Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) Form 2290

HVUT is the annual tax assessed on heavy vehicles that operate on public highways and the taxable gross weight is equal to or more than 55,000 pounds. For vehicles over 75,000 pound, the maximum HVUT is $550 per year. Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) requires the proof of payment of HVUT each year and the non-compliance leads to penalty. The tax period for HVUT begins on July 1 every year and ends on June 30 the next year.

What is the penalty for not filing HVUT timely?

The IRS may impose Penalties for multiple reasons on Form 2290 filing. Penalties will be estimated if you fail to file HVUT returns or pay taxes within the due dates. HVUT Penalties may also be imposed if there are any false or fraudulent returns. These penalties are also in addition to the interest charged on late payments.

What is the First Used Month?

The month that you first used the vehicle during the tax period.  Generally, the purchase date or the date of vehicle titling.  

What is the tax due date?

If your vehicle was in use last July, your Form 2290 due date is August 31, 2021.  The typical tax year for professional drivers is from July 1st until June 30th of the following year.

Why Should I Pre-file form 2290?

Pre-filing or early filing of Form 2290 starts a month earlier to the actual tax period before the IRS starts processing 2290 returns.  Pre-filing has a number of advantages:

  • Avoid the peal hour rush and save time
  • Obtain an additional month to save the tax amount
  • Pre-filing returns are prepared first so that you can get stamped Schedule 1 without waiting longer
  • Even if your return gets rejected, you will have ample time to correct and retransmit the correction.
  • Also, there is no need to worry about IRS penalties for late filing.