How to calculate the taxable gross weight of a vehicle?
Every trucker is aware of the HVUT tax i.e., the Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax which is paid based on the taxable gross weight of the vehicle. The heavier the taxable gross weight, the higher the 2290 tax amount. So before filing your form 2290, it is important to know the correct taxable weight of your vehicle, as well as its first used month. It will be great for every trucker to have full information before filing their form 2290 online.
It is quite easy to evaluate the weight of the vehicle. The owner needs to take their vehicle to an approved weighing company, where the empty vehicle is weighed, and the actual taxable gross weight calculated. Taxable gross weight is defined as:
- The actual unloaded weight of the vehicle fully equipped for service
- The actual unloaded weight of any trailers or semi trailers fully equipped for service customarily used in combination with the vehicle, and
- The weight of the maximum load customarily carried on the vehicle and on any trailers or semi trailers customarily used in combination with the vehicle
- Actual unloaded weight of a vehicle is the empty weight of the vehicle
During the registration process, the vehicle needs to be in the best condition and there is some mandatory process that needs to be done while calculating the gross weight. Let’s take a look at them:
- State registration based on specific gross weight: For all the registered vehicles in any state, it is required to declare the gross weight of the vehicle so that tax payment can be easily calculated.
- State registration based on actual unload weight: It is the taxable gross weight of the unloaded vehicle that needs to be registered at the time of application filing.
IRS authorized e-filing service providers make it easy for truckers to file their 2290 HVUT returns by allowing them to calculate the tax amount. All the vehicles that weigh 55,000 or more (75,000 pounds for agricultural vehicles) need to file form 2290 and pay the HVUT tax.
But there are certain tax exemptions. Here is a list of tax exempted vehicles:
- Vehicles owned or operated by the District of Columbia
- Vehicles owned or operated by the Federal Government
- Vehicles owned or operated by the American National Red Cross
- Vehicles owned or operated by the State or Local Government
- A non-profit volunteer vehicle like ambulance association, rescue squad, or used by the fire department
- Any mobile machinery that falls under chassis for non-transportation functions
- Mass transportation authority that has statute powers exercised but for the state government
- Vehicles owned or operated by blood collector organizations
SAll these vehicles that fall under any of these categories are exempted from paying the HVUT tax. There is a certain exemption to the logging vehicles such as:
- Agriculture vehicles that cover less than 7,500 miles annually.
- Commercial vehicles that cover less than 5,000 miles annually.
- Vehicles that do not fall under the highway motor vehicle list.
So, the owner of the heavy vehicle needs to take all these things into consideration before paying the HVUT tax. All vehicles that do not fall in any of the exempted categories need to file the tax before the form 2290 due date. This is one of the important ways to steer away from the penalty that might arise due to late payments.
Nowadays, tax payments are done online through an IRS approved e-filing partner. Such platforms make the overall process of tax filing quite simple. Some even provide proper guidance to their clients and the tax payment process can be completed in a matter of minutes.
Once the user signs up on an e-filing platform , they can easily e-file their 2290 online and get their form 2290 schedule 1 in minutes.
