IRS: Paper 2290 filers, expect delays in processing

Updated Sep 4, 2020

Trucking news & briefs for Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020:

IRS emphasizes alternatives for 2290 proof of payment, given delays in paper filers’ Schedule 1 receipts
The Internal Revenue Service’s Ogden, Utah, service center, which processes Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax payments filed via paper Form 2290, has only recently reopened and is sorting through a backlog of returns, said Joe Mazzuca, IRS excise tax policy analyst. He’s prepared the notification at this link for both state Departments of Motor Vehicles as well as the trucking community regarding the likelihood of long Schedule 1 receipt delays for truckers’ 2290 payments made along with filed paper 2290 forms.

Truckers need those receipts/proof of payment when registering their vehicles annually with the DMV, typically, though as Mazzuca emphasizes, alternative forms of proof are acceptable for registrations through September.

Depending on the paper 2290 filer’s circumstances, generally a state must accept as proof of payment a photocopy of the Form 2290 (with the Schedule 1 proof of payment attached) that was filed with the IRS for the vehicle being registered, along with sufficient documentation that the taxpayer paid the tax due at the time the Form 2290 was filed.

Documentation may consist of a photocopy of both sides of a cancelled check, a copy of acknowledgment of payment if the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System was used, or a copy of the payer’s monthly bank statement indicating payment to “IRS USA Tax Payment” or similar if an Electronic Funds Withdrawal was the pay method.

Such substitute proof of payment may be used for registration in other instances — such as when a Schedule 1 has been lost.

Mazzuca noted the IRS has been emphasizing the utility of e-file services for years now to expedite filing and mitigate delay issues like these, compounded this year given facility closures with the spread of COVID-19. Paper filers thus may likely constitute a relatively small share of 2290 e-filers.

Plan ahead for extended Labor Day weekend to deter increased cargo theft activity
Cargo theft recording firms SensiGuard and CargoNet are warning trucking companies and drivers of increased activity by cargo theft rings over holiday weekends, specifically the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

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In Labor Day weekends between 2015 and 2019, the firm recorded 2.2 thefts per day, which is 15% higher than non-holidays during the year, according to SensiGuard. The firm also warns that, coming on the heels of Hurricane Laura on the Gulf Coast, carriers and shippers of building supplies “should be particularly vigilant.”

CargoNet’s data found that theft activity most commonly occurred on the Friday before Labor Day.

To guard against cargo theft, SensiGuard recommends verifying the authenticity of all shipment-related activity, particularly when asked to either move or store a shipment. The firm also recommends keeping communication between drivers and shippers throughout the load.

SensiGuard warns that truck stops, rest areas and distribution centers are frequent targets for cargo thieves, so drivers should try to find lots with controlled access, adequate lighting and more. Additionally, if loads must be left unattended, drivers should make them as secure as possible with theft-resistant locking/sealing mechanisms for both tractors and trailers.

Small number of International HX trucks recalled
Navistar is recalling approximately 36 Class 8 vocational model year 2020-2021 International HX trucks equipped with SL2065 steerable lift axle suspension systems with a 20,000-pound capacity. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents, the lower rear pivot cap screws that connect the trailing arm to the steerable auxiliary lift axle may not be long enough to sufficiently engage the locking feature of the corresponding nuts.

Navistar will notify owners, and dealers will replace all of the lower rear pivot cap screws and associated nuts and washers for free. Owners can contact Navistar customer service at 1-800-448-7825 with recall number 20507. NHTSA’s recall number is 20V-494.

Four women convoying from D.C. to Wyoming to celebrate first female vote
Four women truck drivers are participating in a memorial convoy this week to recognize the 150th anniversary of the first time a woman cast a vote in an election anywhere in the world.

The Louisa Swain convoy departed Washington, D.C., Monday. (ATA Photo)The Louisa Swain convoy departed Washington, D.C., Monday. (ATA Photo)

The convoy, which includes a specially-wrapped trailer, left Washington, D.C., Monday and is headed to Laramie, Wyoming, where Louisa Swain, a 69-year-old housewife, cast a vote on Sept. 6, 1870. Along the way, it will make stops at events and historical locations in several cities.

Driving in the convoy are four women who are all veteran drivers and have been America’s Road Team Captains. They include:

  • April Coolidge, Walmart Logistics
  • Rhonda Hartman, Old Dominion Freight Lines
  • Dee Sova, Prime, Inc.
  • Tina Peterson, FedEx Ground

At an event Monday in Washington, D.C., Hartman said she and other women in the convoy “are honored to drive this wonderful truck to Laramie, Wyoming. Louisa Swain is such an icon in American history and such an inspiration to women everywhere. This trip we are about to take we hope will highlight women like Louisa Swain and encourage women to forge their own paths for something they are passionate about.”

She added the four women making the trip to Laramie have a combined 7.6 million accident-free miles.

The convoy’s schedule includes:

  • Sept. 1 – Dayton, Ohio – Wright Brothers Museum
  • Sept. 2 – St. Louis to Denver
  • Sept. 3 – Denver
  • Sept. 4 – Cheyenne, Wyoming State Capitol
  • Sept. 5 – Laramie, University of Wyoming War Memorial Stadium
  • Sept. 6 – Laramie, reenactment and 150th anniversary celebration of Louisa Swain’s vote at the History House

You can follow the women drivers on the commemorative convoy online.