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
$5/truck, up to $20
Add a vehicle mid-period
$5/truck, up to $20
Amend a return
$20
VIN correction
Free
Final return
$5
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
$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.
- 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 $5 per truck to file, capped at $20 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.