IRS Direct Pay Hits 1 Million Mark

The Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday that more than 1 million tax payments have been processed so far this year through its new IRS Direct Pay system.

The IRS is also encouraging anyone facing upcoming tax payment deadlines to consider choosing the free online system to quickly pay what they owe.

“Direct Pay is the latest addition to our growing array of online tools designed to serve taxpayers better,” said IRS commissioner John Koskinen in a statement. “Direct Pay simplifies the payment process, enabling people to quickly and easily make a secure payment from the convenience of a home computer.”

More than 1 million tax payments totaling over $1.7 billion have been received from individual taxpayers since Direct Pay debuted earlier this year, the IRS noted. The service is available through the Pay Your Tax Bill  icon on IRS.gov and allows individuals to e-pay their tax bills or make quarterly estimated tax payments directly from checking or savings accounts without any fees or pre-registration.

With tax correspondence season now in full swing, many taxpayers have recently received notices for unpaid taxes from the IRS, the agency noted. Direct Pay offers these taxpayers a way to quickly pay these tax bills without having to write a check, buy a stamp or find a mailbox.

Because Direct Pay allows taxpayers to schedule payments up to 30 days in advance, those who are making estimated tax payments for 2014 can now set up their third-quarter payment, which is due Sept. 15. In addition, anyone who received an extension until Oct. 15 to file their 2013 federal return and now finds they owe additional tax can use Direct Pay to e-pay the additional amount due.

Direct Pay is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Any taxpayer who uses the system receives instant confirmation that their payment was submitted. More information about Direct Pay can be found on IRS.gov.

Direct Pay cannot be used to pay business taxes, however. Taxpayers who wish to e-pay their federal business taxes should enroll in the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System, or EFTPS, according to the IRS, or click on the Pay Your Tax Bill icon to check out other payment options.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
Tax practice
MORE FROM ACCOUNTING TODAY