Deadline for truckers' Form 2290 approaching

Taxpayers who've registered or are required to register large trucks and buses with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more should e-file Form 2290, "Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return," by the Aug. 31 payment deadline for vehicles first used in July, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

The heavy highway vehicle use tax is an annual federal excise tax on heavy highway motor vehicles operating on public highways. Taxpayers must file a 2290 by the last day of the month following the month in which the taxpayer first used the vehicle on a public highway during the taxable period regardless of the vehicle's registration renewal date.

Taxpayers with 25 or more taxed vehicles registered in their name must e-file, not paper file, the 2290 and pay the tax. On vehicles they expect to use for 5,000 miles or less (7,500 for farm vehicles), they must file a return but they pay no tax. If the vehicle exceeds the mileage use limit during the tax period, the tax becomes due.

For additional taxable vehicles placed on the road during any month other than July, the tax should be prorated for the months during which it was in service. IRS.gov has a table to help determine the filing deadline.

Required information includes the VIN, the EIN (not a Social Security number) and the taxable gross weight of each vehicle.