have a half dozen trailers hitched together, towed by a single rig on a lonely highway.


The much longer road trains tend to dominate Australian and Argentinian roads.


In 2006, an Australian built Mack truck with 112 semi-trailers weighing in at 1,300 tons and reaching 4,836 ft 11 in long, pulled a load 328 feet to recapture the record for the longest road train (multiple loaded trailers) ever pulled with a single rig.


I’d hate to see the taxes on that setup!





As for your HVUT tax filing, we’re your one-stop shop for managing multiple vehicles.


Have you heard about TruckZone from ExpressTruckTax? It’s like a digital garage, allowing you to securely store your general vehicle and tax information in one organized, accessible location.


Once you have your entire fleet organized, you can e-file your HVUT 2290s for specific trucks with ease, and find a specific Schedule 1 or 2290 without digging through stacks of file folders and paper documents.


And with a deadline just a few months away, it’s best to get started now! If you have any questions about using TruckZone, give us a call at 704.234.6005.

What’s the biggest truck you’ve ever dealt with?



Bulk Uploading: HVUT for Fleets

Just a quick update for our fleet managers out there! When you need to file HVUT for a fleet of vehicles, take advantage of our easy-to-use bulk upload feature.

Start by filling out First Used Month & Year, and then select Bulk Upload Using a File when you’re on the Taxable Vehicles tab.

The nice thing is, we provide an Excel template you can use to upload your data to our sites. Select Express Upload to continue.

Just follow these three steps! Download the template by following the “clicking here” link, fill out the saved file, and then upload the completed spreadsheet!

The excel template is easy to navigate, and has clear labels and drop down menus with itemized selections for your filing convenience.

If you make a filing error, our system will let you know! Click “View Upload Errors” to examine the errors. Once your errors are identified, simply fix the flawed entries in your downloaded spreadsheet and then re-upload the file by clicking “Bulk Upload using a File” again.

After that, you can view, file, and pay your HVUT taxes all at once! You have to admit, that’s way easier than doing each vehicle one-by-one.

While we think bulk uploading is easier, you may still run into a question we can answer for you. We’ll always be ready to help you by phone or email. Give us a call at 704.234.6005 if you need assistance!

Reminder – Upcoming Form 2290 Deadline for Vehicles 1st Used in January

The deadline to file your Form 2290 for any heavy vehicles first placed in use during the month of January is this Friday, February 28th. The HVUT, or the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax is mandatory for vehicles to file the IRS Form 2290 after the first use month. The quickest and easiest way to E-File the 2290 is through ExpressTruckTax.com

All you will need is some basic business information:

  • EIN – Employer Identification Number, also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, is used to identify a business entity.
  • VIN – Vehicle Identification Number of up to 17 characters
  • Gross Weight of the Vehicle – The gross weight of your vehicle is the weight of your truck + a loaded trailer.

Then you will transmit the return to the IRS and you will receive your Stamped Schedule 1 in just minutes! If you need assistance or have any questions, please 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!

ExpressTruckTax New Year’s Hours

ExpressTruckTax hopes you had a very Merry Christmas!


Please note our New Year’s office hours:


Tuesday, December 31st-8am-3pm chat and email support
Wednesday, January 1st-Closed New Year’s Day-Happy New Year!
Thursday, January 2nd- Normal business hours resume

ExpressTruckTax thanks you for choosing us for your HVUT filing.  We wish you a very happy and safe New Year!