Quarterly IFTA Returns Must Be Filed Even If You Did Not Operate

A Quarterly IFTA Tax Return must be filed even if the licensee does not operate or purchase any taxable fuel in an IFTA member jurisdiction during the specific quarter.  If you hold an IFTA license a return must be filed each and every quarter, regardless if you operated or not.  

Failure to to file your return could result in applicable penalties and interest.  When a licensee fails to file a return, files a late return, or fails to remit any or all tax due, the licensee is subject to penalty and interest. The penalty is the greater of $50.00 or 10% of the net tax due to all member jurisdictions. Interest is computed on all delinquent taxes due each jurisdiction at a rate of 1% per month. The Department will assess interest for a full month.

If a licensee does not operate or purchase taxable fuel, simply enter “0” when filing the return.  Many states offer electronic IFTA filing, to find out if your state offers IFTA E-Filing, click here.

As a premier processing agency, Truck Services of North America can set up your IFTA accounts and file your Quarterly IFTA Taxes for you.  TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way. Check out all our services at TSNAmerica.com and fill out the Service Request Form, email us at support@TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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Non-Taxable or Exempt IFTA Miles

At Truck Services of North America, we get many questions about what IFTA miles are non-taxable and/or exempt?  Here’s some guidance: 

• Fuel trip permit miles are not taxable miles in any jurisdiction. Include fuel permit miles in the total miles section on the return but do not include them in the taxable miles for the jurisdiction that issued the permit. Toll miles are taxable miles; toll fees are not fuel taxes. They are fees in exchange for the opportunity to use a toll road. 
• Exempted Miles will be shown while you are filing for your company's IFTA, but it will not be shows in the actual IFTA form that you will submit for your tax purpose.

On the IFTA Return; you will see the total miles and the total taxable miles which will include the calculation of the exempted miles.

It is your responsibility to contact jurisdictions, individually, to determine exempt miles. It is also your responsibility to maintain records of exemptions for future review.

As a premier processing agency, Truck Services of North America can assist with your your IFTA Taxes.  TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way. Check out all our services at TSNAmerica.com and fill out the Service Request Form, email us at support@TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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EIN (Employer Identification Number)

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 February, the due date to file is March 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. Check out all our services at TSNAmerica.com and fill out the Service Request Form, email us at support@TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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International Registration Plan (IRP)

What is IRP?

IRP is the International Registration Plan that is an agreement for the registration of commercial motor vehicles involved in interjurisdictional travel throughout the 48 contiguous United States and 10 provinces in Canada.

Benefits of IRP?

IRP facilitates the collection and distribution of registration fees you pay between member jurisdictions while reducing the requirement of multiple license plates, cab cards or registration trip permits The fees are based on percentage of total distance the registered fleet of vehicles operated in each jurisdiction.

What are the IRP fees used for?

The fees are used to support highway infrastructure and safety related programs providing safer, more efficient highways.

Jurisdiction Responsibilities

• Register apportioned vehicles
• Calculate, collect and distribute fees
• Audit carriers
• Provide required information to carriers
• Enforce requirements

Registrant Responsibilities

• Applying for IRP registration
• Provide proper documentation
• Pay IRP registration fees
• Display registration credentials
• Maintain accurate distance records
• Make records available for review     

Importance of maintaining accurate records

Clear and accurate record keeping is critical to the fair assesment and distribution of IRP registration fees. Records must be maintained for 3 years after the close of the registration period. If requested for an audit, they must be made available.  

The renewal period and process varies from state to state.  You will want to check with your base jurisdiction to determine when your IRP expires and what the process is in order to get it renewed. For more information on IRP, check out www.irponline.org  or contact your base jurisdiction.  

As a premier processing agency, Truck Services of North America can help you obtain your USDOT number and IRP.  TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way. Check out all our services at TSNAmerica.com and fill out the Service Request Form, email us at support@TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA Fuel Tax Return)

The International Fuel Tax Agreement (or IFTA) is an agreement between the lower 48 states of the United States and the Canadian provinces (except Northwestern Territories, Nunavut and Yukon), to simplify the reporting of fuel use by motor carriers that operate in more than one jurisdiction. This simplifies the process of reporting quarterly fuel tax returns.

This tax is required for motor vehicles used, designed, or maintained for transportation of persons or property and:

• Having two axles and a gross vehicle weight rating or registered gross vehicle weight in excess of 26,000 pounds, and/or
• Having three or more axles regardless of weight, and/or
• Is used in combination, when the weight of such combination exceeds 26,000 pounds gross vehicle or registered gross vehicle weight.

Exceptions exist for Recreational Vehicles (such as motor homes, pickup trucks with attached campers, and buses when used exclusively for personal pleasure by an individual). Some states have their own exemptions that may apply to farm vehicles or government vehicles, so check your state for their specific exemptions.

The IFTA license offers several benefits to the interstate/inter-jurisdictional motor carrier. These benefits include one license, one set of decals per vehicle, one quarterly fuel tax report for all vehicles that reflects the net tax or refund due. Tax returns are required even if no operations were conducted or no taxable fuel was used during the reporting period. Returns that are not filed or not paid in full are considered late and will be assessed penalty and interest.

When filing a tax return, a licensee may apply the fuel overpayment generated in one jurisdiction to the taxes owed for another jurisdiction. These advantages result in cost and time savings for the carrier and the member jurisdictions.

Under IFTA, you are able to file one return in your base jurisdiction and that jurisdiction will allocate the money appropriately.  This agreement definitely simplified what used to be a very long and time-consuming process.

At Truck Services of North America, we make it even simpler by preparing and filing your quarterly returns for you. TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way.  Check out all our services at TSNAmerica.com and fill out the Service Request Form, email us at support@TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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Correcting Information on Form 2290

There are occasions when the information needs to be corrected on Form 2290 after it has been submitted and accepted by the IRS.  The process to correct the information depends on what information needs to be corrected.

Many corrections will require a phone call to the IRS at 866-699-4096.  For typos, misspellings and name corrections, you will want to correct the information on your Schedule 1 and fax it into the IRS and the IRS will make the corrections.  They may require additional information to confirm the correction, but will let you know when you call the number listed above.

If you have the wrong EIN on your Schedule 1, you will want to correct the EIN and fax it along with a letter explaining that the EIN was wrong.  If the return was accepting with an EIN that was not yours, it means the EIN belongs to someone else and the IRS will have to figure out whose payment you made.  If you are told that you need to file a new 2290 and pay the taxes again and then file for a refund using Form 8849, call back until you talk to someone who will assist you without making you pay the tax again and have to wait for a refund.

If your business name changes for any reason, but the EIN remains the same, you will change the business name and fill out the Name Change form and MAIL to the IRS.  A fax will not be accepted as an original signature is required.

The easiest and most common correction is the VIN correction.  VIN corrections can be done by filing a Form 2290 Amendment.

As a premier processing agency, Truck Services of North America can assist with your with making corrections for your Form 2290 if necessary.  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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