Vehicles weighing less than 55,000 lbs. are not required to pay any heavy vehicle use tax. However, if your vehicle’s gross weight is 55,000 lbs. or more (75,000 lbs for agricultural vehicles), you have to pay HVUT tax annually to the federal government. Here are some essential things you should know about the 2290 Form.
What Is the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax Rate?
According to experts, you have to pay $100 + $22 per 1000 lbs to weigh over 55,000 lbs. The $122 rate per 1000 lbs is set for the gross weight range of 55,000 to 75,000 lbs.
If your vehicle’s gross weight is over 75,000 lbs, you have to pay a flat tax rate of $550. The tax will be collected by the Internal Revenue Service, a separate department under the United States Department of the Treasury.
What Is Form 2290?
The 2290 Form is used to figure and pay the tax due on heavy vehicles used during the tax period. For example, if your vehicle’s gross weight is 57,000 lbs and you have used the vehicle for one year, you will have to file a 2290 form and pay $240 in HVUT tax.
Form 2290is also used to calculate and pay the tax due for suspended heavy vehicles exceeding the mileage limit, which stands at 5000 miles for regular vehicles and 7500 miles for agricultural vehicles. If your heavy vehicle has run more than 5000 miles in a year, you have to file another 2290 for the vehicle that exceeded the mileage limit during that period and pay the prorated HVUT tax.
You can use form 2290 to calculate and pay tax for a vehicle whose gross weight increased during the tax year and falls into a new category. As mentioned earlier, HVUT has two categories – vehicles weighing between 55,000 to 75,000 lbs and Vehicles weighing more than 75,000 lbs.
If your vehicle’s gross weight was in the 1st category (55,000 to 75,000 lbs) but after some modifications, its gross weight is more than 75,000 lbs, then you have to fill out a new Form 2290 to pay HVUT taxes as per the new category.
You can also use form 2290 to claim taxes for vehicles that were used less than 5,000 miles during that period; or claim a tax refund for stolen or destroyed vehicles during that period.
How Often Do You Have to Pay the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax?
The HVUT taxes are paid annually for every heavy vehicle weighing more than 55,000 lbs. The tax period starts on July 1 of every year and ends on June 30 of next year, for example – July 1, 2020, to June 31, 2021.
Who Needs to File Form 2290?
Form 2290 should be filed by every owner of the vehicle whose gross weight is more than 55,000 lbs (or 75,000 lbs in the case of agricultural vehicles). The vehicle owner can be an individual, any organization (including charitable, educational, and non-profit), partnership organization, LLC, and corporation. If the vehicle has dual registration, the owner is liable to pay the HVUT taxes.
When to File Form 2290?
You need to file the form 2290 for the month when the vehicle was first used on American highways during the tax period. For example, if the tax period starts from July 1, 2020, and you used the vehicle in August 2020, you need to file form 2290 by August 31, 2020.
If you cannot file form 2290 before the due date of the return, you can write to the IRS for an extension of time to file stating your reason in the application.
How to File Form 2290?
You can file form 2290 electronically or file it offline. If you are not filing electronically, you need to download form 2290 and the Schedule 1, print it and mail it to the IRS. If you are enclosing a check along with your 2290 form, you need to address it to the Internal Revenue Service in Kentucky.
If you are only sending the form and have made the payment by credit/debit card or through EFTPS/EFW, you need to send the form to the Department of Treasury office in Utah.
Specific Instructions to File Form 2290
- You need an employer identification number (EIN) to file form 2290. Social security numbers cannot be used in the form. The form should mention the vehicle identification number (VIN) of each vehicle. You need to mention the taxable gross weight of the vehicle to determine the category.
- Enter your name and complete address in the form, including the street address and suite number. If your address has changed, tick the Address change box and mention your new address.
- If you don’t have to report any vehicles for HVUT, you can tick the box – final return and mail the filled form to the IRS.
- If you are reporting an increase in taxable gross weight of the vehicle or want to pay tax for a suspended vehicle for crossing the mileage limit, you need to tick the ‘Amended return’ box.
So, these are some of the crucial things you should know before filing your 2290 form.
