A break the IRS gave to trucking over the filing of the heavy vehicle use tax more than two years ago is coming back to haunt some people, according to the American Trucking Association’s State Laws Newsletter.

In the fall of 2011, the filing season for the federal heavy vehicle use tax was extended several months, from the ordinary due date of the tax, August 31, until the end of November. That’s because Congress was late that year in extending the tax itself. Moreover, since carriers must show proof of payment of the HVUT before renewing the registration of vehicles subject to the tax, IRS waived this requirement for renewals from July through November 2011, and allowed carriers to renew by showing their 2010 filing instead. 

While some carriers got their registrations renewed in this fashion, they neglected to pay the HVUT.  The IRS says it is now contacting such taxpayers to collect the delinquent amounts.