Do I have to pay my self-employment taxes before the April tax deadline?

So I'm freaking out a bit because this is my first year filing as self-employed and I want to make sure I'm not screwing anything up. I filed my taxes through one of those free online sites and I know exactly how much I owe, but I'm confused about the payment part. Here's my question - I filed before the deadline but I chose to pay through the IRS website directly rather than automatic withdrawal. The site says processing can take up to 21 days, which would put me past the April deadline. Am I still okay because I filed on time? Or do I need to make sure the payment itself goes through before the deadline too? I'm just worried about penalties or late fees if my payment doesn't process in time, even though I submitted everything else on time. The whole self-employment tax thing is so much more complicated than when I just had a regular W-2 job.

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18 comments

Natalie Khan

•8M

The good news is that filing and paying are two separate obligations, but both need to be completed by the tax deadline (April 18th for 2025). Just filing isn't enough - you need to pay what you owe by the deadline too, otherwise you could face penalties and interest. Since you chose to pay directly on the IRS website instead of authorizing an automatic withdrawal when you filed, you need to make that payment separately. Don't wait for the IRS to process your return or send you a bill - go to the IRS payment site and make your payment right away. The 21-day processing time is typically for the IRS to process your return and issue refunds (if applicable), not for processing your payment. When you make a payment on the IRS website, it's typically considered made on the date you submit it, even if it takes a few days to process.

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Natalie Khan

•8M

You're correct - you don't need to wait for the IRS to process your return before making a payment. You can go to the IRS Direct Pay site (https://www.irs.gov/payments) right now and make your payment using the information from your tax return. When you go to make a payment, select "Tax Return" or "Form 1040" as the reason for payment, and select the appropriate tax year (2024). You'll need your exact tax liability amount from your return, along with basic identifying information (SSN, filing status, etc.). The payment will be applied to your account even though your return is still processing.

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Daryl Bright

•8M

I was in this same boat last year and discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which seriously saved me from a ton of self-employment tax confusion. I also wasn't sure about the whole payment vs filing deadline thing, and their system analyzed my tax situation and gave me a clear timeline of what needed to be done when. The tool specifically flagged that I needed to pay by the deadline even though I'd already filed, which saved me from penalties. It also helped me identify some deductions I was missing for my business that I wouldn't have known about otherwise. Their document analysis feature is super helpful for self-employed folks.

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Daryl Bright

•8M

It works with returns prepared on any platform - they have a document upload feature that can process returns from TurboTax, H&R Block, or any other software. And it's definitely not too late! You can upload your already-filed return and it can still analyze for payment deadlines and any missed deductions that might be worth amending for. The system uses a combination of IRS guidelines and business classification codes to determine eligible deductions. It doesn't just throw random deductions at you - it asks specific questions about your business activities and expenses, then shows you exactly which tax code sections apply to your situation, all with proper documentation references.

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Sienna Gomez

•8M

Just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai and it was actually super helpful! I uploaded my return that I already filed and it confirmed that I needed to pay before the deadline regardless of when the IRS processes my return. But the real surprise was that it found two business deductions I completely missed - one for part of my cell phone bill since I use it for business calls, and another for some software subscriptions. I'm going to file an amended return and save almost $740! Wish I'd known about this before filing the first time, but still worth it. The whole process took like 25 minutes.

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Abigail bergen

•8M

Something else to consider - I had the same issue last year and spent DAYS trying to get someone at the IRS on the phone to confirm when exactly I needed to pay. After being on hold for literally hours, I gave up and found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They have this system that gets you through to an actual IRS agent usually within 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with confirmed that payment needed to be made by the deadline date regardless of filing status, and walked me through how to set up a payment plan since I couldn't pay the full amount at once. Totally worth it because I would never have gotten through otherwise.

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Abigail bergen

•8M

They don't have a special phone number - they use proprietary technology that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When they finally reach a human agent, they connect the call to your phone. Basically, their system does the waiting so you don't have to. There's no magic to it - just smart technology. They can't guarantee a specific wait time since it depends on IRS call volume, but in my experience and based on their stats, they typically connect you within 15-45 minutes versus the hours it can take trying on your own.

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Kirsuktow DarkBlade

•8M

Okay I have to eat my words. I was super skeptical about Claimyr but I was desperate because I calculated my taxes wrong and needed to set up a payment plan ASAP. I tried the service and no joke, I was connected to an IRS agent in 27 minutes. The same day I had already spent 2+ hours on hold before giving up. The agent confirmed everything about the payment deadline and helped me set up a payment plan that worked for my situation. They even waived a penalty because it was my first time making this mistake. Without getting that clarification, I would have definitely missed the payment deadline. Consider me converted from skeptic to believer.

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Anderson Prospero

•8M

Don't forget that if you're self-employed, you should probably be making quarterly estimated tax payments throughout the year instead of paying it all in April. This is something I learned the hard way my first year - got hit with an underpayment penalty because I waited until tax time to pay everything. For next year, look into Form 1040-ES and the schedule for quarterly payments. It's usually April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the following year. It spreads out the pain and avoids those penalties!

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Anderson Prospero

•8M

Yes, for the current tax return you're filing now, you just need to pay your full tax bill by the April deadline. But going forward, you should plan to make quarterly estimated tax payments. The general rule is that you need to make quarterly payments if you expect to owe $1,000 or more in taxes when you file your return. Alternatively, if your withholding and payments cover at least 90% of your current year tax or 100% of your previous year's tax (110% if your income is above $150,000), you won't face penalties. Most self-employed people with significant income end up needing to make these payments to avoid underpayment penalties.

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Natalie Khan

•8M

Yes, the IRS offers installment agreements if you can't pay your full tax bill by the deadline. You can apply online through the IRS website if you owe less than $50,000 (combined tax, penalties, and interest). The key is that you MUST file your return by the deadline even if you can't pay. Then apply for the payment plan right away. You'll still pay some penalties and interest, but they're much lower than if you don't file or don't set up a formal payment arrangement. The process is fairly straightforward - the online application takes about 15-20 minutes to complete.

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