Time is Running Out to File Form 2290!

Last week, we gave you a friendly reminder about the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) Form 2290 deadline so you could get your things in order and file.

Well, today, we have a much more frantic reminder that time is running out to get your Form 2290 filing complete! Your Form 2290 must be submitted to the IRS by midnight tomorrow, August 31, 2017, to be considered on time. If you file late, you risk paying a penalty to the IRS.

E-file Form 2290 with ExpressTruckTax
As we mentioned last week, our sister product, ExpressTruckTax, is the best in the 2290 e-filing biz. Their program allows you to complete your HVUT Form in under five minutes and transmit it directly to the IRS. You’ll even have the option to pay any taxes owed with your 2290 Form when you complete and e-file it with ExpressTruckTax.

ExpressTruckTax’s expert customer support team is also on standby for extended hours over the next few days to help you get your form correctly filled out and filed. Their US-based support team members offer assistance in English and Spanish and by phone, live chat, and email.

Form 2290 FAQs
But before you head over and start filing, we’ve got a few FAQs the ExpressTruckTax support team has been getting this year to help you be as prepared as possible for your 2290 filing:

• What is my first use month?
• The first month that you use your heavy vehicle during the tax period.
• The current tax period, for which you’ll be filing your Form 2290, runs from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018.
• So if you operated your heavy vehicle in July this year, that’ll be your first use month.
• Can I pay the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax I owe with a credit card?
• No, that would just be a little too easy, wouldn’t it?
• Unfortunately, the IRS doesn’t accept credit cards.
• To make a payment, you’ll need to
• Authorize a direct debit or electronic fund withdrawal,
• Pay with the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS),
• Mail a check or money order to the IRS along with your completed 2290-V (payment voucher).
• What is an EIN?
• EIN stands for Employer Identification Number. It’s like a Social Security Number for business entities.
• You may only use an EIN on Form 2290 and cannot use a Social Security Number.
• How do I file?
• With ExpressTruckTax, of course!
• Just follow their step-by-step e-filing guide to complete your Form 2290 in 5 minutes or less.
• They’ll send you a stamped Schedule 1 via email within 15 minutes of you e-filing your Form 2290 with the IRS.
• Not near a computer? Check out their 2290 mobile app, free in the Apple Store and on Google Play.

Now the clock’s tickin’ so it’s time to get filin’!

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Truckers: The Heavy Vehicle Use Tax Form 2290 is Due Soon!

If you own and operate a heavy use vehicle, you’re running out of time to file this year’s Form 2290!

Form 2290 and Schedule 1
Truck drivers and owner-operators who have vehicles with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more are required to file Form 2290, the Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) Return each year by August 31st. This includes any and all taxable highway motor vehicles that are registered (or required to be registered) under state, federal, Canadian, or Mexican law.

Filing Form 2290 is the only way to get the IRS’s stamp of approval on the Schedule 1 each driver or owner-operator is supposed to have for each vehicle. A stamped Schedule 1 is basically the driver or owner’s receipt for the vehicle’s tax payment and is needed for the vehicle to continue operating for the year.

Where to E-file Fast
If you or someone you know still needs to file Form 2290, it’s not too late. In fact, it just so happens we know of a place where you can get in done in under five minutes: ExpressTruckTax! You may notice from the similar name that ExpressTruckTax is indeed a sister product of ExpressIRSForms, so you know you can trust their program’s user friendliness and customer support.

When you e-file Form 2290 with ExpressTruckTax, they guarantee you’ll get your stamped Schedule 1 back the same day you file, sometimes within 15 minutes! Of course, it really all depends on IRS filing volumes at the time you file, but since you’ll be e-filing with an IRS-authorized provider, your Form 2290 will be given top priority. You can also pay any taxes you currently owe from your ExpressTruckTax account, so it really is a one-stop-shop for your HVUT filing!

If you’re really on the go until August 31st, you can download the free ExpressTruckTax app and e-file your Form 2290 from anywhere with a cell signal!


However you file, you can learn more at www.ExpressTruckTax.com! And if you have any questions, the friendly, US-based TruckTax support team is happy to help in English and Spanish by phone, live chat, or email.

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1099-MISC or W-2? Which Form You Need to File for Your Workers

There are a lot of IRS forms that need to be completed for your company. But when it comes to Form 1099-MISC and Form W-2, which one should you choose to report payments made to workers within the course of your business?

Form 1099-MISC vs. W-2 Forms
Form 1099-MISC is used to report financial details regarding payments you’ve made to workers for their services as they relate to your business throughout the year. W-2 Forms are also used to report financial details regarding payments you’ve made to workers for their services as they relate to your business throughout the year. The differences are in the nuances of each form.

Basically, Form 1099-MISC is used to report payments made to independent contractors while W-2 Forms report payments (or salaries) paid to employees. But how do you decide if someone has been hired as an independent contractor or an employee?

Well, you could complete Form SS-8 and submit it to the IRS and they’ll let you know into which category your workers fall. This process could take up to six months, though, so if you’d like to figure it out a little faster, just scroll down a little further!

How to Decide
You can determine your workers’ types of employment by assessing the degree of control and independence each worker has over the job he or she has been assigned. You can determine this degree of control by considering the three following categories:

• Behavioral control, or whether you exercise the right to direct or control how the worker does the work. Businesses have the right to direct and control employees regarding how their work is done but not how independent contractors complete a job.
• Ask Yourself: Do you control or have the right to control what and how the worker does his or her job?
• Financial control, or whether you have the right to control the economic aspects of your worker’s job. The company generally controls these variables for employees while independent contractors will be in charge of them for him or herself.
• Ask Yourself: Are you responsible for how the worker’s paid, expense reimbursement, and providing tools/supplies?
• Type of Relationship, or how you and the worker perceive your relationship. Contracts, employee benefits, and work permanency can provide insight into identifying the relationship. Employees tend to require more contracts and employee benefits and are more of a permanent part of your business than independent contractors.
• Ask Yourself: Do you have written contracts or employee-type benefits (i.e., pension plans, insurance, vacation pay, etc.) for your workers? Will your relationship continue and is their work a key aspect of the business?

Be sure to weigh all of these factors so you can accurately determine which form you need to complete for your payees.

Then, once you’ve correctly assessed the status of your workers and which forms they need, you can easily and securely e-file Form 1099-MISC or Form W-2 with ExpressIRSForms! Create an account today!

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There's Another Form 990 Deadline Coming Up!

Ahh, another day, another dollar.

And another month, another 990 Form deadline!

It’s no secret August brings with it a lot of new and (potentially) exciting things: it’s the beginning of football season, school’s starting back, and tax-exempt organizations that operate on a fiscal year of April 1 to March 31 have a Form 990 deadline for the 2016 tax year! Okay, so that last one doesn’t really roll off the tongue as well, but it’s what we’re here to talk about.

Form 990, Form 990-EZ, & Form 990-N, Oh My!
And did we mention Form 990-PF?! Depending on how much your organization earned in gross receipts during the 2016 tax year, you’ll need to file one of these four 990 Forms with the IRS by August 15, 2017. If your organization

• Received less than $50,000 in gross receipts, you’re required to e-file Form 990-N.
• Received between $50,000 and $200,000 in gross receipts, you’re required to file Form 990-EZ.
• Received more than $200,000 in gross receipts or has more than $500,000 in total assets, you’re required to file Form 990.
• Is a private foundation, you’re required to file Form 990-PF regardless of gross receipts.

Keep in mind that Form 990-N is an online form and can only be electronically filed (or e-filed) with the IRS. The other forms can be submitted online or on paper.

But, Of Course, It’s Easiest to E-file
E-filing Form 990 - whichever Form 990 you file - is infinitely faster, easier, and more secure than paper filing. We even know the best place to do it: ExpressTaxExempt! ExpressTaxExempt is our sister product and the leader of the 990 e-filing game. They’ve simplified the filing process by breaking down each form into interview-style questions so completing your return is a breeze! And their IRS-authorized e-filing software transmits your return securely and directly to the IRS once you’re done.

And if things get away from you in the next week and you won’t be able to file on time, you can always e-file Form 8868, the 990 extension form, with ExpressTaxExempt to get an extra 6 months to file your return.



Head on over to www.ExpressTaxExempt.com now to get started! And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give them a call!

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Now's the Perfect Time to Get an Online Signature PIN

As you’re probably aware, your second quarter 941 Forms were due yesterday (July 31st). That means there’s no time like the present to apply for an Online Signature PIN for your third quarter filings coming up in a few months!

3rd Quarter Filing
As a quarterly return, Form 941 is required to be filed four times a year. Each time you file, you’re reporting important tax information to the IRS regarding your business’s finances for the previous fiscal quarter. This information includes the federal, social security, and Medicare taxes withheld from employee paychecks (as required by the IRS) as well as your tax liabilities as an employer for the quarter.

For the third quarter of 2017, which lasts from July 2017 to September 2017, Form 941 must be submitted to the IRS with any tax payments by October 31, 2017.

Getting An Online Signature PIN
Applying for an Online Signature PIN is not a difficult process, but it can be a time consuming one. You see, when you e-file certain IRS returns, like Form 941, you’re required to e-sign the form to verify you are (or the authorized person is) actually filing the form. You can do this by completing an e-signing Form 8453-EMP or by using a 10-digit PIN assigned to you by the IRS for filing purposes.

Getting a verified, activated Online Signature PIN can take up to 40 days, even when applying online. That’s why it’s best to go ahead and apply now, that way you have plenty of time to get set up with your PIN before the third quarter filing deadline. And with ExpressIRSForms/TaxBandits, it’s never been easier to apply:

1. Log into your account. (You can log in here using your ExpressIRSForms info or go straight to TaxBandits.com).
2. Select the Start New Form button.
3. Check the 94x Online Signature PIN Request option in the 94x Forms section.
4. Enter your employer details manually or by importing an employer from your Address Book.
5. Enter the identifying information (name, title, SSN, email, and phone number) of the Signing Authority to be associated with your Online Signature PIN.
6. Enter your credit card details.
    NOTE: Your credit card will NOT be charged and the information associated with it will NOT be saved in our system. This is simply to verify your identity, which we’re required by the IRS to do before submitting your Online Signature PIN request.
7. Click the orange button to Send PIN Request.

Simple as that!

What Happens Next
After you submit your application for an Online Signature PIN through TaxBandits, the IRS handles the rest. They’ll receive and review your application and, if approved, send you a letter with your 10-digit Online Signature PIN. You’ll need to confirm that the information associated with the PIN in their letter matches your application. Included in the IRS’s letter will be a letter for you to sign, authorizing that everything is correct, and send back to the IRS within 10 days of receiving your PIN. Once the IRS gets this back, they’ll activate your PIN for you to use for future e-filings!

Oh, and did we mention all this is absolutely FREE?!

If you have any questions about applying for your Online Signature PIN, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! We’re available by phone (704-684-4751) and live chat Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST. We also offer 24/7 email assistance at support@TaxBandits.com!

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