Form 2290 August Due Date: The August 31 Deadline, Explained
Truckers know the headline August 31 deadline, but Form 2290 due dates actually depend on when your truck was first used. Here's the August deadline explained.
Quick answer
An August due date — August 31 — is the big one: it's the deadline for any heavy vehicle already in use during July, the start of the HVUT period. You pay the full annual Heavy Vehicle Use Tax. Most trucks on the road file by this date.
Why August is the main deadline
The HVUT period runs July 1 – June 30. Any truck operating in July rolls into the new period, making July its first-use month — and July first use means an August 31 deadline with the full year's tax. That's why the entire industry files in late July and August.
| First used | 2290 due | Tax |
| --- | --- | --- |
| July | August 31 | Full year |
| July | August 31 | Full year |
How much you owe
The tax is the full annual amount for your weight category:
- An 80,000 lb truck (annual $550) owes about $550.
- A 55,000 lb truck (annual $100) owes about $100.
Use the Form 2290 calculator for your exact figure by weight.
What you need to file
- Your EIN (not an SSN — a new EIN takes ~2 weeks to activate for e-filing).
- The VIN of the vehicle.
- The taxable gross weight category.
E-file and your stamped Schedule 1 comes back within minutes — you need it to register the truck with your state.
Miss August 31?
Late filing runs about 4.5% of the tax per month (up to five months) plus interest, and without a current Schedule 1 your state won't issue plates. File as soon as you can — even a few days saves a full month's penalty.
After this period
When you file by August 31 you're covered for the whole July–June period. The same truck files again next July for the new period.
Not sure which deadline is yours? Run a free compliance check or ask the AI assistant — tell it when you first used the truck and it gives you the exact date and amount.