Due to the fact that this filing season for Heavy Vehicle Use Taxes (HVUT) has been changed, the IRS Form 2290 will now be available in November of 2011. The legislation that controls the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax nearly expired earlier in the year, and Congress was forced to extend the current legislation in order to prevent a shutdown of the Government funded Highway and Transportation departments.
The Heavy Vehicle Use Tax is an excise tax that is filed annually on none other than Heavy Vehicles that are used on public roads. Vehicles that are included in the tax must be of a certain weight (55,000 pounds or more) as well as a certain mileage (5,000 miles or more, 7,500 or more if agricultural).
In order to make the filing process easier with the IRS using Form 2290, it is very important that you keep accurate records, just like 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 3 years prior to the filing date for any taxable highway vehicles registered to them. For fleet owners 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 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.