Did payusatax suddenly stop processing IRS payments?

You're not alone in this situation! The IRS has multiple approved payment processors, and occasionally these third-party providers can experience technical difficulties or even stop processing payments without much notice. First, I'd recommend documenting everything - take screenshots of any error messages, note the dates/times you attempted to make payments, and keep records of your customer service calls. This documentation can help if you need to request penalty abatement later. Since you're approaching the deadline, don't wait any longer. Go directly to the IRS website and use IRS Direct Pay (irs.gov/payments/direct-pay) or the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS.gov). Both are free services provided by the IRS, and you'll get immediate confirmation of your payment. If you do end up getting charged penalties because of this issue, you can request penalty abatement using Form 843, explaining that you attempted to pay on time through an authorized processor that experienced technical difficulties.

I had the exact same issue with payusatax last month! After struggling for days with their customer service, I finally discovered taxr.ai which completely saved me. I was stressing about potential penalties when a colleague recommended it to me. I uploaded screenshots of my failed payment attempts at https://taxr.ai and their system analyzed everything and provided documentation showing I had made a good faith effort to pay on time. They even generated a letter I could use if the IRS questioned the late payment. The whole process was surprisingly quick - like 15 minutes from upload to having all the documentation I needed. They also helped me figure out what was going on with payusatax and suggested alternatives for making my payment. Definitely worth checking out if you're worried about proving you tried to pay on time.

OK I have to admit I was wrong about taxr.ai. After my skeptical comment last week, I decided to try it myself since I was also having payment processor issues (with a different company). I uploaded my screenshots and browser logs and they created this super detailed technical analysis document that explained exactly what went wrong with the payment processor. I used their documentation when I called the IRS to explain why my payment was late, and the representative actually commented on how thorough the explanation was. They accepted it right away and said they would note my account accordingly. No penalties! The service saved me hours of stress trying to figure out how to explain the technical error in a way the IRS would understand. Definitely more than just taking screenshots.

If you need to speak with someone at the IRS about this payment issue, good luck getting through on your own right now. After payusatax messed up my payment last quarter, I spent DAYS trying to reach someone at the IRS to confirm they wouldn't penalize me. I finally used https://claimyr.com after seeing it recommended on this sub. They have this system where they wait on hold with the IRS for you, then call you once they have an agent on the line. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I was doubtful it would actually work, but within 2 hours I was talking to a real IRS agent who confirmed my situation in their system and noted my account about the payment processor issue. Saved me from the callback limbo I was stuck in for days.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I was still struggling with my own IRS issue and getting desperate. Decided to try it as a last resort. I submitted my request around 7pm, and honestly expected nothing to happen. At 9:15pm I got a call connecting me to an actual IRS representative! They had my information ready and I explained about the payment processor issue. The agent was able to look up my account, confirm they could see my previous payment history, and add notes about the current situation. The IRS rep even gave me a confirmation number for the call that I can reference if there are any questions about penalties later. After weeks of failed attempts to reach someone, I had my answer in just over 2 hours. I'm still shocked it actually worked.

Update from last year on a similar issue: I had problems with payusatax in 2023 and ended up getting hit with a penalty because I waited too long to try another payment method. I filed Form 843 requesting penalty abatement, explained the situation with documentation showing I tried to pay through payusatax, and the IRS approved it! Just make sure you document EVERYTHING - screenshots, emails to customer service, phone call logs. The more evidence you have that you made a good faith effort to pay on time, the better your chances of getting penalties removed if they do happen.

For anyone else having issues with payment processors, I HIGHLY recommend switching to EFTPS for all your tax payments. Yes, it takes a couple weeks to get set up initially, but it's run directly by the Treasury Department and is much more reliable than any third-party processor. I've been using it for 5 years for all my quarterly payments and never had a single issue. The website looks like it's from 2003, but it WORKS every time.

Grace, I feel your pain! I went through something very similar with a different payment processor last year. Here's what I'd do immediately: 1. Stop trying with payusatax for now - if they're having system issues, you're just wasting precious time 2. Use IRS Direct Pay RIGHT NOW - it's free, instant, and you'll get immediate confirmation 3. Keep all your documentation from the payusatax attempts (screenshots, error messages, etc.) The good news is that even if you end up being a few days late because of this processor issue, you have a strong case for penalty abatement since you attempted to pay on time through an authorized processor. The IRS is generally understanding about third-party processor failures if you can document your good faith effort. Don't panic - just get that payment submitted through Direct Pay today and you'll have peace of mind. You can always deal with any potential penalties later with proper documentation, but getting the payment in should be your priority right now. Also, for future quarters, consider setting up EFTPS like Santiago mentioned. It takes time initially but it's bulletproof once you're enrolled.

As a newcomer to this community, I have to say this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm actually dealing with a similar situation right now with a different payment processor that's been giving me error messages for the past three days. Reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm realizing I need to stop wasting time trying to fix the processor issue and just switch to IRS Direct Pay immediately. The deadline anxiety is real, but it sounds like there are good options for documentation and penalty abatement if needed. One question for the group - if I do end up needing to request penalty abatement later, should I include screenshots of this community discussion as part of my documentation to show that payment processor issues were widespread around this time? Or would the IRS not consider that relevant? Thanks to everyone who shared their stories and solutions. It's really reassuring to know that others have navigated these same problems successfully!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this thread is exactly what I needed to find! I'm currently facing a similar nightmare with another payment processor (not payusatax, but same symptoms - glitchy website, error messages, no confirmation). Reading through all these responses, it's clear that the immediate priority should be getting the payment through using IRS Direct Pay rather than continuing to battle with a failing processor. Grace, I hope you've already made the switch by now! What really stands out to me is how many people initially had doubts about some of the solutions mentioned (like taxr.ai and Claimyr) but then came back to share positive results after actually trying them. That kind of follow-up is incredibly valuable for newcomers like me who are trying to separate legitimate help from potential scams. For anyone else in this situation: document everything, switch to Direct Pay immediately, and don't panic about potential penalties since there are clear paths for abatement when you have good faith evidence of attempting to pay on time through authorized processors. This community's collective wisdom just saved me from days of additional stress and potentially costly delays!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful to have found this thread! I'm actually dealing with the exact same situation with payusatax right now - failed payments, error messages, and that sinking feeling when the deadline is approaching fast. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring. It's clear that Grace isn't alone in this, and more importantly, there are proven solutions that actually work. The consistent advice seems to be: stop fighting with the broken processor, switch to IRS Direct Pay immediately, and document everything for potential penalty abatement later. What really impressed me is how many community members came back to update their posts after initially being skeptical of certain solutions - that kind of honest follow-up gives me confidence that the advice here is genuine and tested by real people in similar situations. Grace, if you're still reading this, please don't wait any longer! Based on everything I've read here, IRS Direct Pay seems to be the fastest way to get your payment through while you still have time. The documentation from your payusatax attempts will be valuable if you need it later, but getting that payment submitted should be the immediate priority. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - this community's collective wisdom is exactly what stressed taxpayers like us need during situations like this!