Can I make partial payments through Pay1040 throughout the year without an installment plan? What form do I select?

Yes, you can absolutely make partial payments throughout the year without setting up a formal installment agreement! This is what tax professionals often call a "voluntary payment plan" - you're essentially paying at your own pace without IRS approval. To answer your form question - you would select "Form 1040 Series" since you filed a personal 1040 tax return. Make sure you include your SSN and the tax year you're paying for so the payment gets properly applied. The interest rate difference is exactly as you described. You'll pay the slightly higher rate (0.5% vs 0.25%) without the formal agreement, but you avoid the hassle of setting up an IRS account with ID verification. For a relatively small balance of $1,100 being paid over 4-5 months, the difference in interest will be minimal - we're talking a few dollars at most. One important note: even though you're making payments, the IRS will still send automated notices until the balance is paid in full. Don't be alarmed by this - just keep your payment receipts and continue with your payment plan.

Hey there! I went through something similar last year when I owed about $2k in taxes. I tried setting up an official payment plan but got so frustrated with the ID verification process. Instead, I found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me calculate exactly how much I'd save or lose by choosing different payment options. I ended up doing exactly what you're thinking - just making regular payments through Pay1040 using the Form 1040 Series option. The service helped me calculate the optimal payment schedule based on my cashflow and showed me that the difference in interest/penalties between official installment and voluntary payments for my amount was only about $15 over six months. Super small price to pay for avoiding the headache of IRS verification! It also helped me make sure I was using the right form codes and tracking my payments properly. Much easier than trying to navigate the IRS site.

Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai like you suggested and it was super helpful! The payment calculator showed me I'd only pay about $8 more in interest using the voluntary payment approach vs. the formal installment agreement for my $1100 balance over 5 months. The best part was their guidance on tracking payments. I've made two payments so far using the Form 1040 Series option through Pay1040, and I'm keeping all my confirmation emails and screenshots in a folder they suggested creating. They even have reminders you can set up so you don't forget your planned payment dates. Definitely made me feel more confident about managing this without dealing with the IRS account setup nightmare. Thanks for pointing me in that direction!

If you're struggling to get through to the IRS about payment options, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation last year owing about $1,800 and couldn't get a human on the phone to confirm if my voluntary payments were being properly applied. I was on hold for HOURS with the IRS before I found this service. They basically hold your place in line with the IRS and call you when they get a real person. Saved me so much time! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent I finally spoke with confirmed that yes, you can absolutely make payments through Pay1040 using Form 1040 Series without setting up an official installment agreement. They also gave me a direct confirmation that my previous payments had been correctly applied, which gave me peace of mind that the system was working.

I have to admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try it because I needed to confirm something about my payment plan and dreaded calling the IRS again. It actually worked exactly as described. I got a call back in about 50 minutes (on a Tuesday morning) and was immediately connected to an IRS representative. The agent confirmed that my voluntary payments were being applied correctly and recommended I keep making them through Pay1040 using the Form 1040 Series option. They also told me something useful - if you're making voluntary payments, include your SSN and tax year clearly in the payment details to ensure faster processing. The agent said this helps them match the payment to your account more quickly and reduces the chance of delayed posting. Sorry for doubting - sometimes things that sound too good to be true actually work!

Just a heads up about making payments without an installment agreement - the IRS can still send you to collections even if you're making regular payments. This happened to my brother even though he was paying $200/month consistently. The problem was that the IRS determined he could pay more based on their calculations, so they didn't consider his voluntary payments sufficient. He ended up getting a notice of intent to levy before he finally set up an official agreement. If your amount is under $10k, you should automatically qualify for an installment agreement, and it might be worth the hassle of setting it up for the peace of mind.

I just wanted to clarify something about Pay1040 that confused me when I was making payments last year. When selecting the form, "Form 1040 Series" covers regular 1040, 1040-SR, 1040-NR, etc. So yes, that's what you want. Also, when you make the payment there should be an option to select what type of payment it is. Choose "tax payment" (not estimated tax or anything else) and make sure to select the correct tax year. This ensures it gets applied correctly. One thing nobody mentioned is that Pay1040 charges a processing fee, I think it's around 1.87% if you use a debit card. So factor that into your calculations. If you're paying $1,100 over 5 months, that's about $4 extra per payment in fees.