The heavy vehicle use tax or HVUT is a fee assessed annually on heavy vehicles operating on public highways at registered gross weights equal to or exceeding 55,000 pounds.The current tax period is July 1, 2013-June 30, 2013. The annual deadline to file for all vehicles is August 31st, but since the 31st is on a Saturday and Monday is Labor Day, the deadline has been extended to Tuesday, September 3, 2013.
The penalty for not filing the IRS Form 2290 by the deadline is equal to 4.5% of total tax due. This amount is assessed on a monthly basis up to five months. Those who choose not to make their HVUT payment also face an additional monthly 0.5% of the tax due penalty. Additional interest charges of 0.54% per month accrue as well. Within 5 months of not filing and paying the HVUT tax, the HVUT liability that was originally $550 will be over $700. In addition to the monetary federal penalties, states suspend the registrations of vehicles for which proof of HVUT payment has not been provided. So not only will the taxpayer owe more money, they will also be unable to renew their registrations, so they will be unable to work. HVUT evasion penalties can even be as severe as fines and incarceration.
There are a few instances where a vehicle is exempt from paying the HVUT tax, even if most of those instances, a Form 2290 is required to be filed even if no tax is due. You can find detailed information on the IRS site at The Trucking Tax Center.
You can E-File your Form 2290 quickly and easily at ExpressTruckTax.com and receive your Schedule 1 within minutes. Your Schedule 1 serves as proof of payment for your HVUT. For more information or to get started today, visit ExpressTruckTax.com or contact our Express Tax Support Center in Rock Hill, SC at 704-234-6005 or email us at support@ExpressTruckTax.com. We have Spanish Support too!