Form 2290 is the Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return. Any person operating a vehicle weighing more than 55,000 pounds is required to file this return. In this article, we will be going over how to fill out the 2290 tax form. For more information about the background of the Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax, check out our article here.
What will I need to know before I start filing my 2290 tax form?
Name (personal name or business name that is associated with your EIN)
Business Address
Business City, State, and Zip
EIN (Employer Identification Number)
VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)
Taxable Gross Weight (total of your truck, trailer, and its maximum payload)
Purpose for filing
This section only applies if you have an address change, VIN correction, final return, or need to amend a return. For more information regarding the “Purpose for Filing” section, see the end of the article.
Part 1
Part 1 of the form is used to determine the amount of tax owed. First, you will identify whether the truck was operated during the applicable period. The form will ask if the vehicle was used during July of the current year. If the answer is “Yes”, you will enter the date in the format listed on the form. If the answer is “No”, you will just need to figure out the month and year the vehicle was first used. Enter the date in the following format: YYYYMM. For example, July 2017 would be written as 201707.
Next, you will enter the amount of tax you owe based on the taxable gross weight. A table will be provided for you to determine the amount of tax you owe based on the taxable gross weight and the month the vehicle was put in service.
The following line is used to identify whether the vehicle was overweight and if any credits are available. If you originally filed your vehicle within a specific weight category and you have an increase in weight from a load you are consistently hauling, you are subject to identify the weight increase and pay taxes on the increase.
Last, you can subtract any credits from the total amount you owe. You should only complete this line if you are claiming a credit for tax paid on a vehicle that was sold, destroyed, or stolen before June 1 and was not used for the remainder of the period or used during the period for 5,000 miles or less. If you are submitting a credit you will need to provide additional documentation to prove you are eligible for the credit. To determine your amount of tax credit, you can use the credit amount formula, which you can find at the link here.
Part 2
Part 2 of the form only applies to taxpayers who are requesting a suspension of tax obligations. You will only request a suspension of tax obligations if the vehicle is not subject to tax in the previous year, if the vehicle is no longer owned, or if the vehicle is not operated on public highways.
On line 7 of the form, you will check the appropriate box that states your vehicle will be used for less than 5,000 miles. Line 8 is used if a vehicle that was previously suspended from tax obligations was driven more than 5,000 miles. Finally, line 9 is used to let the IRS know that you have sold or transferred a vehicle that you had reported as suspended on a prior year return.
Signature
Finally, the form must be signed and submitted to the IRS. You may also indicate a third party that has permissions to contact the IRS on your behalf. You can also identify a third party that is owed a report of you filing the form.
Schedule of Heavy Highway Vehicles
The IRS also allows you to include multiple vehicles on the same form. This can be completed on the Schedule that is attached to Form 2290. This schedule has three sections: one for listing vehicles where tax is owed, one for listing vehicles under suspension, and one summary section of the total number of vehicles included on the form. You will need the VIN of every vehicle you will be including in any section.
Purpose for filing - additional information
Immediately following the identification section, you must point out whether your purpose for filing the form falls into one of the four categories: address change, amended return, VIN correction, or final return.
If your address has changed since your last filing, you must check the appropriate box to let the IRS know. You will also need to make sure you put the new address in the identification section.
There would be two reasons you will need to file an amended return. The first would be if your taxable gross weight increased from what you had filed originally. If that is the case, then you can refile the form and will have to pay the additional tax owed. The other reason would be if you originally filed one of your vehicles as suspended but you ended up surpassing the 5,000 mile limit on that vehicle. If this happens you will have to re-file and pay the amount of tax owed.
The only reason you would need to file a VIN correction would be if you originally filed with an incorrect VIN. There aren’t any checks in place by the IRS to let you know whether or not you put your VIN correctly, so make sure you check the VIN a few times before you file just to make sure.
Lastly, if you no longer have any vehicles to report, you will let the IRS know that this will be your final return. If this is your final return, you don’t need to list any VINs and this will inform the IRS to not expect Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax payments from you any longer.
If you have any questions or need help filing your 2290, visit our friends over at ExpressTruckTax, the leading 2290 e-filing solution in the trucking industry!
