Category: Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax

E-File a Federal Tax Form 2290 and get a Stamped Schedule 1 in Minutes

In order to E-File IRS Form 2290 and get a stamped Schedule 1, the process can be rather complicated. Fortunately, ExpressTruckTax has a solution to make this filing process as simple as possible.
Here are the traditional instructions:

  • The First Step to Receive a Stamped Schedule 1 for your Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) is to fill out the IRS Form 2290. The Schedule 1 is generated by the information entered in this form. This can be done either by hand or online.
  • This Form then needs to be taken to the nearest IRS Office along with a proof of payment or proof of EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) Payment. This could also be mailed to the IRS as well.
  • If the form is mailed to the IRS, it can take 4-6 weeks before it is processed.
  • If the form is actually taken to the IRS, the nearest office may be many miles away. There can also be very long waiting period at the IRS office of up to several hours.
  • Both options are very time consuming.
  • The IRS will then review your Form 2290 and when it is verified, they will stamp it and return a portion of it to the taxpayer.

The Stamped Schedule 1 is required in order to register a vehicle. So it can be very stressful to wait until the last minute to register your vehicle because you are waiting for the IRS to send you a stamped schedule 1.

Although these are the traditional ways of getting a Stamped Schedule 1, an easier way has come about in the past few years. E-Filing has become more and more popular among taxpayers and tax professionals. The IRS itself recommends E-Filing as their preferred method for filing most tax forms. A leading provider of this service for those in the Trucking or Transportation industry is www.ExpressTruckTax.com.

Instead of waiting for hours or up to 6 weeks for the IRS to stamp your schedule 1 and send it back to you, Express Truck Tax will get your Stamped Schedule 1 within minutes of filing. When you login to the site, you can enter the information for the Form 2290, and Express Truck Tax will then create a Schedule 1 based on that information. That form will be sent to the IRS electronically, and they will then send the stamped Schedule 1 back to Express Truck Tax, who will then automatically email the file to the taxpayer.

This document can also be faxed as well as emailed to the taxpayer as soon as the IRS processes the form. The form will be transmitted with a watermark as well as an IRS E-File logo since the document will not be physically stamped. When ExpressTruckTax sends the Stamped Schedule 1 to the taxpayer, it will be sent as a pdf attachment. Although the form will not be physically stamped, the official E-File watermark serves as an official IRS stamp.

Keeping Records for Internal Revenue Service Form 2290

When it comes time to file Heavy Vehicle Use Tax  with the IRS using Form 2290, it is very important that you keep accurate records, the same way that you would when filing any other type of tax return. It is crucial for anyone filing form 2290 to maintain their records for at least the prior 3 years for any taxable highway vehicles registered in their name. For fleet owners, owner operators, and small trucking companies who have filed form 2290 in the past, it is wise to always keep the 2290 records on hand, as one never knows when the IRS inspection may take place. It is even important to save these returns if they are only for a part of a year. In the case of a suspended vehicle (public highway use was less than 5,000 miles/year) it is still necessary to keep records of Form 2290’s filed for them as well.

You will need to gather the following information before filing form 2290 to accelerate the filing process:  

Keeping proper records of your 2290 information will be a great help to you in the unfortunate event of an audit. It will also make the task of filing this form much easier.   

ExpressTruckTax.com is an IRS authorized E-File provider who can help you file form 2290 as well as keep secure online records of previously filed form 2290’s. For more information on the 2290 filing process, heavy vehicle use tax, IRS payment methods, etc visit the Express Truck Tax website or call our Truck Tax experts at 704-234-6005. You can also email any questions to support@ExpressTruckTax.com.

What is the purpose of IRS Form 2290(HVUT) and how it can be e-filed?

The purpose of Form 2290:

IRS Form 2290 is meant to send information about the usage of a commercial truck and to pay taxes on that use to the IRS. You can use this form for a single truck filing, or up to twenty-five vehicles can be reported on one form. The major reasons for filing the form include:

This IRS form only applies to a specific time period, which does not coincide with the calendar year. The typical Tax year for Form 2290 is from July 1st to June 30th of the next year. The form and any payment are typically due by the end of August of the corresponding year. The IRS requires that forms with 25 or more vehicles to be electronically filed.

As mentioned Earlier, the typical tax year is from July 1 to June 30, but this year it has changed.  Due to legislation being held up in Congress, there has yet to be a legislation enacted to collect these Heavy Vehicle Use Taxes. The IRS has announced that it will not be accepting these forms until November 1 this year.

Parts of the Form:

While this form is broken down into two parts, those who file electronically with ExpressTruckTax.com only need to enter information one time. The Form 2290 consists of the Form and the Schedule 1 that needs to be stamped by the IRS in order to register a vehicle with the state DMV. Much of the information for these forms are duplicate information. Filing online with the Express Truck Tax service will save you time by only entering information once.  

When E-Filing this form, instead of physically stamping the Schedule 1, the IRS will send a Schedule 1 with an official IRS watermark to verify that it was processed. State DMVs are required to accept this as proof of the Schedule 1.

Heavy Highway Vehicles:

The IRS also provides a way for owners and operators of multiple vehicles to include them in the same form. The Schedule attached to Form 2290 allows the taxpayer to list the VINs of all included vehicles. When filing electronically, you can even upload an excel document of all your vehicles. Another beneficial feature of ExpressTruckTax.com is the option to perform Free VIN Corrections. Instead of having the form rejected and sent back to you, you can correct the mistake and submit it to the IRS again at no extra charge.

Questions About the Form 2290:

If you have any questions about Filing Form 2290 or if you qualify, feel free to call the Truck Tax Experts at Express Truck Tax at (704)234-6005. You can also email them at support@expresstrucktax.com. You can also checkout their Website and Blog to stay up to date on the latest Truck Tax information: www.ExpressTruckTax.com.

Changes for Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) and IRS Form 2290 as of July 1, 2011

As of July 1, 2011, the process of filing a Form 2290 for Heavy Vehicle Use Tax has changed dramatically as a result of new legislation not being passed by Congress. These new regulations affect tax service providers, trucking companies, and owner operators of highway motor vehicles with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more.

Heavy Vehicle Use Tax form 2290 – Overview
The
Form 2290 imposes an excise tax on certain highway motor vehicles (26 CFR Part 41) under section 4481 of the Internal Revenue Code. Section 4481 imposes an excise tax on the use in any taxable period of a highway motor vehicle with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more. The person to whom the vehicle is registered at the time of the first use for the year must pay the tax. The amount of the tax is based on the gross weight of the vehicle with a maximum of $550 per vehicle per taxable period. The tax period begins on July 1 and ends on June 30th of the following year.

However,
for the taxable period beginning on July 1, 2011, section 4482(c)(4) of the present law states that the taxable period ends as of September 30, 2011 instead of the typical June 30th deadline. For this three month period, the tax has been reduced to 25 percent of the tax rate for a 12-month period. Section 41.6011(a)–1(a)(1) requires each person liable for the tax imposed by section 4481 to file a return for each taxable period. Section 41.6011(a)–1(b) provides that the return is in Form 2290, (Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return).

A
Form 2290 must generally be filed by the last day of the month following the month in which someone first becomes liable for tax. For most taxpayers, their first use of a vehicle in a taxable period occurs in July and thus their return is due by August 31st. This is because July is the first month of the tax period, and if a vehicle was registered in the previous year, July is the first month of the current year. Section 41.6001–2(b) explains that when a state that receives an application to register a highway motor vehicle, they must receive a ‘‘proof of payment” of the tax imposed by section 4481(a). This proof of payment typically consists of a receipted Schedule 1 (Form 2290) that is returned by the IRS to a taxpayer that files the form 2290 and pays the amount of tax due with the return.

The
taxpayer registering the vehicle must present proof of payment for the taxable period that includes the date on which the application for registration is filed. In the case of an application filed in July, August, or September of this year, the proof of payment for the preceding taxable period may be used. The tax imposed under section 4481 will expire on September 30, 2011, unless Congress changes the law. Under existing regulations, the person liable for the tax must file a Form 2290 by the last day of the month after the month that the person first becomes liable for the tax.  Current statutory and regulatory provisions require the person liable for the tax to file a Form 2290 for taxable use during the period of July 1, 2011, through September 30, 2011. Also, if Congress extends the tax past September 30, 2011, anyone who filed a Form 2290 for the short taxable period of 2011 would have to file a second Form 2290 covering the period after September 30, 2011, until either the expiration date of the extension or June 30, 2012 (whichever comes first).

Extension of Form 2290 HVUT Due Date

In order to provide a more efficient tax administration and alleviate taxpayers’ potential administrative burden, temporary regulations have postponed the due date of Form 2290 for the 2011 short
taxable period until November 30, 2011. If Congress does not extend the tax past September 30, 2011, taxpayers will file one Form 2290 and will pay the reduced amount for the 2011 short taxable period by November 30.  If Congress does extend the tax past September 30, 2011, and substitutes a longer taxable period for the 2011 short taxable period, taxpayers who become liable for the highway use tax after June 30, 2011, and before November 1, 2011, a will file Form 2290 for the period July 1, 2011—June 30, 2012 (or the end of the new taxable period, if earlier), by November 30, 2011. In either case, most taxpayers will have to file only one return for the taxable period beginning July 1, 2011.

Temporary regulations suggest that taxpayers should file a
Form 2290 no earlier than November 1, 2011 for taxable use during the 2011 short taxable period. The IRS will not provide a receipted Schedule 1 for a return and accept associated payment for the taxable period beginning July 1, 2011, before November 1, 2011.

Temporary Regulations for Proof of Payment for DMV registration
Special rule for registration after June 30, 2011, and before December 1, 2011.
For the period between July 1, 2011, and November 30, 2011, a State must register a
highway motor vehicle without proof of payment if the person registering the vehicle presents the original or a photocopy of a bill of sale or another document proving ownership indicating that the vehicle was acquired by the owner either as a new or used vehicle during the preceding 150 days before the date that the state receives the application for registration of the vehicle, and the vehicle has not been registered in any state subsequent to such date of purchase.

Substitute proof of payment for the taxable period beginning July 1, 2011.
A state shall accept a
2290 Schedule 1 for the previous taxable period as a substitute for proof of payment.

Temporary Regulations-  filing dates
In the case of a
highway motor vehicle that incurs a  taxable use during the period July 1, 2011 through September 30, 2011, the person liable for the tax must file a return no later than November 30, 2011. The return should be filed no earlier than November 1, 2011. If the return is filed and payment is submitted before November 1, 2011, the IRS will not provide a receipted Schedule 1 (Form 2290, ”Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return”) as proof of payment until after November 1, 2011, and will provide the receipted Schedule 1 only if the full amount of the tax for the 2011 taxable period has been paid.

Trucking Companies, contractors, service providers, or individual owner operators who need to get a Form 2290 schedule 1 for previous tax years can contact the IRS, or file form 2290 online through an IRS authorized
E-File provider such as ExpressTruckTax.com. For more information on heavy vehicle use tax, you can call the good folks at Express Truck Tax at 704-234-6005 or email at support@ExpressTruckTax.com

Form 2290 will not be mailed by Internal Revenue Service this year

The Internal Revenue Service recently announced that they will not be mailing the Form 2290 for filing Heavy Vehicle Use Tax to taxpayers this year. This step was taken due to the increase in electronic filing (E-Filing). This is also the way the IRS encourages more drivers and trucking companies to file electronically. They are pushing them out of the nest (so to speak) of paper filing, so that they can learn how to E-File (and fly).  The IRS does have legitimate reason to do this because filing electronically really is the quickest, easiest, and safest way to file.  It also costs the IRS less money to process electronic returns, which means that our government can be more efficient.

Fortunately, it has recently become incredibly simple to E-File IRS Form 2290 or other tax forms related to the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) such as Form 8849. All you need to do is go to www.ExpressTruckTax.com and start filing. You can file a Schedule 1 for Form 2290, Form
8849, A VIN Correction, and Fuel Tax (IFTA).  

This easy-to-use system allows the taxpayer to go through the process at their own speed and it asks questions in plain English, not confusing tax jargon. There are even special discounts for Owner-Operators who need to file for multiple vehicles. Tax Professionals may also benefit from special pricing for multiple filings.  

Even if you still need help filing your Truck Taxes, Express Truck Tax has an excellent team of customer service professionals who will help you file your return quickly and painlessly..