The filing of IRS Form 2290 is a federal requirement, not dependent on the cargo you haul, but rather based on the physical attributes and use of your vehicle. The IRS requirement guarantees that the heavier vehicles—those with the most impact on public highway wear and tear—pay the required Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT). Hopes2290.com assists you in immediately knowing whether your assets qualify under the required filing.

The Core Requirement: The Taxable Gross Weight Threshold

The one most critical piece of information that will tell you if you need to file Form 2290 is the weight of the vehicle.

• The Weight Standard: You are required to file if you have a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more and operate on public highways in a highway motor vehicle (truck, tractor, or bus).
• Taxable Gross Weight Defined: It is not merely the empty weight; it is the loaded weight of the vehicle in its fully equipped condition for service, plus the weight of any trailer used in combination with it, and the maximum load weight customarily carried. It is the fully operational weight of the vehicle.
• Exemption Threshold: Trucks weighing less than 55,000 pounds are exempt from the HVUT and don't have to file Form 2290.

Vehicle Types Covered by the Mandatory Filing

Although the regulation is by weight, it covers a number of common commercial vehicle types. The requirement is that the vehicle is self-motorized and used to transport a payload along a public highway.

• Truck Tractors and Trucks: This is the largest category of filers. Any typical commercial tractor or truck (dump trucks, cement mixers, over-the-road trucks) that is subject to the 55,000 pounds requirement must be reported.
• Buses: Vehicles that are designed to transport people and weigh the required amount are also subject to the HVUT.
• Agricultural Trucks: Tractors and other agriculture vehicles are required to report Form 2290 if they weigh over 55,000 pounds. Again, however, they have an increased tax suspension mileage threshold (7,500 miles, as opposed to 5,000 miles for typical commercial trucks).
• Logging Trucks: These trucks also come under the mandatory reporting rule but are provided lower HVUT rates because they are designed for use in carrying forest crops.

Filing Requirement Even When Tax is Suspended

An important one, which too many owner-operators overlook, is that required filing is still necessary even if there is no tax due.

• Low Mileage Trucks: If you anticipate your heavy truck will travel 5,000 miles or fewer (or 7,500 miles or fewer for farm vehicles) within the tax period, the tax is suspended. You are still required to file Form 2290 to claim the suspension and report the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the vehicle to the IRS.
• The Schedule 1 Mandate: Regardless of whether you pay the full tax or take a tax suspension, you require IRS stamped Schedule 1. The state DMVs require this filing confirmation as proof to obtain your yearly truck registration. Filing Form 2290 is the sole means of getting this important compliance document.

With the use of a smart e-filing solution such as Hopes2290.com, you can easily enter your taxable gross weight for your vehicle and instantly calculate your HVUT liability and filing status, following federal regulations to the letter.

Note: For more information, visit IRS website