IRS Form 2290 — Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax
File your annual Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return with Gideon Tax. Clear pricing, no upsells, and a Spanish version of every page.
What is Form 2290?
Form 2290 is the federal tax return the IRS requires for heavy highway vehicles with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more. The tax period runs from July 1 of one year through June 30 of the next. When you file and pay, the IRS returns a stamped Schedule 1, which is the proof of payment most states require to register your vehicle.
Who must file
- Owners of trucks, truck tractors, and buses with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 lbs or more used on public highways.
- Owner-operators registering a heavy vehicle for the current tax period.
- Fleets with one or more qualifying vehicles — even a single 55,000 lb rig requires a return.
- Logging operators (they get a lower tax rate, but still must file).
- Anyone suspending a vehicle from the tax because it will be driven 5,000 miles or less (7,500 for agricultural vehicles).
When it's due
For a vehicle first used in July, the return is due by August 31. For a vehicle first used any later month, the return is due by the last day of the month following the month of first use.
Pricing
Form 2290 filing — auto-filed when routine, reviewed when not
Our fee depends on what you're filing, so here's every case up front — no fine print. Compare the two columns: your first filing with us costs the most, and once you've paid us for any excise filing, renewals and changes are far cheaper.
New customer
You haven't paid us a fee yet
Annual filing / renewal
$4.50/truck, up to $18
Add a vehicle mid-period
$4.50/truck, up to $18
Amend a return
$10
VIN correction
Free
Final return
$4.50
Returning customer
You've paid us for an excise filing before
Annual filing / renewal
$1 per truck, up to $10
Add a vehicle mid-period
$1 per truck, up to $10
Amend a return
$10
VIN correction
Free
Final return
Free
- Annual filing / renewal: Your full-period return (July–June); priced per truck.
- Add a vehicle mid-period: A truck first used after the tax period already started. The returning price is for adding to a period we already filed for you; a period we haven't filed is priced as a filing.
- Amend a return: A weight-increase or mileage-exceeded change to a filed return.
- VIN correction: Fixing a VIN on a return — no charge for anyone.
- Final return: Reporting that you no longer have taxable trucks.
Prefer we handle everything? — We will file for you
up to $80 new · up to $40 returning
Don't want to fill out the form? Give us your name, phone, email, EIN, and how many vehicles you're filing, and a person prepares and files your entire return for you. $8 per vehicle, capped at $80 for your first filing with us and $40 once you're a Gideon customer.
Have us file it for you →Low-risk, routine returns are filed automatically the moment they clear our safety checks; anything unusual is reviewed and filed by a person. Either way, we keep out spam and fraudulent filings and deliver your stamped Schedule 1. The IRS tax itself (from the weight-category table) is separate and paid directly to the IRS.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to e-file Form 2290?
- Just $4.50 per truck to file, capped at $18 for your whole fleet — and $1 per truck to renew, capped at $10. VIN corrections are free. The Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) itself is set by the IRS weight table and is paid directly to the IRS.
- How fast will I get my stamped Schedule 1?
- As soon as the IRS accepts your return we deliver your IRS-stamped Schedule 1 — your proof of payment for state registration. Routine, low-risk returns are e-filed automatically, so acceptance often comes within minutes.
- When is Form 2290 due?
- The Heavy Vehicle Use Tax period runs July 1 through June 30, and the annual return is due August 31. For a vehicle first used later in the period, the return is due the last day of the month after its first-used month.
- Can I file for suspended (low-mileage) vehicles?
- Yes. Vehicles expected to run 5,000 miles or less (7,500 for agricultural vehicles) are reported as suspended (Category W) and owe no tax — you still get a stamped Schedule 1. We handle taxable and suspended vehicles on the same return.
- Do you file Form 2290 in Spanish?
- Yes — the entire filing flow is available in English and Spanish at the same honest pricing, with no upsells.
Prepare Form 2290 for customers?
Earn the Gideon Tax Form 2290 Specialist Certificate. Study with our free guide, pass a focused twenty-question examination and receive a verifiable private credential.
$10 · 85% passing score · Two attempts
Learn about the certificate