Per diem, 2290, IFTA, four state filings. And you still have to drive the truck.
Trucking is one of the most compliance-heavy businesses a single owner can run. We keep the paperwork rolling while you keep the wheels rolling. Trucks aren’t an abstraction here. Before the CPA license, Kevin managed the body shop at a Kenworth dealership.
- Per-diem & accountable plans done right
- Form 2290 & IFTA filed on time
- Multi-state apportionment handled
- Virtual-first: we work where you park
Where generic accountants lose truckers money.
A trucking return isn't a plumber's return with more fuel receipts. Four places we most often find money left on a prior-year return:
Per diem claimed wrong, or not at all
The special transportation-industry rate, the 80% deduction, three-quarter partial days, and the S-corp accountable-plan requirement: miss any one and the deduction shrinks or disappears. It rises and falls on your logbook, and it's routinely worth thousands per driver per year.
Tractor Depreciation, Section 179 & Recapture
Section 179 and bonus depreciation are levers. A full write-off in a soft freight year is wasted, and it sets up a recapture surprise at trade-in.
An S-corp election that backfired
The election that saves self-employment tax also changes how per diem, health insurance, and owner pay are handled. Without trucking-specific planning, the costs can eat the savings.
Multi-State Apportionment & Nexus
Interstate drivers have federal protection from most pass-through state income tax, but the business itself may owe mileage-apportioned returns where it's based or has terminals. We file where you owe and stop the filings where you don't.
Every deadline, mile-marked.
Trucking runs on a calendar that never stops. We watch it so you don't have to.
IFTA Fuel Tax
Due Apr 30 · Jul 31 · Oct 31 · Jan 31Quarterly returns built from your miles and fuel by jurisdiction, filed the month after each quarter closes.
Estimated Taxes
Due Apr 15 · Jun 15 · Sep 15 · Jan 15Estimates recalculated from actual settlements each quarter, sized to freight reality instead of last year's guess.
Form 2290 · Heavy Use
Due Aug 31 (prorated for mid-year trucks)Heavy vehicle use tax for rigs 55,000 lbs and up, with the stamped Schedule 1 kept on file for your plate renewals.
Returns, W-2s & 1099s
Jan 31 wage forms · Return season followsDriver W-2s or contractor 1099s out on time, then the federal and multi-state returns.
Books that tell you which loads to turn down.
Most owner-operators know their revenue per mile; the rate confirmation tells them. Far fewer know their cost per mile, and that number decides whether a load makes money. We set up your books so cost per mile falls out every month: fuel, truck payment, insurance, maintenance reserves, permits, and your own pay, divided by the miles you ran. Buy-vs-lease analysis comes before the next truck.
More on analysis & forecasting →What we handle for truckers.
Tax preparation and multi-state filings, bookkeeping by the mile, tax planning and equipment timing, IRS and state representation, entity and S-corp analysis, and driver payroll and 1099s.
What truckers ask us.
How does the trucker per diem deduction actually work?
Drivers subject to DOT hours-of-service rules can use the IRS special transportation-industry per-diem rate for meals on days away from home overnight, deductible at 80% rather than the usual 50%. The rate is updated annually, partial travel days count at three-quarters, and it all rises or falls on your logbook. How you claim it depends on your entity. A sole proprietor deducts it on Schedule C. An S-corp owner must be reimbursed through a written accountable plan, or the deduction is lost. Getting this one deduction right is often worth thousands per driver per year.
Should an owner-operator be an S-corp?
Sometimes, but trucking has a trap most general accountants miss. An S-corp can cut self-employment tax once profit clears a threshold, yet the election changes how per diem, health insurance, and truck depreciation flow through. Elect too early or set owner pay wrong, and the payroll costs plus lost per-diem handling can eat the savings. We model it both ways with your actual settlements and logbook days before recommending anything.
Do you handle Form 2290 and IFTA filings?
Yes. Form 2290 heavy vehicle use tax is due by August 31 each year for trucks at 55,000 pounds or more (with a prorated first-use rule for trucks placed in service mid-year). IFTA fuel tax returns are due quarterly, on the last day of the month after each quarter closes. We track the calendar, prepare the filings from your mileage and fuel records, and keep the stamped Schedule 1 on file for your registration renewals.
I run loads through multiple states. Do I owe income tax in each one?
Often less than you'd fear. Federal law generally protects interstate motor-carrier drivers from income tax in states they merely drive through. The business itself can still trigger filing obligations depending on where it's based, where it has terminals or employees, and how each state apportions trucking revenue. Many states use mileage-based formulas. We sort out where you actually owe, file what's required, and stop you from over-filing in states where you don't.
Should I buy or lease my next truck?
It depends on your cash position, your tax bracket this year versus next, and how long you keep equipment. Buying opens up Section 179 and bonus depreciation. That is powerful, but front-loading deductions into a low-income year wastes them, and a big write-off now can set up a depreciation recapture surprise when you trade. Leasing smooths the cost but changes the math entirely. We run the numbers side by side before you sign.
What does cost per mile mean and why should my books show it?
Cost per mile is your total operating cost (fuel, truck payment, insurance, maintenance, permits, and your own pay) divided by miles run. It's the number that tells you which loads make money and which ones you'd be better off turning down. We set up your bookkeeping so cost per mile falls out of it automatically every month, instead of being a guess you do on a fuel receipt.