Confused about how to pay IRS taxes with credit card - CPA doesn't know procedure?

Tax professional here! This is actually much simpler than your CPA is making it sound. When your tax preparer completes your tax return, they should mark "I am not submitting payment with this return" or similar language on the forms. The method of payment is completely separate from the actual filing of your tax return. After your return is prepared and filed, you can go directly to the IRS website and use their payment portal. The IRS doesn't process credit card payments directly - they use third-party processors. You'll go to IRS.gov, look for the "Pay" option, and you'll see several approved payment processors (like Pay1040.com, PayUSAtax, or ACI Payments, Inc). Each charges a processing fee (usually around 1.87-1.98% of the payment amount). You'll select a processor, enter your payment information, and complete the transaction online. Your card number never goes on your tax forms, and the IRS never directly handles your credit card info.

Just wanted to share my experience with this. I was in a similar situation last year trying to hit a Chase Sapphire bonus. I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) super helpful because they analyzed my previous payments and tax documents to estimate my optimal payment strategy. They showed me which payment processor had the lowest fees for my specific tax amount and calculated if the credit card rewards actually outweighed the processing fees. Their system also gave me a precise timeline for when to make the payment to maximize my cash flow while avoiding penalties. The documentation they provided made it super easy to keep track of everything for my records too.

Just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai - I decided to try it after posting my skeptical comment. Honestly, it was pretty impressive. I uploaded my draft tax return, and it showed me that for my specific tax bill of $4,376, using PayUSAtax would cost me $86.63 in fees, while Pay1040 would cost $77.47, saving me about $9. It also calculated that with my credit card's 2.5% cash back on all purchases, I'd earn $109.40 in rewards, meaning I'd still come out $31.93 ahead after the lowest processor fee. Might not seem like much, but it was nice having the exact numbers laid out, plus they provided a calendar with optimal payment timing based on my credit card's statement closing date to ensure the rewards posted when I needed them. Definitely more helpful than I expected!

For anyone still struggling with getting proper tax payment advice, I had a really frustrating experience trying to call the IRS directly about this last year. Called for THREE DAYS straight and couldn't get through to anyone. Finally found https://claimyr.com and watched their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - they basically hold your place in line with the IRS and call you when an agent is about to answer. Got connected to an actual IRS agent in about 2 hours (instead of days of trying), and they confirmed exactly what was said above - payment method is totally separate from filing. They also told me some specifics about timing the payment to make sure it's properly credited to my account before the deadline, which saved me from potential late fees.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. I was really skeptical but decided to try it after another day of failed IRS calls. It actually worked! Got a call back in about 90 minutes and was connected directly to an IRS agent. The agent explained the whole credit card payment process to me and even walked me through the different payment processors on the IRS website while I was on the phone with them. They confirmed everything about how to file the return with "not submitting payment" marked and then making the separate payment through one of the processors. Also found out there's no need to reference your tax return when making the payment - the payment gets matched to your account automatically by your SSN. Would have taken me weeks to get this info without getting through to a real person. Pretty impressed.

Just to add another data point - I paid my taxes with a credit card last year to hit my Amex Platinum bonus. My accountant marked "will not submit payment with return" and then I went to IRS.gov and used their approved processor links. I used Pay1040.com which had the lowest fee at the time (1.87%). The whole process took maybe 5 minutes. Just had to enter my SSN, tax year, payment amount, and card info. Got an email confirmation right away. No issues at all and my tax transcript later showed the payment posted correctly. The bonus points were definitely worth the processing fee in my case.

Omg I almost made a huge mistake with this exact situation last year! My tax guy told me to write my credit card number ON THE TAX FORM!!! I was like hell no and did some research. Found out the IRS NEVER wants your actual card number on tax forms!! That would be a security nightmare. What you do is file your taxes normally, then go to IRS.gov, click the "Pay" button, and it gives you links to the official payment processors. I used ACI Payments Inc and it was super easy. Yes the fees kinda suck (I paid like $90 on a $4500 tax bill) but I got enough points for a free flight to Vegas so totally worth it lol