2012 IFTA 4th Quarter Filing Deadline is Coming!

IFTA is the International Fuel Tax Agreement between the 48 contiguous States and 10 Canadian Provinces, where the member jurisdictions act cooperatively to administer and collect motor fuel use taxes.

The purpose of IFTA is to establish and maintain the concept of one fuel use license and one administering base jurisdiction for each license holder (licensee). Under IFTA, you only have to report to one state and the state allocate the fuel tax payments.  For more details see http://www.iftach.org.

We are halfway through the filing period for 4th quarter.  The fuel taxes are due quarterly and January 31st is the deadline for the 4th quarter. (October, November, December).

What you need to file:

• Mileage log
• Fuel Receipts
• Any IFTA correspondences pertaining to your account (if applicable)
  
  

Late Filing or Not Filing could result in the following:

• IFTA filing (late fee) plus interest (if applicable)
• Possible suspension of IFTA license
• Possibility of having IRP/Apportioned Plate account affected
• Citation from DOT if caught operating on a delinquent and or suspending IFTA license
• Threat of having your entire transport operation shut down

The IFTA filing process may be vary slightly depending on your base jurisdiction state.  

If you are new and not sure what to do or would rather not have to take the time to file your IFTA, contact Truck Services of North America at today. If you would like us to take care your IFTA, we will need copies of your mileage logs and fuel receipts into our office by January 20th, to ensure the paperwork is processed by the January 31, 2013 deadline. As a premier processing agency, we can set up your IFTA accounts and file your Quarterly IFTA Taxes for you. TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way! For more details contact us at TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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What is an EIN?

An EIN is an Employer Identification Number, also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, and can be used to verify a business entity. An EIN is usually required in order to file a tax return for a business. If you are filing Form 2290 for Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT), you must have an EIN to file the return. The IRS no longer accepts Social Security Numbers for the Form 2290.

If you need to file Form 2290 for vehicles first used in December, the due date to file is January 31, 2013. If you do not have an EIN, Truck Services of North America take care of it for you. We will be able to get your EIN immediately, but it may take the IRS up to 10 business days to update your new EINs into their system; so you will want to get your EIN today!

 

As a premier processing agency, Truck Services of North America can get your EIN and file your Form 2290 Heavy Highway Use Tax for you.  TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way. For more details contact us at TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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UCR Enforcement Date Extended

2013 UCR (Unified Carrier Registration) Renewals were due December 31, 2012.  If you have not already done so, you will want to renew or register now to avoid possible fines/penalties.  The original enforcement date of January 1, 2013, has been extended until February 1, 2013, so you still have time.

States collect fees from motor carriers, motor private carriers, freight forwarders, brokers and leasing companies, based on the number of qualifying commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in their fleets. The revenues generated will be used for enforcement of motor carrier safety programs.

Who is Subject to UCR?  

All motor carriers (for-hire, private and exempt) – as well as brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies operating in interstate or international commerce are subject to the new UCR.   Entities based in Canada and Mexico that are involved in interstate or international commerce in the United States are also subject to UCR.  

From the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Inspection Bulletin released on January 1, 2013:

It should be noted that SAFER (www.safersys.org) only displays three years of UCR registration information, therefore beginning February 1, 2013, roadside enforcement should only involve the 2011, 2012 and 2013 UCR registration years. No UCR Credential is required to be carried in the commercial motor vehicle, but you can carry a copy of your UCR receipt if you choose to.

As a premier processing agency, Truck Services of North America can assist you in obtaining your UCR.  TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way. Contact us to file your UCR today to avoid possible fines and/or penalties. For more details contact us at TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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Oregon Truckers: Oregon Weight Receipt Renewal Past Due

Renewal period for Oregon Weight Receipt deadline was December 31, 2012, so if you did not renew, you are past due and will want to take care this today to avoid possible fines, penalties and/or interest. You can renew your credentials online at OregonTruckingOnline.com with a PIN and give Truck Services of North America a call and we’ll take care of it for you.

Oregon Weight Receipt and Tax Identifier, or Receipt is required in additional to registration plates and is used to collect highway-use taxes.  A carrier pays the Weight-Mile tax by filing a Weight-Mile Tax report. Renewal papers and payment must be submitted before January 1, 2013. Enforcement officers may issue a $435 citation to those who do not have a current permanent or temporary Oregon Weight Receipt and Tax Identifier.

For more details see the December Issue of the Motor Carrier News.

As a premier processing agency, Truck Services of North America can assist with renewing your Oregon Weight Receipt.  TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way. For more details contact us at TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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Illinois IRP Online Renewal Requirements

Illinois now offers IRP Online Renewals as a convenient and expedient way to process your IRP registrations.  Please note that new IRP registrations are only processed and available in Springfield. For more information regarding the IRP process, please consult the FAQ's  or contact the Commercial and Farm Truck Division Phone services at 217-785-1800.

Find more information at www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/vehicles or contact Truck Services of North America at TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320 to help you obtain or renew your IRP. TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way!

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Changes to Indiana IRP Cab Cards and 45 Day Temporary Permits

The following was posted on the IRP website at http://www.irponline.org.

Indiana’s cab cards and 45 day temporary permits have been redesigned to include a new bar code.

Please see the memo for more information and samples of valid cab cards.  

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Royce Montgomery, IRP unit supervisor, Indiana Department of Revenue, Motor Carrier Services Division at (317) 615-7257.

Truck Services of North America works to help you stay informed of changes in laws that affect you. For more information about IRP or any of our other services, contact us at TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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Update your MCS-150 Now

The following notice was posted on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Site regarding updating your MCS-150.  See the full notice here.

Update your MCS-150 now with 2011 VMT/PU information or shortly after January 1, 2013 with your 2012 data to ensure that FMCSA is using the most accurate data available to calculate your percentiles. Visit https://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/PKG_REGISTRATION.prc_option to update your MCS-150 information. Under the “Existing Registration Updates” section, choose the first option - “I need to update my USDOT number registration information or file my biennial update.”

PLEASE NOTE: The SMS website is updated monthly, so your MCS-150 changes will not be reflected on that site until the next monthly update. You can find the schedule of SMS updates at http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/sms. MCS-150 updates show up faster on SAFER and the FMCSA Portal websites.

If you have not already done so, you will want to update your MCS-150 or you can contact Truck Services of North America and we can take care of the update for you. TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way. For more details contact us at TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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New York Highway Use Tax Now Past Due

If you have not yet filed your 4th Quarter NY HUT return, you will want to do immediately.  You are subject to interest, penalties, or both if you did not file your 4th quarter highway use tax return on time or pay the proper amount of tax due on your return.

A certificate of registration may be denied, suspended, or revoked, without a hearing, for failure to file a highway use tax return or failure to pay any amount due under highway use tax. Any suspension of the highway use certificates of registration will remain in effect until you file the outstanding returns and pay the taxes due, or until the matter is otherwise resolved. The denial, suspension, or revocation of a certificate of registration for any motor vehicle shall automatically result in suspension or revocation of all certificates of registration issued to you.

If you fail to timely pay any fee, tax, penalty, or interest imposed by the highway use tax, your real and personal property becomes subject to a lien.

If you missed the renewal deadline of December 31, 2012, you will want to get your NY HUT certificate renewed today.  Any person who fails to obtain a certificate of registration or who operates a motor vehicle without a decal as required by the highway use tax law shall, after due notice and an opportunity for a hearing, be liable for a civil fine of $500 to $2,000 for a first violation, and be liable for a civil fine of $1,000 to $3,500 for a second or subsequent violation occurring within three years of a prior finding of violation.

Section 1815(a) of Article 37 of the Tax Law provides for a fine of $100 to $250 upon a first conviction for a violation of any provision of the highway use tax or the fuel use tax. Upon a second or subsequent conviction, the fine increases to $250 to $500, or the violator may be imprisoned for up to 10 days.

As a premier processing agency, Truck Services of North America can renew your NY HUT certificate of registration and file your 4rd Quarter highway use tax return for you.  TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way. For more details contact us at TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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2013 UCR Registration Now Past Due

The Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan and Agreement are part of a Federally-mandated, State-administered program that went into effect September 10, 2007. Under this program, States collect fees from motor carriers, motor private carriers, freight forwarders, brokers and leasing companies, based on the number of qualifying commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in their fleets. The revenues generated will be used for enforcement of motor carrier safety programs.

Registration for 2013 Unified Carrier Registration began on October 1, 2012 and the deadline was December 31, 2012.  2013 UCR is not past due! All motor carriers (for-hire, private and exempt) – as well as brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies operating in interstate or international commerce are subject to the UCR. Entities based in Canada and Mexico that are involved in interstate or international commerce in the United States are also subject to UCR.

Who is Subject to UCR?  

All motor carriers (for-hire, private and exempt) – as well as brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies operating in interstate or international commerce are subject to the new UCR.   Entities based in Canada and Mexico that are involved in interstate or international commerce in the United States are also subject to UCR.  

Who is Not Subject to UCR?   

The following groups are not subject to UCR:

(1) entities that receive USDOT numbers under the PRISM program as “registrants” but have no interstate operating authority;

(2) except when a state has adopted the UCR Program for intrastate carriers,  purely intrastate carriers, that is those that do not handle interstate/international freight or make interstate/international movements;

(3) private motor carriers of passengers, meaning those that operate as a private motor carrier engaged in the interstate/international transportation of passengers which is provided in the furtherance of a commercial enterprise and is not available to the public at large.

No UCR Credential is required to be carried in the commercial motor vehicle, but you can carry a copy of your UCR receipt if you choose to.

Beginning in January 2013, states are implementing more stringent UCR audit procedures that in some states can be in excess of $1000 for your first offense.  You are able to register for previous years, so you will want to make sure you are registered from 2010 until now. You are required to maintain three years proof of UCR registration.

As a premier processing agency, Truck Services of North America can assist you in obtaining your UCR.  TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way. Contact us to file your UCR today to avoid possible fines and/or penalties. For more details contact us at TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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Form 2290 Deadline For Vehicles First Used in December 2012

If you first placed your vehicle on the road anytime during the month of December, you must file your Form 2290 by January 31, 2013. If a vehicle was used during any part of a month, the tax will be calculated for that month as a whole. For example, if a vehicle was used on December 20th, it will be taxed as though it was used the entire month.  

The tax will be prorated based on the number of months the vehicle will have been used during the tax year. So vehicles that were placed in service during the month of December will need to file HVUT using the Form 2290 by January 31st, and the tax will be based on 7 months, instead of the full year.

While the deadline is the last day of the following month, you may need to file your Form 2290 before the deadline in order to get or renew your IRP plates.  Many states require a stamped Schedule 1 as proof that your 2290 was filed before they will issue or renew your plates. *NOTE: Due to the scheduled IRS shutdown, we will not be able to receive Schedule 1 until January 7, 2013.  If you need your schedule 1 before then to get your plates, you will need to visit the nearest IRS office.

As a premier processing agency, Truck Services of North America can file your Form 2290 Heavy Highway Use Tax for you.  TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way. For more details contact us at TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320 and have your business details, including EIN, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and Gross Weight of the Vehicle (Combined with maximum load) and form of IRS payment,  either Electronic Funds Withdrawal (EFT), Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) or Check/Money Order and we take care of the rest.

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4th Quarter Filing Period Now Open!

Happy New Year!  We here at TSNA hope you have a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year!  

January 1st not only marks the beginning of a new year, but also the beginning of the 4th Quarter Filing Period for IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement), KYU (Kentucky Use Tax), New Mexico Weight Distance Tax, NY HUT (New York Highway Use Tax) and Oregon Weight-Mile Tax.

We want to remind you that the deadline for filing is January 31, 2013 and we encourage you not to wait until the last minute to file. As a premier processing agency, Truck Services of North America can assist with your your IFTA, NY HUT, KYU, New Mexico and Oregon Weight Distance Taxes.  We can help you obtain the necessary credentials and file your quarterly taxes for you. TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way. For more details contact us at TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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