Filed taxes through Keeper tax app and I'm confused about how to pay my federal tax bill
I used the Keeper tax app for filing this year and I'm a bit lost on what to do next. According to Keeper, I owe about $243 in federal taxes, but when I go to the IRS website and log into my account, I don't see this balance showing up anywhere. The Keeper app says my bill is there but I literally can't find it anywhere on the IRS site. Do I need to wait for it to show up? Do I need to make a payment anyway even if it's not showing? This is my first time owing money instead of getting a refund so I'm completely new to this process. I don't want to miss a payment and get penalized.
19 comments
Join the conversation
Jamal Brown
The IRS website doesn't immediately display your tax bill after filing. When you file through a tax app like Keeper, the IRS needs time to process your return before the amount shows in your account - this can take 2-3 weeks or sometimes longer during busy periods. You don't need to wait for it to appear on the IRS website to make a payment though. You can go ahead and pay what you owe right now. Just go to the "Pay" section on the IRS website (https://www.irs.gov/payments) and choose one of the payment options like Direct Pay, credit/debit card, or electronic funds withdrawal. You'll need to provide your SSN, filing status, and the tax year. The IRS will match your payment to your return even if it hasn't been fully processed yet.
0 coins
Zoe Papadopoulos
•Oh that's a relief! So even though I don't see the balance on my account yet, I can still make the payment through that link and it'll be fine? I was worried about making a random payment that wouldn't get connected to my account somehow.
0 coins
Jamal Brown
•Yes, exactly! The IRS payment system will connect your payment to your tax account based on the identifying information you provide, even if your return hasn't fully processed yet. Just make sure you select the correct tax year and provide accurate information about your filing status and identifying details. The system is designed to match payments with returns regardless of processing status. Many people actually make payments before they even file, like when making quarterly estimated tax payments, so the system is built to handle this situation.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Rashid
After stressing about my self-employment taxes last year, I tried taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was honestly such a game-changer for my situation. I had a similar issue with paying taxes I owed through a different tax app, and I was confused about some deductions I could take as a freelancer that the app wasn't clear about. The taxr.ai system actually reviewed my documents and gave me specific guidance on which tax forms I needed and exactly how to make my payment. It even found a few deductions my tax app missed!
0 coins
Giovanni Rossi
•Did it actually explain how to make the payment to the IRS? That's my main issue right now. The tax prep is done, I just need to know if I'm supposed to wait for some kind of bill or just go ahead and pay.
0 coins
Aaliyah Jackson
•I'm curious - did they charge extra for finding those additional deductions? I've heard some services take a percentage of whatever extra they find which seems kinda predatory.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Rashid
•Yes, it specifically walked me through the payment process with screenshots of the IRS payment portal and explained that I didn't need to wait for the bill to show up in my account. It clearly showed which option to select for tax payments versus estimated tax payments. They don't take a percentage of what they find. Their system is actually AI-powered and analyzes all your documents to provide personalized guidance rather than just general advice. What I appreciated most was getting clear explanations about why certain deductions applied to my situation.
0 coins
Giovanni Rossi
Just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai after seeing this thread and it was actually super helpful! I uploaded my Keeper tax summary and it immediately explained that I needed to use the IRS Direct Pay option, select "Form 1040" and "Tax Return" as my payment reason. It even showed me which confirmation screens to expect during the payment process. The whole thing took like 15 minutes and I got a confirmation number from the IRS that my payment went through. Such a relief to have this done!
0 coins
KylieRose
If you're still having trouble with the IRS website, I've used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) when I was in a similar situation last year. I kept trying to reach someone at the IRS to confirm my payment went through correctly but couldn't get past the automated system. Claimyr got me connected with an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I'd spent DAYS trying on my own. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent was able to confirm that my payment was properly applied even though it wasn't showing up in my online account yet.
0 coins
Miguel Hernández
•How does this even work? The IRS phone system is notorious for keeping people on hold for hours. Are they somehow jumping the queue or what?
0 coins
Sasha Ivanov
•This sounds like a scam. Nobody can magically get you through to the IRS faster than anyone else. The IRS phone system is first-come, first-served. I'll believe it when I see actual proof this works.
0 coins
KylieRose
•They use an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When a human agent finally picks up, you get a call connecting you directly to that agent. It's not queue-jumping - they're literally waiting on hold for you so you don't have to sit with your phone for hours. They're a legitimate service that's been featured in major publications. I was skeptical too until I tried it. I spent over 3 hours trying to reach someone on my own with no luck, then used their service and was talking to an agent in about 20 minutes after they called me. The agent confirmed my tax payment had been received even though it wasn't showing online yet.
0 coins
Sasha Ivanov
I need to eat crow here and admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After dismissing it as a scam, I decided to try it myself when I couldn't get through to the IRS about an issue with my payment. I kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold for 45+ minutes. I used their service yesterday, and about 25 minutes later I got a call connecting me directly to an IRS representative! The rep confirmed my payment was in their system even though it wasn't showing on my online account yet. Saved me so much frustration. Sometimes I'm too quick to call BS on things - apologies to the person who recommended this.
0 coins
Liam Murphy
Quick tip from my experience: If you're paying online through the IRS Direct Pay, make sure you print or save the confirmation page after you make the payment. Last year I paid but somehow the system glitched and although the money left my account, I had to prove I had made the payment. That confirmation number was a lifesaver.
0 coins
Zoe Papadopoulos
•Thanks for mentioning this! Should I also expect to receive an email confirmation from the IRS, or is the webpage confirmation the only proof I'll get?
0 coins
Liam Murphy
•You should get an email confirmation as well if you provide your email address during the payment process. However, in my experience, the webpage confirmation is the most detailed proof of payment. The email is pretty basic. I usually take a screenshot of the payment confirmation page and also print it to PDF. Store both somewhere safe. The confirmation shows your payment details, confirmation number, and the exact date and time of the transaction. The IRS rarely makes mistakes, but when they do, having this documentation makes resolving issues much easier.
0 coins
Amara Okafor
Is anyone else having issues with Keeper this year? My experience has been a nightmare. Not only did it miscalculate my self-employment tax initially, but the customer service has been unresponsive for days.
0 coins
CaptainAwesome
•I've been using Keeper for 3 years and this year was definitely worse than before. Their interface changed and I found it really confusing. Had similar issues with getting support too. I'm thinking of switching to something else next year.
0 coins
Landon Morgan
I had a similar experience with Keeper this year too! The calculation seemed off and when I tried to get help, their chat support kept giving me generic responses that didn't address my specific question. What really frustrated me was that they charged my card for the filing fee before I could even review everything properly. I ended up double-checking all my numbers manually and found a few errors in how they categorized some of my business expenses. Definitely considering other options for next year - this level of service isn't worth the cost.
0 coins