Accountant for a trucking company: what they handle, and how to choose one

Trucking has its own tax rules. Fuel tax is split across every state you drive in. Heavy trucks pay a separate federal use tax. Drivers away from home get a special per diem rate and a higher meal deduction. Trucks and trailers depreciate on schedules that affect your taxes for years. An accountant who knows trucking handles these routinely; one who doesn't may miss deductions or deadlines.

This page covers what a trucking accountant does, the key dates, and what to ask before you hire one. It isn't tax advice; your situation needs a professional's review.

Who does what with the money

• OWNER

  Daily money

  Invoices, collecting payment, approving expenses, keeping receipts, watching cash.

• OWNER OR BOOKKEEPER

  Weekly and monthly records

  Recording income and expenses, reconciling accounts, settlements, fuel and mileage records.

• BOOKKEEPER

  Payroll and contractors

  Driver pay, payroll taxes or contractor payments, and the forms that go with them.

• ACCOUNTANT OR CPA

  Tax returns

  Business and personal returns, estimated taxes, Form 2290 if needed.

• ACCOUNTANT OR CPA

  Planning

  Entity choice, equipment purchase timing, depreciation, per diem plans.

• OWNER WITH HELP

  Fuel tax and registrations

  IFTA returns, IRP mileage, UCR, often with a service or the accountant.

What a trucking accountant handles

IFTA records and returns. Fuel tax is reported quarterly to your base jurisdiction, with miles and fuel by state. Records must be kept for four years IFTA Procedures Manual, P500…IFTA record retentionFuel and distance records kept 4 years from the date the return was filedIFTA Procedures Manual P510: licensees retain the records on which IFTA fuel tax returns are based for four years following the date the return was filed, longer if an audit or waiver extends it.IFTA Procedures Manual, P500 to P600Checked Oct 2026Close.

Heavy vehicle use tax (Form 2290). Required for trucks with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 lb or more IRS, About Form 2290HVUT (Form 2290)Taxable gross weight 55,000 lb or moreIRS: Form 2290 reports the heavy highway vehicle use tax for vehicles with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 lb or more. Vehicles expected to run 5,000 miles or less (7,500 for agricultural vehicles) in the period can claim suspension.IRS, About Form 2290Checked Oct 2026Close, filed by the end of the month after first use in the tax year IRS, When Form 2290 taxes ar…Form 2290 due dateDue by the last day of the month after first use; for July first use, August 31IRS: Form 2290 is filed by the last day of the month following the month the vehicle is first used on public highways in the tax period (July 1 to June 30); vehicles in use in July are due August 31. Weekend and holiday dates move to the next business day.IRS, When Form 2290 taxes are dueChecked Oct 2026Close.

Per diem and meals. The IRS transportation industry rate is $80 a day in the continental U.S. and $86 outside it for travel from October 1, 2026 IRS Notice 2026-60Transportation industry per diem (M&IE)$80 a day in the continental U.S., $86 outside, for travel on or after October 1, 2026IRS Notice 2026-60: the special meal and incidental expense rates for the transportation industry are $80 for any locality in the continental United States and $86 outside it (unchanged from Notice 2025-54).IRS Notice 2026-60, 2026Checked Oct 2026Close. Workers under DOT hours-of-service rules can generally deduct 80% of meals away from home instead of 50% IRS Publication 46380% meal deduction for hours-of-service workersMeals during DOT hours-of-service travel are 80% deductible, not 50%IRS Publication 463: individuals subject to DOT hours of service, including interstate truck operators, can deduct 80% of meals consumed away from home during or incident to hours-of-service periods, instead of the general 50% limit.IRS Publication 463Checked Oct 2026Close. How this applies depends on whether drivers are employees, owners or contractors.

Depreciation. Trucks and trailers are depreciated over time or expensed under special rules; the choice affects taxes for years and should be planned with purchases.

Payroll and contractors. Employee drivers need payroll and withholding; owner-operators paid as contractors need different paperwork. Classification has legal consequences; see how to hire owner-operators.

Estimated taxes. Owners of pass-through businesses often pay quarterly estimated tax IRS, Estimated taxesEstimated tax due datesGenerally April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15IRS: individuals, including sole proprietors and partners, generally pay estimated tax in four installments due April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15 of the following year; dates move when they fall on weekends or holidays.IRS, Estimated taxesChecked Oct 2026Close.

The year-round calendar

Dates that fall on weekends or holidays usually move to the next business day; your entity type and state add others. Confirm your full calendar with your accountant.

What to ask before you hire

1. How many trucking clients do you have, and what size?
2. Do you handle IFTA and Form 2290, or only income taxes?
3. How do you handle per diem for drivers and owners?
4. What do you need from me each month, and in what format?
5. What's included in your fee, and what costs extra?
6. Will you help plan equipment purchases and entity choice, or only file returns?
7. Who do I talk to when I have a question, and how fast do you answer?

Records to keep for your accountant

• Every invoice and rate confirmation, filed by truck.
• Fuel receipts and trip miles by state, for IFTA.
• Every expense receipt, with what it was for.
• Settlement sheets for drivers and leased owner-operators.
• Loan, lease and purchase documents for equipment.
• Payroll records and contractor payment records.

IRS records generally need to be kept for at least three years, longer in some cases IRS, How long should I keep …IRS record retention (general)Generally 3 years after filing; longer in specific cases (employment tax records 4 years)IRS: keep records that support income, deductions or credits until the period of limitations runs out, generally 3 years; 6 years if income was underreported by more than 25%, 7 years for bad debt or worthless securities deductions, and employment tax records at least 4 years.IRS, How long should I keep records?Checked Oct 2026Close. Our trucking document management guide covers a folder system.

EXAMPLE A three-truck carrier switches from doing its own books to a bookkeeper plus a CPA who works with other carriers. The bookkeeper sets up per-truck classes in the accounting software and reconciles monthly. Before year-end, the CPA reviews the timing of a planned trailer purchase and the owner's per diem records. The owner's time on paperwork drops to a few hours a month.

Bookkeeping that works for trucking

Set up the books so they answer trucking questions, not just tax questions:

• Track by truck. Use classes, tags or separate accounts so revenue and expenses can be split per unit.
• Separate fuel, repairs, tires, insurance and payments into their own accounts; they're the lines you'll compare with benchmarks.
• Record miles every month per truck, loaded and empty, alongside the money.
• Reconcile monthly. Bank, card and fuel card statements matched to the books every month, not at year-end.
• Keep business and personal money apart, with a business bank account and card.

Entity choice, briefly

How your business is organized affects taxes and liability. A single-member LLC is treated as a disregarded entity for federal tax by default and can elect corporate treatment IRS, Single member LLCsSingle-member LLC tax treatmentDisregarded entity by default; may elect corporate treatment on Form 8832IRS: a single-member LLC is treated as an entity disregarded as separate from its owner for income tax purposes unless it files Form 8832 and elects to be treated as a corporation. It is treated as a separate entity for employment tax and certain excise taxes.IRS, Single member LLCsChecked Oct 2026Close. Whether that election, or a different structure, makes sense depends on your income, state and plans. This is a decision to make with your accountant and, for liability questions, an attorney, ideally before you buy trucks or hire drivers.

Working well together

Send records monthly, not in a box in March. Ask for a short monthly or quarterly report showing profit by truck and cash on hand, and read it. Tell your accountant before you buy a truck, hire a driver, lease on an owner-operator or change how you pay yourself; each has tax effects that are easier to plan than to fix afterward.

Signs you need a different accountant

• Fuel tax and Form 2290 deadlines are missed or handled at the last minute.
• You get your numbers once a year, at tax time.
• Nobody has asked how your drivers are classified or paid.
• Equipment purchases are made without any tax planning.
• Questions go unanswered for weeks.

Your numbers, not just your taxes

A good accountant also helps you understand profit by truck and by customer, and whether your cost per mile is in line. Compare your numbers with published benchmarks in the fleet benchmark report, and run scenarios with the trucking profit calculator. If you're just starting, see how to start a trucking company for when to bring in an accountant; for operations and setup help beyond taxes, a trucking consultant may fit. Steady freight from repeat customers also makes forecasting easier; see trucking company leads.

This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice.