Author: Marcela De Vivo

Save Time & Bulk Upload Multiple 2290 Forms

Posted on August 4, 2016 by - Bulk Upload, Carriers, e-file 2290, E-file form 2290, expresstrucktax, file HVUT, fleets, Form 2290, HVUT form 2290, IRS HVUT Form 2290, tax zone, truckzone

Save Time & Bulk Upload Multiple 2290 Forms

One of the best things about the trucking industry is how diverse it is.

One trucker might be an owner-operator, the other might be a company man for a large fleet. Either way, they’re going to have to file Form 2290. Taxable vehicles include any highway motor vehicles that have a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more.

So that probably covers your entire fleet. But how can you file HVUT for all of your vehicles? The answer is simple: bulk uploading and ExpressTruckTax’s TruckZone feature.

Why Should I Bulk Upload?

First of all, it’s easy. Instead of entering each record one-by-one, you fill out a spreadsheet and our program does the rest.

Here’s what you do:

  • Login to our system, download the official spreadsheet. 
  • Go field by field and enter the appropriate information in the right format. 
  • After the form is complete, head back to ExpressTruckTax and upload the file.
  • Our software will check for errors and make sure each field is correct. 
  • Note, if you already have your own spreadsheet use our smart upload. We will make sure fields match on our end, so that you don’t waste time making a new spreadsheet. 
  • Make sure everything looks right.
  • Pay and transmit!

Finally, once you get your fleet’s vehicles uploaded, your trucks will be saved year to year thanks to our TruckZone.

What Is TruckZone?

When you need to e-file Form 2290 for multiple vehicles, TruckZone is a lifesafer. Working as virtual fleet, TruckZone keeps all of your vehicles on record so you can access them at any time.

Let’s say you need to file HVUT for 10 trucks. This feature lets you create your own truck tax zone where you can select the 10 trucks which need an HUT filing. In a few minutes, you can e-file form 2290 for all 10, and receive 10 stamped Schedule 1’s in just minutes.

Related Blog: Bulk Uploading: HVUT for Fleets

With TruckZone and bulk uploading in your virtual tax toolbox, you’ll be the master of heavy vehicle use taxes!

If you have any questions about using TruckZone, give our customer support experts a call at 704.234.6005.

Get 10% Discount on Your Form 2290 Filings

Posted on August 2, 2016 by - coupon, discounted price, e filing coupon, E-file form 2290, e-file online, e-Filing, expresstrucktax promo code, promo code, savings

Get 10% Discount on Your Form 2290 Filings
Get 10% Discount on Your Form 2290 Filings

Whoa boy – it’s that time of year, isn’t it? And we don’t mean summer break, because we’re all still working!

We mean it’s time to e-file form 2290! Wait a second, you’re not e-filing? Well, trust us when we say it’s better than paper filing. And by adding our promo code, it’s even sweeter getting 10% off your filing fee.

E-File Form 2290

So why should you e-file? Since your 2290 is due every year, you should know that it’s a headache. But instead of letting it frustrate you, you just need to e-file this year!

You only have to wait a few minutes after filing your IRS Form 2290. Schedule 1 will arrive shortly after!

First of all, e-filing is fast. You’ll get your stamped Schedule 1 in a few minutes after your return is accepted by the IRS. You’ll also get access to our state-of-the-art features, like the TruckZone, where you can manage multiple trucks from one account.

We also offer multi-user access feature, allowing you to share tax filing responsibilities throughout your company, without ever sharing the same login credentials.

How Can I Save 10%?

It’s pretty simple, you only need to use our promo code: ETT10, and you’ll get a 10% discount from your e-filing fee.

You’ll still owe your full tax amount, but it never hurts to save some money on a filing fee!

So sign up today, and let’s get e-filing! If you have any questions about e-filing your IRS Form 2290, our customer support specialists are here to help!

2290 Filing for CPAs

Posted on July 27, 2016 by - accountant, Bulk Upload, CPA, e-file 2290, e-file online, e-Filing, Form 2290, truckers, truckzone

2290 Filing for CPAs
2290 Filing for CPAs

We spend a lot of time conversing with truckers around these parts, but we’re overlooking a key audience of filers out there.

That’s right, to all of our accountant friends out there – we don’t mean to ignore you. So this post is for you!

If you’re a CPA who needs to file form 2290 online, read ahead!

Understanding Taxable Vehicles

Most CPA’s know this, but if you’re new to the game, let’s touch up on taxable vehicles.

A taxable highway motor vehicle includes any self-propelled vehicle with a gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more designed to carry a load over public highways, whether or not also designed to perform other functions.

Examples of these heavy highway vehicles include trucks, truck tractors, and buses.

Some vehicles, like logging and agricultural trucks, have a different set of rules. ExpressTruckTax walks you through all those road bumps, though.

Welcome to the TruckZone

If you’re a CPA, you’re probably not filing for a single truck. With the TruckZone, you can manage all of your vehicles in one place.

As you add vehicles, we store them in the TruckZone. The next time you go to file IRS 2290s, you can easily retrieve the trucks and drivers. You can even search by truck or unit number, driver, VIN, month filed, and even by the date the Schedule 1 was received.

The ExpressTruckTax Truck Zone can upload hundreds even thousands of trucks at one time.

If you need to file multiple Form 2290 returns, we’ve broken down the steps to e-file multiple 2290 forms.

If you have any issues with bulk uploading or transmitting, please contact our customer support experts at 704.234.6005.

Oops! It’s Time to File a VIN Correction

Posted on July 26, 2016 by - 2290 Amendment, Free VIN Corrections, Suspended vehicle, Taxable Gross Weight Increase, VIN Correction

VIN Correction
File VIN Correction

We hear it all the time—you decided to get things done fast this year, so you e-file Form 2290 early. But once your stamped Schedule 1 comes in, you see that your VIN is way off. What can you do? Well, the easy answer is e-file a VIN correction!

Added Tax From Increase in Taxable Gross Weight

If your vehicle’s taxable gross weight increases during the period, and your vehicle falls in a new tax category, you need to file an amendment. We let you file for amendments with the same easy-to-use system you filed your 2290 with.

Suspended Vehicles Exceeding the Mileage use Limit

If a suspended vehicle exceeds the mileage use limit, they need to file form 2290 amendment. The mileage use limit for a heavy vehicle on public highways is 5,000 miles or less (7,500 miles or less for agricultural vehicles). The mileage use limit applies to the total mileage a vehicle is on the road during a period, regardless of the number of owners.

VIN Correction

If you made a mistake on a VIN when you filed Form 2290, you need to file a Form 2290 VIN correction. You can only file a VIN correction for taxable (or) suspended vehicles, and not for credit vehicles or for prior year suspended vehicles. The wrong VIN must have been paid for in the original form 2290, or the IRS will penalize you while still requiring the actual tax.

Don’t forget, we offer FREE 2290 VIN corrections for any filer who e-filed their 2290 return with us here at ExpressTruckTax!

If you didn’t e-file your 2290 with us, but you still need to e-file a VIN correction, have no fear! You still have a chance, you just have to pay a small fee.

So when you need to e-file form 2290 VIN corrections, head over to ExpressTruckTax and we’ll make sure you’re taken care of.

E-Sign Form 8453-EX – ExpressTruckTax Feature Spotlight

Posted on July 22, 2016 by - accountant, CPA, e-sign feature, expresstrucktax, Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax, Form 2290, Form 8453 EX

E-Sign Form 8453-EX
E-Sign Form 8453-EX – Feature Spotlight

Around these parts, we do what we do to make things easier for truckers. Which in our case, usually means helping truckers understand and e-file Form 2290 – just because that’s our expertise.

But some truck drivers and carriers are unaware that we actually support a few other tax forms and features, too. One of these being Form 8453-EX.

What is Form 8453-EX, you ask? Also known as the “Excise Tax Declaration for an IRS e-File Return”, the 8453-EX is a declaration by a taxpayer to authenticate an electronic Form 2290 and authorize an intermediate service provider to transmit their return using a third-party transmitter.

Basically, if somebody else files your taxes on your behalf, you need to file this form.

A taxpayer e-filing directly through ExpressTruckTax doesn’t have to file an 8453-EX, though. But if you’re an accountant or other service provider filing on behalf of a trucker, an 8453-EX has to be signed to authorize the transmission.

What Is the E-Sign Feature?

This feature is beneficial to both truckers and accountants alike. With the e-signing feature for Form 8453-EX, CPA’s can get instant permission to e-file for their client as a third party!

Once you’ve finished the e-filing process for a client, our system will prompt you and your client to sign Form 8453-EX. This link directs your client to our e-sign site and allows them to sign the 8453-EX on any device. They can even e-sign it with their fingertip if they are using a tablet or a mobile device with a touchscreen.

Once they’ve e-signed (or rejected the form), it will return to the ExpressTruckTax system and you’ll be notified.

How Does E-Signing Help Me?

If you haven’t put it together yet, ExpressTruckTax offers a safe and secure way to get your clients to e-sign Form 8453-EX in seconds. Best of all, e-signing works on any device—computer, tablet, and mobile phone.

Plus, you get to avoid coordinating faxes on an old fax machine.

How Do I E-Sign Form 8453-EX?

When e-filing with ExpressTruckTax, all you need to do is click the link to email the electronic form to your client, and after they receive it, they can follow detailed instructions on how to complete the process on their end.

If you have any questions about e-signing 8453-EX, live chat with us over at ExpressTruckTax.com.

5 Simple Steps to File Form 2290

Posted on July 15, 2016 by - 2290, E-file HVUT, Employer Identification Number, excise tax form, Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax, Form 2290, how to e-file form 2290, Vehicle Identification Number

5 Simple Steps to File Form 2290
5 Simple Steps to File Form 2290

As we keep rolling through truck tax season, we’ve had a few callers ask us to go through the e-filing system step-by-step.

So we’re gonna break things down real quick, and show you that you can e-file Form 2290 in 5 easy steps!

First Step – Login

The first step for any truck tax filer is to create their account—of course, if they’ve filed with us before, they can just sign in.

It’s easy, it only takes a moment, and it’s FREE. We won’t charge you a single cent for creating your account! You only pay once you’ve e-filed using our service, which won’t take too long, thankfully.

Second Step – Information

On your second step, you enter your business information. This includes your name and your Employer Information Number (EIN), which you need to make sure you know.

Pro Tip: Did you know you can e-file 2290 directly from the ExpressTruckTax App?

Third Step – Details

Now you need to enter your tax year and first used month for the vehicle(s) you are filing for. The tax year for IRS Form 2290 starts July 1 of each year and ends on June 30 of the following year.

You file Form 2290 based on the first used month of the vehicle. For example, if your vehicle was first used on public highways in September, you have until October 31 to file your 2290.

After that, enter your vehicle identification number (VIN) and the taxable gross weight of the vehicle you are filing for. You can also select if your vehicle is used for any special purposes, such as for agricultural use or logging.

Fourth Step – Payment

As we calculate the taxes on your 2290, make sure you’re familiar with the IRS payment options available to pay the IRS for your HVUT, including:

  • Direct Debit or Electronic Funds Withdrawal
  • Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)
  • Check or Money Order

Fifth Step – Transmit

Before we transmit, we’ll check over your form to make sure it’s clear of any basic errors. On your end, double check the summary to be sure that your business and vehicle information are correct. Once your payment information has been entered, your return is ready to be transmitted to the IRS. Simply add your electronic signature and transmit!

Secret Final Step – Celebrate

A few moments after you file, you’ll get your 2290 Schedule 1. With that in hand, you can go out and celebrate. If you have some vacation time, that is. If not, at least you’ll be roadworthy!

If you have any questions about filing your excise taxes, please reach out to us and let us know! Our dedicated customer service team is waiting by the phones and checking their inbox, ready to help you!

Related Blog: 5 Ways to Get Help E-Filing Your 2290

5 Ways to Get Help E-Filing Your 2290

Posted on July 14, 2016 by - 2290 help, contact expresstrucktax, e-file 2290, expresstrucktax facebook, expresstrucktax live chat, expresstrucktax twitter, Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax, heavy vehicle use tax, HVUT

5 Ways to Get Help E-Filing Your 2290
5 Ways to Get Help E-Filing Your 2290

There’s no escaping it—taxes are difficult. We know it, you know it, your carrier knows it.

But what would you say if we knew a group that doesn’t mind truck taxes. In fact, they spend their day helping truckers e-file their truck taxes!

Sounds ridiculous right? Well, it’s not! Here at ExpressTruckTax, our support experts dedicate their days to answering your e-filing questions. Really, there’s someone available to direct you in the right direction throughout the entire day.

How do we do this? By providing 5 avenues of contact, we’ve made it possible for you to get help for any 2290 questions you may come across.

Call Us on the Phone

Throughout the year, we keep our specialists ready to answer your calls from 9 am to 6 pm. During 2290 peak season, you can probably find someone ready to answer your calls even earlier, and even later.

We do this so that we match your schedule as best as possible!

Best of all, you’ll always talk to a friendly voice located in downtown Rock Hill, South Carolina. There’s something about outsourcing your questions to a call center across the world that just doesn’t sit right with us.

So give us a call at 704.234.6005!

Send Us an Email

Of course, the thought may strike you to e-file your 2290 in the middle of the night. Stranger things have happened!

When you’re sitting up in your sleeper cab, wondering how you can claim a suspended vehicle credit, you know it’s too late to call us.

So you can just send us an email at support@expresstrucktax.com, and we’ll get you a response as soon as possible.

Chat With Us

Maybe you just have a small question, nothing you want to get wrapped up in a conversation about.

There’s a simple solution for that, too.

You can just send us a quick chat via the expresstrucktax website.

In fact, you just gotta click ‘chat with us’, and the chat window will walk you through the rest.

Find Us on Facebook

Sometimes it feels like everybody has Facebook. Not only will you find your friends, but you’ll find kids, grandmothers, heck – even dogs. But most importantly, you’ll find companies like ExpressTruckTax doing what they can from Facebook.

Now, you’re free to comment on our posts with your issues, but you can also send us a message via Facebook as well.

If you have sensitive information you need to share with us, send us a message on Facebook and we will follow up with instructions for a secure, fast, and easy communication.

Hashtag It on Twitter

Sometimes it’s easier to just blast out a tweet. Sure, half the time we’re tweeting about stuff like cats and Taco Tuesday, but Twitter is actually one of the best places to reach a customer representative.

If you have any issues e-filing, send us a tweet at @ExpressTruckTax containing the hashtags #ETTSupport or #ExpressTruckTax, and we’ll get your issue squared away.

So, instead of pulling your hair out over confusing tax forms, try these 5 channels to reach the experts at ExpressTruckTax!

Related Blog: 5 Simple Steps to File Form 2290

What to Do if Your Form 2290 Tax Return is Rejected by the IRS?

Posted on July 8, 2016 by - 2290 Amendment, 2290 e-file, e-file 2290, expresstrucktax, Form 2290, HVUT Penalties, retransmission, stamped Schedule 1

What to Do If Your Form 2290 Return is Rejected by the IRS?
What to Do If Your Form 2290 Return is Rejected by the IRS?

So you were very proactive this year, and you decided to go ahead and e-file irs form 2290.

But then you discover, your 2290 tax return has been rejected by the IRS. So what does that mean for you?

Basically, you need to keep filing until you get things right.

Thankfully, we here at ExpressTruckTax believe in unlimited retransmissions for rejected returns.

Now we’ve heard some people would rather just not file their 2290s than bother with re-transmissions – but that doesn’t make any sense.

What are the Penalties for Failing to File Form 2290?

Basically, you’re going to get hit with a bunch of financial costs if you fail to, or are late, paying
Form 2290. HVUT penalties can range from 4.5 percent of total tax due, assessed on a monthly basis up to five months to an additional monthly penalty equal to 0.5 percent of total tax due for late filers.

Additional interest charges of 0.54 percent per month accrue as well.

Do I Need to E-File Tax Form 2290?

When you e-file your 2290 with ExpressTruckTax, you receive your Schedule 1, which shows an IRS e-file watermark with the date the return was received and processed. This will be accepted by all DOT’s, DMV’s, and other federal authorities.

ExpressTruckTax automatically emails the stamped Schedule 1 after the IRS accepts your 2290. We can also send you updates via text and fax–plus we can even notify your company/carrier.

Your stamped Schedule 1 counts as your proof of payment.

What if you e-filed your tax form 2290 and then something changes—like your vehicle weight?

Just File a 2290 Amendment

When the information on the vehicle you filed for changes, the IRS wants you to file a Form 2290 Amendment. If you want to get that taken care of quickly, just e-file it with ExpressTruckTax. The choice is simple.

So don’t skip out on your tax filing, just because you’re frustrated. In fact, with unlimited retransmission—its all easy!

So if your 2290 is rejected this truck tax season, don’t worry! Instead, login to ExpressTruckTax, and we’ll take care of what we can.

See, it pays off to be proactive!

Related Blog: 7 Common E-Filing Mistakes to Avoid

New IRS 2290 for Tax Year 2016 – 2017

Posted on July 6, 2016 by - 2290 e-file, e-file, e-file 2290, E-file form 2290, expresstrucktax, Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax, Form 2290, Internal Revenue Form 2290, IRS

New IRS 2290 for Tax Year 2016 - 2017
New IRS 2290 for Tax Year 2016 – 2017

You probably didn’t realize that there’s a new IRS Form 2290, did you?

It’s OK, not much changed, however, you can only use this form to file your Form 2290 for the tax period beginning on July 1, 2016 and ending on June 30, 2017.

To learn more about this new form, check out the material provided by the IRS.

Click here to learn more about why Form 2290 has changed, and what it means for your filing.

And when you have that covered, you can go stand in line with your completed Form 2290.

But why waste your time trying to figure it out yourself when you have ExpressTruckTax on your side.

With our interview-style form completion, we’ll help you e-file—yes e-file—your Form 2290 with the IRS.

That means, no standing in line at the IRS office, no trying to figure out complicated tax jargon by yourself, and no wasting time off the road.

Create your free account with ExpressTruckTax and start e-filing your 2290, today!