Ways to Pay Taxes
Even if you cannot pay all your income taxes due, we strongly recommend you e-file your tax returns or a tax extension by the April tax deadline because the IRS late filing penalty is generally higher than the late payment penalty. File something even if you can't pay anything!
Important: If you have prepared your taxes and are ready to pay any taxes due, you can do this online, thus there is no need to mail in a check with the payment voucher form. Pay the IRS directly after e-filing your return or pay with your return on your eFile account through Electronic Funds Withdrawal or EFW.
Pay Taxes Online: IRS or Federal | State(s)
Most taxpayers do not know that the late filing penalties are considerably higher than the late payment penalties which is why we advise all taxpayers to file on time and pay what you can. If you owe taxes on a return for a previous year, find tax forms and calculators for back taxes here. See state related tax deadlines and payment information.
File a return or at least an extension on time even if you can't pay the taxes at that time. When you file your taxes on eFile.com, you can use the direct bank transfer right in the app or you can pay the IRS directly afterwards either online or via check in the mail.
How to Pay Taxes?
Direct Payment
- Link: Direct Payment
- Recommendation: Most recommended
- Recommended for: Taxpayers who have the funds in their bank account and want to process a one-time income tax payment online and do not need or want to set up re-occurring payments.
- Description: Using direct pay allows you to set a scheduled electronic bank transfer payment from your bank account to a specified IRS Account below $10 million. It does not enable scheduled re-occurring electronic tax payments and there are no processing fees.
This option is also available from the eFile.com Tax App when you prepare and eFile your taxes; see details on paying taxes you owe on eFile.com.
IRS Account
- Link: IRS account
- Recommendation: Most recommended
- Recommended for: Taxpayers who need to see their payment status and history, access tax transcripts of income statements, and access tax returns.
- Description: Create or access your IRS account and monitor your tax payments and other updates, such as the amount you owe, updates for the current calendar day, payment history, any scheduled or pending payments, details about your payment plan if you have one, and information from your most recent tax return.
IRS Payment Plan
- Links: IRS Payment Plan | Set up your payment plan
- Recommendation: Most recommended
- Description: This allows taxpayers to set up a payment plan or installment agreement directly with the IRS. Work with the IRS rather than a third party so your money goes directly to where it is intended.
- Additional Info: Review the fees associated with this method and estimate tax penalties since payment plans are still considered late when after the deadline.
Enrolled Payment
- Link: Enrolled Payment
- Recommendation: less recommended
- Recommended for: Taxpayers who would like to manage their scheduled or re-occurring payments via the U.S. Treasury provided platform through a registered account. Payments over $10 million are enabled and there are no processing fees.
- Description: EFTPS or the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System® lets you enroll so you can pay any tax due to the IRS via scheduled payments for free. Schedule payments online or over the phone up 365 days in advance.
Pay by Credit or Debit Card
- Link: Pay by Credit or Debit Card
- Recommendation: Less recommended
- Recommended for: Taxpayers who would like to pay their taxes on time, but do not have the funds in the bank and don't want to face late payment penalties. Using a debit card is only recommended if you can borrow money cheaper than paying the credit card borrowing fee rate. If you have the funds in the bank, we don't recommend using the debit card due to the fees associated with it, but rather use the direct payment option as it's fee-free.
- Description: Select from three payment processors and use one of the following electronic payment options: Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express, STAR, Pulse, NYCE, Accel, Visa Checkout, MasterPass, Amex Express Checkout, PayPal. The debit card fees range from $2.55 to $3.95 depending on tax amount to be paid. The credit card convenience fee ranges between 1.87% and 1.99%. There are limits on how many payments can be made by debit or credit card. For tax payment amounts over $100,000, certain restrictions apply and they are all listed on the payment processor page.
More Pay by Credit or Debit Card Options
- Recommendation: Less recommended
- Link: Pay1040.com (Link2Gov Corporation) \
- Link: PayUSAtax.com (WorldPay US, Inc.)
- Link: ACIPayOnline.com (ACI Payments, Inc.) - this site allows state tax payments as well.
Make sure you check the fees provided by each vendor via the links. They also provide pay via phone options.
Same Day Wire Transfer
- Recommendation: Not recommended
- Same Day Wire Transfer: Complete the Same Day Payment Worksheet and follow the instructions on the sheet. Check for international tax payments via wire transfers.
- Recommended for: Taxpayers who can’t complete a direct payment or enrolled payment via EFTPS or need to transfer very large tax payment amounts. There is no limit with wired transfers, but the fixed processing fees will vary.
Cash Tax Payment
- Recommendation: Not recommended
- Cash Tax Payment: Available via IRS Cash Tax Payment services where you can pay in cash at certain locations.
- Recommended for: Taxpayers who prefer paying in cash for privacy reasons or lack access to other payment methods. Make sure to follow the proper instructions and fees associated with this method.
Find the options to pay IRS taxes in cash .
Check or Money Order
- Link: Tax Payment by Check or Money Order
- Recommendation: Not recommended
- Recommended for: Taxpayers who may not have a bank account or a credit/debit card, and/or have low amount of income taxes due. Generally, the postal stamp counts as the date of payment. If you purchase a mail tracking number, the fee might be similar to a cash payment or wire transfer. For convenience, we recommend the direct deposit method over check or money order in the mail.
Make the check or money order payable to: U.S. Treasury. The following information should be included: Name and Address, Social Security Number (the SSN shown first if it's a joint return), related tax form numbers, tax year, and/or IRS notice number. Do not include cash in the mail. Make sure you select the correct IRS mailing address for your state.
Payment by Phone
- Recommendation: not recommended
- The IRS will not accept payments over the phone through their 1-800-829-1040 number. Here is a list of vendors that accept credit card or debit card payments via the phone. These vendors are also listed above in the pay by credit card section.
EFTPS - Electronic Federal Payment System: Phone: 1-800-555-4477 or TTY/TDD equipment can call 1-800-733-4829.
ACI Payments, Inc.: Phone: 1-888-872-9829
Link2Gov Corporation: Phone: 1-888-729-1040
WorldPay US, Inc.: Phone: 1-844-PAY-TAX8.
- Recommended for: taxpayers who do not have Internet access or prefer paying over the phone. Call or visit the sites as listed above for current fee updates.
Find information related to your IRS return or state return as well as different tax calculators and tools which can give you answers to tax-related questions within minutes.
With any of the above payment methods, in order for the payment to arrive on time and avoid IRS late payment penalties and interest fees, we highly recommend giving yourself plenty of time for the payment to arrive on time at the IRS. With most electronic payment methods, you can best track the payment status, process, and flow.
- Tax Estimate Payments - Find out if you should make estimated tax payments on income earned this year as well as when and how to make those payments.
- IRS Debt Help - Learn your options when it comes to owing the IRS money and trying to pay it.
- IRS Collection Process - Overview of the IRS tax collection process.
Why Is My Payment Late?
If you filed your tax return and included payment information with a specified date, it is possible that there may be a delay in processing your payment. As such, you may not see your payment withdrawn from your bank account right on the date, but sometimes within 3 business days. If you submit your return on a weekend, allow time for the next week to begin for the payment to be taken out.
As long as the return or extension was e-filed before the April 15 Tax Day deadline and your payment date was scheduled before then, you should not face any late payment penalties. Monitor the account you provided when you filed your return; if the funds are not taken, double check the account provided on your return and consider contacting the IRS.
How to Pay Taxes During the Year?
The most accurate way to calculate taxes owed or due is a tax return. However, there are many other scenarios that require to plan and/or estimate taxes prior to filing a return or paying taxes.
W-4 Tax Balancing and Withholding
Tax Payment Estimate Tools
Estimate IRS Late Filing and/or Late Tax Payment Penalties
Late filing penalties are generally higher than late payment penalties - find out for yourself by utilizing the
PENALTYucator. Currently, we only have a tool to estimate IRS penalties and not state penalties.
Important: Double-check your bank information entered when you submit your return to the IRS. Your bank information cannot be changed once the IRS has accepted your return. This means you cannot file a tax amendment or re-file your return to update or change your bank account with the IRS. If an inaccurate bank account is entered, the IRS will mail your future stimulus payments to the address on your return.
Related: can the IRS take my refund?
The best option for paying owed taxes is paying as soon as possible; you can pay with your return through eFile.com when you eFileIT.
Start Your current IRS Tax Return Now
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What Payments Are Available on File.com?
When you prepare and eFile your tax return on eFile.com, the following payment options are available to you from within the tax app.
This allows you to have your tax payment electronically withdrawn from your bank account only when you eFile a tax return at the same time. During the eFiling process, you will go to a screen to enter your bank account information which will be submitted to the U.S. Treasury once you eFile your return. You may also go to a separate screen for state tax payment submission, but we will let you know if your state does not offer direct debit before you submit your state return. After you e-file, you can check the status of your federal direct debit request by calling the IRS at 888-353-4537 and by monitoring your bank account.
Instead of paying with your return, go directly to the IRS payment portal after your return gets accepted. When you pay the IRS directly, you can elect to receive a payment confirmation email and will know that your payment is not going through any third party.
Mail a check or money order to the IRS after you eFile or file your tax return. Include payment voucher
Form 1040-V (included with your tax return) to your mailed check or money order. Then, mail the payment and voucher to the IRS address based on your state residence (find
IRS mailing addresses based on state residence here). If you owe state tax, there is a payment voucher in your
state tax return that contains instructions on how to submit your state tax payment.
Follow these detailed payment instructions when you prepare and eFile your tax return on eFile.com.
Can I Cancel My Tax Payment?
If you owed tax and scheduled a tax payment when you filed your return, the IRS does not allow altercation of this scheduled payment. Once your return is accepted, the account, date, and amount cannot be changed.
The only way to make any changes to this is by canceling the scheduled payment and rescheduling it with new or fixed information. To cancel, the IRS has a phone number, but requests that taxpayers wait at least 7 days from acceptance before calling. The request must be made at least two business days prior to the scheduled payment date. Contact the IRS via the e-File Payment Services number to inquire about cancelling the payment.
Should an issue arise with the payment - incorrect bank information, insufficient funds - the payment may be returned to the financial institution and the IRS will mail you Letter 4870 with information on how to proceed. Should this happen, late payment tax penalties may be applied.
See additional information as well as the IRS e-file Payment Services contact number:
IRS EFW Payment Cancellation
If an overpayment was made, the IRS will correct this after withdrawing the funds and issuing a refund.
Optimize your tax withholding to owe the least amount of taxes at the end of each tax year. Enroll in a tax payment plan or pay your tax liability on time in order to reduce or eliminate any penalties and interest. Begin tax preparing your tax return now by collecting documents, forms, and statements.
Tax planning: Wonder what this year will bring in terms of taxes. Use this 2023 Tax Estimator to calculate your next tax return taxes now and get ready for next year.
Additional questions on paying your taxes? Contact one of our Taxperts®.
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