Due Date for Form 8849: Requirements and Its Submission

Form 8849, “Claim for Refund of Excise Taxes,” is a form that businesses and individuals who have overpaid certain excise taxes and wish to have them refunded; it is a key document. Knowing the deadline for filing this form is paramount since it will prevent you from losing potential claims for refunds. The following guide walks you through the due date requirements for Form 8849 and its types, who has to file, when it should be filed, and what its risks are.

What is Form 8849?

For Return Form 8849, it is for the claim of refund of excise taxes: fuel tax, heavy vehicle use tax, certain environmental taxes among others. This form is mostly submitted by companies or persons who paid excise taxes due to overpayment, exemption from tax, or any other reason by the IRS.

SITUATIONS WHEN FORM 8849 CAN BE UTILIZED INCLUDE:

• Excise tax liability imposed on the import and export of diesel or gasoline being more than what is due
• Tax claims for the Heavy Vehicle Usage Tax (HVUT) and other similar claims
• Businesses not able to file the three forms because of the type of their activities

LAST DATE OF FILING FORM 8849

Last date of filing the Form 8849 varies according to the type of claim for tax excise refund filed by the taxpayer. However, attached below are major deadlines that you should look out for:

Fuel Tax Refunds

When such tax is claimed as paid on excise taxes on fuel claims including diesel fuel, the tax due dates will depend on quarters in which they were paid. One needs to file Form 8849 within 3 years from the time the tax liability arose. This is the general rule for paying claims on refunds of fuel taxes diesel fuel gasoline or kerosene.

As an illustration, if you made fuel payments in the January, February, and March quarters of the year, you are required to file returns by the end of the third year following the quarter in which payment was made in March.

Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) Refunds

Similarly, for cases regarding HVUT refunds, a three year period is observed starting from the date when the tax return was originally expected. Usually the due date for the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax is August 31st of every year, and hence, the last date for the applications for refunds is three years from the original deadline which is always the end of August.

Other Excise Taxes

As for other excise taxes like those levied on environmental tax or luxurious items, the existing practice is to limit the tax returns to 3 years from the day the tax was expected to be paid. However this is not always the case as some tax refund applications tend to have unique characteristics and thus require special attention with the time period for submission being a case in point.

What Happens If You Do Not Submit The Application On Time?

In case there is no Form 8849 filed within the set period, the taxpayer does release his claim for a refund. The IRS adheres to all time limits and does not make any provisions for exceptions or late-term medial submissions.

But, in case you do have any doubts as to whether you would be missing the deadline, it would not be a bad idea to speak with a tax lawyer who may be able to look at the facts of your case and even filed an appeal if there is room for such actions.

Steps To Take In Completing Form 8849

Completing the Form 8849 however is quite simple, provided that the necessary documents are in place for the processing of the claims. The steps that need to be carried out include:

Collect Supporting Documents:

These include payment receipts, invoices, returns, or fuel purchase records providing proof of any paid excise taxes and tax records related to HVUT.

Fill out the Required Form 8849:

Provide the details required in the form which includes the claims details, the tax which is the subject of the refund and the basis for the refund. Include also the taxpayer identification number (TIN) and the address or other contact details.

Fill in and submit the form:

The IRS allows you to file Form 8849 by either mail or electronically based on the kind of refund you are seeking. Do keep in mind, the IRS does enable some claims to be turned in electronically while other claims might have to be turned in on paper.

Post Deferral:

After the submission of the forms, it is preferable to wait for around two through six weeks, although some wait for months for the IRS to reimburse them for the claim.

Submitting Form 8849 exterminated by the Treasury Department on excise refunds is the final step that every businessman or citizen wishing to be reimbursed should be engaged in. It should be kept in mind that most of these will not extend, and are usually around 3 years since the taxes have been paid or the initially anticipating date for submission of the tax return. Keep a tab on these timelines to ensure you are eligible for any refunds you need to be refunded. In any case, if this is too much for you or you are confused about the steps, seek a specialist.

Note: For more information, visit IRS website