Employer EFTPS Warning When Trying to Pay FICA and Federal Income Tax (Form 941) - Should I Proceed?

8 That EFTPS warning is actually pretty common for new business enrollments. The system is essentially telling you that while you've enrolled in EFTPS generally, they haven't fully processed your specific Form 941 payment privileges yet. This happens because the IRS sometimes processes different tax form permissions separately in their system. In most cases, you can safely proceed with the payment despite the warning. The important thing is that your EIN and business information are correct in the system. Make sure you print or save the confirmation number once the payment processes - this is your proof that you initiated the payment on time. If you're really concerned, you have two backup options: 1) call EFTPS customer service at 800-555-4477 and ask them to verify your account status for Form 941 payments, or 2) use same-day wire payment through your bank if you're cutting it close to the deadline.

15 I had this exact same problem last year when I started my small business! I found this amazing service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that saved me tons of stress with EFTPS and other tax filing issues. They have a document analysis tool where you can upload screenshots of error messages or tax forms, and they explain exactly what's happening and what to do next. I uploaded my EFTPS warning screenshot and they immediately told me it was just a standard notice for new business accounts and that I could proceed safely. They even explained that the IRS sometimes has a delay between general EFTPS enrollment and form-specific permissions being fully activated. They've helped me troubleshoot so many other tax filing issues since then too.

3 Just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai after asking about it and it was super helpful! I've been getting these weird CP2000 notices that made no sense to me. I uploaded the notice and got detailed explanation about why there was a mismatch between my reported income and what the IRS had on file. The interface was really easy to use and I got the answers right away instead of waiting days for an accountant to call me back. Definitely recommend it for anyone dealing with confusing tax stuff!

7 If you're having trouble with EFTPS or need to talk to someone at the IRS about your Form 941 issue, I strongly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation and spent DAYS trying to reach someone at the IRS - either constant busy signals or being on hold for hours only to get disconnected. Claimyr changed everything for me. They have this system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you, then calls you when an actual human IRS agent is on the line. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I was honestly shocked how well it worked. I got through to an IRS agent who confirmed my Form 941 enrollment was processing and that I could safely proceed with payments despite the warning.

19 Ok I need to apologize to both commenters I was skeptical about. I tried Claimyr yesterday after posting here because I was desperate to resolve my tax issue. I honestly didn't think it would work but I was completely wrong! I've been trying to get through to the IRS for WEEKS about a missing tax refund. I signed up for Claimyr, entered my info, and went back to work. About 1.5 hours later my phone rang and there was an actual IRS agent on the line! They resolved my issue in about 10 minutes. I couldn't believe it actually worked. Saved me so much time and frustration. Sometimes it pays to be open-minded about new services.

22 Pro tip from someone who's been running payroll for years: Always make your 941 payments at least 3-4 days before the deadline. The EFTPS system occasionally has issues, especially around high-volume filing dates when everyone is trying to make payments at once. I've seen the system crash completely on deadline days. Also, for future reference, if you're ever cutting it super close to a deadline and EFTPS gives you trouble, you can use Form 941-V with a check as a backup method. Just make sure it's postmarked by the deadline date. It's saved me from late penalties more than once!

13 I ignored a similar warning last year and my payment went through fine. But one thing to be aware of - make sure your bank account info is 100% correct in EFTPS. Even one wrong digit can cause the payment to fail, and the error notification sometimes takes several days to appear.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! The EFTPS warning for new business enrollments is really common and usually nothing to worry about. What helped me was calling the EFTPS customer service line (1-888-353-4537) and having them verify my account status before proceeding with the payment. The representative confirmed that even though I was seeing the warning, my account was properly set up for Form 941 payments. She explained that there's often a lag between general EFTPS enrollment and when all the form-specific permissions show as fully active in their system. I proceeded with the payment despite the warning, got my confirmation number, and everything processed normally. The key is to make sure all your business information (EIN, banking details, etc.) is correct before hitting submit. Keep that confirmation number as proof you made the payment on time - that's what matters for avoiding penalties. One tip: if you're still nervous about it, you can always do a small test payment first to make sure everything works before submitting your full quarterly amount.