Tuesday, July 19, 2011

IRS gives three Month Extension for Truck Taxes(Federal Highway Use Tax Form 2290)

The Internal Revenue Service recently advised truckers and others filing Heavy Vehicle Use Tax that the next federal highway use tax return would be due on November 30, 2011instead of the typical August 31 deadline. The full letter from the Internal Revenue Service can be found here.

The extension is meant to remove confusion and multiple filings. Since new legislation needs to be voted on by Congress, the tax could be modified or simply reinstated. To ease the hassle of applying for state vehicle registration on or before November 30, state DMV’s must accept a stamped Schedule 1 of the prior year’s Form 2290. Typically, taxpayers  receive a stamped schedule 1 after the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax is filed and paid. However, this year, the prior year’s schedule 1 must be used because the IRS is not yet accepting the Form 2290 for this tax year.

For Taxpayers who have acquired and need to register new or used vehicles during the July-November period, new regulations now require states to register those vehicles without a proof of HVUT payment. The taxpayer will be required to prove that they acquired the vehicle within the past 150 days.

For taxable vehicles used during July, the Form 2290 and payment are normally due on August 31st. The tax is calculated based on the weight of the vehicle. There are also many special rules that apply to vehicles with low mileage, as well as logging, and agricultural vehicles.