How to Fill Out a 2290 Form: Steps to Take

What Is a 2290 Form?

A heavy-use tax form 2290 is one of the documents designed by the Internal Revenue Service, commonly known as the IRS, for tax reporting purposes. Its primary use is to calculate and pay tax on using highway motor vehicles within a certain reporting period in cases where the total taxable gross weight of the vehicle is at least 55,000 pounds. You can also use this document to claim suspension or credit for tax previously paid as well as to report the acquisition of a taxable vehicle. This is a yearly report, which means you need to file it every month, covering the previous year.

How to Get Form 2290?

The instructions for IRS form 2290 state that the template can be filed either electronically or on paper. However, there are situations where you are legally required to file electronically. One example is a return where you report and pay the tax on at least 25 taxable vehicles. The IRS generally requires taxpayers to use the electronic filing option, mentioning that it quickens the processing.

Therefore, we recommend that you use a fillable PDF template that you can either print out or fill out, sign, and send electronically using PDFLiner. The document can be found in PDFLiner’s form catalog and uses fillable fields that are easy to navigate.

How to Fill Out Form 2290?

The full set that makes up Form 2290 takes up 10 pages, including several blank ones. The last of those is a payment voucher, also known as Form 2290-V, and used when making a payment with Form 2290. It also includes a Consent to Tax Information Disclosure form which you need to sign and date. The main document is single-page, but it also schedules a tax computation page.

At the top part of page 3 of the pack that comes with the Form 2290 tax form instructions, you need to enter the following details:

Your name;
Your address (two lines);
Your employer identification number;
Your purpose of filing, which can be address change, amended return, vehicle number correction, or final return.

Here are the steps you need to take to complete the form properly.

In Part 1, follow the instructions for steps 1 to 6 to calculate your tax. In doing so, please mind that the template uses a particular data format, namely YYYYMM. This part also takes into account whether the vehicle was overweight and other details.
For 7 to 9, check the statements that apply to support suspension. This only applies in case you are requesting suspension for the reporting period in question, which happens if the vehicle is not operated on public roadways or is not in your ownership anymore.
The first section of the bottom part of page 3 is only to be filled out if you intend to enable a designee to file your Form 2290 with the IRS for you.
The second section should contain your signature, which you can also place electronically (see detailed instructions on signing the form online below).
Finally, the third section at the very bottom of the page is for the paid preparer and should only be completed if you are using a third party’s service to prepare your Form 2290.
Proceed to fill out the schedule. Schedule 1 comes in two copies, both of which must be attached to the main part according to the Form 2290 filing instructions included with the form. The Schedule of Heavy Highway Vehicles serves the purpose of summarizing the set of vehicles you report on with this document.

How to Sign Form 2290?

If you use the electronic filing option, also consider signing the document electronically to save time. PDFLiner offers a signing functionality that enables you to affix a legally effective signature to any PDF document in several clicks. To do it, click Add Sign in the top left corner of the editor window with Form 2290. In the Signature Wizard window that appears, choose your preferred form of signature, from entering your name to simply drawing it. Choose the location for your signature. You can also save your signature for later use if you are a returning PDFLiner user.

How to File Form 2290?

While the IRS explicitly encourages electronic filing, you still have the option to file Form 2290 on paper in most cases. You can find the addresses you can use in the official IRS instructions for this form. In the long-term perspective, however, filing electronically is less time-consuming, especially given that Form 2290 needs to be filed on a regular basis with small intervals. If you choose this approach, you can use a PDF file with fillable fields. You will then need to choose an e-filing software provider from the list on the IRS website so that you can file your reports.

Who should file Form 2290?

IRS Form 2290 targets owners of taxable highway motor vehicles registered in their name or those that can be registered in their name. This only applies to vehicles with a gross taxable weight of at least 55,000 lbs. To qualify as an owner for the purpose of this definition, you don’t have to be an individual. Limited liability companies, partnerships, and other organization types can also file Form 2290.

May I file one Form 2290 for two vehicles?

You can, but not in case you put them on the road for two consecutive months. The amount of tax that you are supposed to pay is determined by the month in which the operation starts. In this case, you will need to file Form 2290 along with Schedule 1 for each vehicle.

Can I claim a refund electronically for a vehicle that was sold?