Can I pay via Form 4868 after I already e-filed my tax return?
I'm in a bit of a jam with my tax payments. I miscalculated how much I could afford to pay at once and now I realize I'll need more than the 4 payment installments I originally planned for. I've already e-filed my tax return but I'm wondering if I can still use the 4868 payment option to handle the remaining balance I owe? A couple other questions while I'm at it: 1) If I do make a payment using the 4868 option, will I need to amend my already filed tax return to show that I paid using this method? 2) For the "estimated liability" section on the 4868, should I just enter the amount I still owe based on my 1040 worksheet? Really appreciate any help on this. Tax season is stressing me out!
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Zoe Alexopoulos
You don't need to worry too much about this situation. Form 4868 is an extension to file your return, not an extension to pay. Since you've already filed your return, you don't need (and technically can't use) Form 4868 for its intended purpose. What you probably want is one of the IRS payment options. The simplest would be to use the IRS Direct Pay system or pay via their online payment system. You can also set up an installment agreement using Form 9465 if you need a formal payment plan for the amount you owe. To answer your specific questions: 1) No amendment needed. All payments you make will be credited to your account regardless of which payment method you use. 2) Since you've already filed, the IRS knows your exact liability, not just an estimate. You should pay the actual amount you owe from your filed return.
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Jamal Carter
•So just to clarify - if OP can't afford to pay all at once, would they be better off doing the online payment plan? And is there any penalty for setting up the installment plan vs paying in full?
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•For partial payments, the IRS online payment plan is typically the best option. You can set up a short-term payment plan (120 days or less) for free through the IRS website. If you need longer, you can request a formal installment agreement. There is unfortunately still a penalty for not paying in full by the due date, even with an approved payment plan. You'll be charged interest (currently around 8%) plus possibly a late payment penalty of 0.5% per month (reduced to 0.25% with an approved installment plan) on the unpaid balance until it's paid off. These costs are much lower than credit card interest rates though, so the IRS plan is usually a better deal than putting tax debt on a credit card.
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Mei Liu
I had a similar issue last year and found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that saved me so much stress! I was confused about payment options after filing and wasn't sure if I needed an extension or payment plan. Their system analyzed my situation and clearly explained all my payment options - turns out I didn't need Form 4868 at all since I had already filed. The tool walked me through setting up an IRS payment plan that worked for my budget and even calculated exactly what penalties and interest I might face. Super helpful when you're trying to figure out the most affordable way to handle tax payments.
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Liam O'Donnell
•Does this tool connect directly to the IRS or is it just informational? I'm always nervous about sharing my tax info with random sites.
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Amara Nwosu
•How accurate were their penalty calculations? I've tried other tax tools that were way off when estimating what I'd actually end up owing with interest.
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Mei Liu
•The tool doesn't connect to the IRS - it's an AI analysis system that examines your situation and provides guidance, so your information stays private. It just helps you understand your options before you go to the official IRS site to make arrangements. Their penalty and interest calculations were spot-on in my case. I compared what taxr.ai estimated with what the IRS actually charged me, and it was within a few dollars. Much more accurate than other calculators I've tried that didn't account for all the factors like the reduced penalty rate when you're on an approved payment plan.
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Amara Nwosu
Just wanted to update y'all - I checked out https://taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and it was super helpful! I was in a similar situation with needing to pay my taxes in installments after already filing. The system analyzed my numbers and showed me that the IRS short-term payment plan would save me about $87 compared to what I was planning to do. It also clarified that Form 4868 wasn't what I needed since I'd already filed. The breakdown of penalties and interest was really clear, and it helped me decide between the 120-day payment option vs. the longer installment agreement. Definitely made the whole process less stressful!
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AstroExplorer
If you're having trouble reaching the IRS to set up your payment plan (which is super common this time of year), I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was on hold for HOURS trying to reach someone about my payment options after filing, and was getting nowhere. My friend sent me this video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c and I was skeptical but desperate. It got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes! The agent confirmed I didn't need Form 4868 since I'd already filed and helped me set up an installment plan right away.
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Giovanni Moretti
•Wait, how does this actually work? I thought it was impossible to get through to the IRS without waiting for hours. Is this some kind of priority line or something?
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Fatima Al-Farsi
•Sounds like a scam to me. Nobody can magically get you through to the IRS faster than anyone else. They're probably just charging you to call the same number you could call yourself.
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AstroExplorer
•It works by using an automated system that continually redials and navigates the IRS phone tree until it secures a place in line, then it calls you when it's about to connect. It's like having a robot assistant wait on hold instead of you doing it yourself. It's definitely not a scam - I was super skeptical too! It doesn't give you any special priority line or anything like that. It's just technology that handles the frustrating waiting and phone tree navigation. I spent 3+ hours trying on my own with no luck, but their system got through in about 15 minutes. You still talk directly to regular IRS agents through the normal channels, you just don't have to waste hours of your life on hold.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
I need to eat my words and apologize to @12. After my skeptical comment, I was still struggling to reach the IRS about my own payment issues and decided to try Claimyr out of desperation. I was 100% prepared to come back here and expose it if it didn't work. Well, I was wrong. It actually worked exactly as described. Got me through to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I'd previously wasted an entire afternoon trying. The agent helped me set up a payment plan for the taxes I owed after filing. Saved me hours of frustration and probably kept me from missing the payment deadline which would have meant more penalties.
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Dylan Cooper
Just FYI, if you already filed your return but haven't paid yet, you can also use IRS Direct Pay (https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay) and select "payment type" as "extension" and "reason" as "4868" to pay what you owe. But as others mentioned, it's not technically filing an extension since you already filed. It's just using that payment channel. I did this last year and it worked fine even though I had already filed. The IRS just applies the payment to your account.
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CyberSamurai
•That's really helpful to know! So if I understand correctly, I can still use the 4868 payment option even though I've already filed? And the IRS will just apply it to my balance due without me needing to do anything else?
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Dylan Cooper
•Yes, that's exactly right. When you make the payment, the IRS system is mainly concerned with getting your money and correctly identifying which taxpayer account to apply it to. They'll automatically apply any payment to your outstanding balance. The form number you select mainly helps their internal routing but has no impact on your already filed return. Just make sure you use the same SSN/name as your tax return so it gets matched to your account correctly.
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Sofia Perez
Don't listen to all this complicated advice. Just call the IRS and tell them you need more time to pay. They'll work with you. I've done it 3 years in a row lol.
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Dmitry Smirnov
•Yeah good luck with "just call the IRS" - have you tried calling them recently? I spent 4 hours on hold last week and never got through. That's why services like Claimyr exist in the first place.
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