Electronic Payment Options for 2007

Taxpayers can pay taxes electronically by authorizing an e-pay option such as an electronic funds withdrawal from a checking or savings account or by paying with a credit card. Taxpayers making recurring payments may want to enroll in EFTPS.

Individuals can use these options to:

pay taxes owed on a 2006 income tax return;
pay projected tax due when requesting an automatic extension of time to file;
pay quarterly estimated taxes for Tax Year 2007; or
make a credit card payment for past due tax owed for years 1997 and after.

Businesses can use these options to:

authorize an electronic funds withdrawal to pay taxes owed on employment, corporate and fiduciary tax returns;
authorize an electronic funds withdrawal to pay projected tax due when requesting an extension of time to file;
make a credit card payment for taxes owed on employment tax returns (Form 940, 941 and 944). The payment can be made for the balance on the current return that is due; or
make a credit card payment for past due tax owed for years 1997 and after (Form 940 and 941). Note, federal tax deposits cannot be paid by credit card.

The IRS has entered into partnerships with private industry, including credit card processors and tax preparation software developers, to make these electronic payment options available.

More than 3 million people paid their federal taxes by electronic funds withdrawal or credit card during 2006, an increase of 24 percent over the prior year.

Electronic Funds Withdrawal

Electronic funds withdrawal is free and taxpayers decide when the tax payment is scheduled to be withdrawn from their bank account. Electronic funds withdrawal is available only to those who e-file. Individuals may e-file early and, at the same time, schedule the electronic funds withdrawal as late as April 17, 2007. For returns filed after the filing deadline, the payment is effective on the filing date.

When e-filing a 2006 tax return, individuals can initiate Tax Year 2007 estimated tax payments regardless of whether there is a balance due on the return. Taxpayers can now schedule up to four Form 1040-ES payments for withdrawal while e-filing. The quarterly estimated tax payment may be the payment due in April 2007, June 2007, September 2007 or January 2008.

In 2006, more than 1.26 million taxpayers paid their taxes through electronic funds withdrawal, an increase of 9 percent over the prior year.

Credit Card Payments

Taxpayers can make credit card payments whether they file electronically or file a paper return. Credit card payments can be submitted via tax software when filing electronically. Credit Card payments can also be made over the telephone and on line.

In 2006, almost 2 million taxpayers paid by credit card, an increase of 36 percent over the prior year.

The IRS does not set or collect any type of fee for credit card payments, but the private sector companies the IRS has authorized to process these payments do impose convenience fees. The tax payment sent to the U. S. Treasury and the convenience fee are listed separately on the cardholder’s credit card statement.

For those who e-file their taxes, some tax software developers offer integrated e-file and e-pay combinations for those who choose to use a credit card to pay a balance due. The software accepts both the electronic tax return and the credit card information. Subsequently, the tax return and tax payment data are forwarded to the IRS and the credit card data is forwarded to the payment processor.

For the 2007 filing season, the IRS has contracts with two companies to accept credit card charges from both electronic and paper filers. Each company offers both phone and Internet payment services and each charges a convenience fee for the service. Fees are based on the amount of the tax payment and may vary between companies. The two companies are:

Official Payments Corporation, 1-800-2PAY-TAX (1-800-272-9829), 1-877-754-4413 (Customer Service), www.officialpayments.com, and
Link2Gov Corporation, 1-888-PAY-1040 (1-888-729-1040), 1-888-658-5465 (Customer Service), www.PAY1040.com.

Anyone may use these services to charge taxes to an American Express Card, Discover Card, MasterCard or VISA card.

Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)

EFTPS is a free tax payment system provided by the U.S. Department of Treasury, enabling taxpayers to pay federal taxes electronically — on line or by phone 24/7. Taxpayers can enroll by going on line or request an enrollment form by calling the EFTPS Customer Service at 1-800-555-4477. Taxpayers can use EFTPS to make all federal tax payments, including income, employment, estimated and excise taxes. Businesses can schedule payments 120 days in advance and Individuals can schedule payments a year in advance. This is ideal for taxpayers making monthly installment agreement or quarterly 1040ES estimated payments.

EFTPS offers taxpayers the convenience and flexibility of making secure tax payments through the Internet or by phone. By 8 p.m. Eastern Time, one calendar day in advance of the due date, taxpayers access EFTPS directly to report tax information. Taxpayers instruct EFTPS to move funds from an account to the Treasury's account for payment of federal taxes. Funds will not move from a taxpayer’s account until the date chosen by the taxpayer, who receives an immediate acknowledgement of payment instructions. The taxpayer’s bank statement will confirm the payment was made.

Businesses should enroll in EFTPS to make any tax payments that their Third Party Provider is not making on their behalf. The IRS recommends employers verify EFTPS payments as part of their bank account reconciliation process.

For more information on electronic payment options, look for the “electronic IRS” or enter keyword “e-pay” in the search box on this Web site.