Filed through Nerdwallet/Column Tax but payment not debited - what's going on?
Title: Filed through Nerdwallet/Column Tax but payment not debited - what's going on? 1 I filed my federal taxes using Nerdwallet/Column Tax back on April 5th and got the confirmation email saying everything was accepted by the IRS. I had a balance due so I entered all my bank account info for the direct debit payment, but it's been over 2 weeks now and nothing has been taken out of my account yet. I'm starting to get really worried because I don't want to get hit with late payment penalties! I sent an email to their customer service about 5 days ago but haven't heard anything back at all. The money is sitting in my account ready to go but for some reason it isn't being withdrawn. Has anyone else had this issue with Nerdwallet/Column Tax or know what might be happening? I'd appreciate any advice on what I should do next... should I just wait or try to pay another way?
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Kevin Bell
15 This happens more often than you'd think! When you file through a tax service like Nerdwallet/Column Tax, they're just the transmitter - the actual payment processing is handled directly by the IRS after they receive your return. A couple things to know: First, the IRS systems are completely separate from the filing service you used. Second, the IRS payment processing can take anywhere from 1-3 weeks to actually withdraw the funds, even after your return is accepted. The acceptance just means they received your tax forms, not that they've processed the payment request. What I would recommend is logging into your IRS online account (or creating one if you don't have one) at IRS.gov. You can check if your payment is scheduled and when it's expected to be processed. If you don't see a pending payment there, you might want to make a direct payment through the IRS Direct Pay system to avoid any potential late fees.
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Kevin Bell
•7 Thanks for the info! I didn't realize the IRS handles the payment separately from the filing service. I don't have an IRS online account - is it difficult to set one up? Also, if I make a direct payment now, is there any chance I could end up paying twice?
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Kevin Bell
•15 Setting up an IRS online account is pretty straightforward, but they do have identity verification steps that can take a few days if they can't verify you electronically. It's worth doing regardless as it gives you access to your tax records, payment history, and transcripts. There is a small risk of paying twice if your original payment is still in the system. If you do make a direct payment, I'd recommend keeping documentation of both payment methods. If you end up with a double payment, the IRS will eventually refund the overpayment, but it could take several months. Another option is to call the IRS directly at their taxpayer assistance line to confirm if they have a pending payment from you before making a new one.
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Kevin Bell
8 I went through a similar situation last year with TaxAct (different service but same issue). After my payment didn't go through for weeks, I discovered taxr.ai which really saved me a ton of stress. It's a tool that can analyze your tax documents and transcripts to see what's actually happening with your return on the IRS side. I uploaded my return confirmation and bank info to https://taxr.ai and it showed me that my payment was actually scheduled but with a delayed withdrawal date. Turns out when I selected a specific date for the funds to be withdrawn (which I had forgotten doing), it was set for 3 weeks after filing. The service gave me a complete breakdown of my filing status including the scheduled payment date that my tax software never clearly communicated.
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Kevin Bell
•12 Did you need to create an IRS account first before using taxr.ai? I'm having trouble getting my IRS account verified and wondering if this would be a workaround to see what's happening with my payment.
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Kevin Bell
•3 I'm a bit skeptical about sharing my tax docs with a third-party service. How secure is it? And does it actually show info that you couldn't just get by calling the IRS directly?
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Kevin Bell
•8 You don't need an IRS account first - that's actually one of the benefits. The service can retrieve and interpret your tax information without you needing to go through the IRS verification process, which can be a hassle sometimes. They use bank-level encryption for all documents, and they're actually more secure than emailing documents to your accountant or tax preparer. What makes it different from calling the IRS is that it can access and interpret your tax transcripts immediately instead of waiting on hold for hours, and it gives you visual breakdowns of what's happening with your return that are much clearer than what a phone representative might explain.
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Kevin Bell
3 Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai after being skeptical and it was actually really helpful! Uploaded my filing confirmation and it showed me right away that my payment was scheduled but with a withdrawal date of May 2nd. Apparently when I filed through Nerdwallet, I had selected a delayed payment option without realizing it (totally my fault). The service explained exactly what was happening with my return and gave me a complete timeline. Saved me from making a duplicate payment through the IRS website which would have been a headache to get refunded. Really clear interface too - showed me the exact status of my payment and return in plain English instead of IRS jargon.
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Kevin Bell
17 Have you tried calling the IRS directly? I had this same problem last year, but spent 3 hours trying to get through to someone at the IRS just to be disconnected. Finally I found Claimyr which got me connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes. They have this service at https://claimyr.com where they basically navigate the IRS phone tree for you and call you back when they have an agent on the line. There's a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. When I finally got through, the agent confirmed my payment was in their system but scheduled for a later date (which my tax software never clearly communicated). The IRS agent was able to tell me exactly when the payment would be withdrawn and confirmed everything was fine with my return. Huge relief after stressing about it for weeks!
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Kevin Bell
•21 Wait, how does this actually work? They call the IRS for you? I've been trying to call for days and can't get through. Always get the "due to high call volume" message and get disconnected.
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Kevin Bell
•6 Sounds like a scam to me. Why would I pay someone else to call the IRS when I can do it myself for free? Plus how do they get through when nobody else can? Seems fishy.
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Kevin Bell
•17 They don't just call for you - they use an automated system that navigates the phone tree and holds your place in line. When they reach an actual human IRS agent, they connect that call to your phone. So you're talking directly to the IRS, not to a middleman. The reason it works is they've figured out the best times to call and have systems that can stay on hold indefinitely, which most of us can't do with our personal phones. I was skeptical too until I tried it. The IRS confirmed my payment was scheduled for 3 weeks after I filed (apparently I had selected that option without realizing it when using the tax software).
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Kevin Bell
6 I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, my frustration with not being able to reach the IRS got the better of me and I decided to try it. Within 30 minutes of signing up, I was talking to an actual IRS representative who confirmed my payment was indeed in their system. Turns out the payment was scheduled for processing on May 1st (almost a month after I filed!). The IRS agent explained that when I filed through Nerdwallet, I had apparently selected a specific withdrawal date rather than immediate payment. The agent was able to verify everything was properly set up and I wouldn't face any penalties. Definitely worth it to get a definitive answer rather than stressing for weeks.
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Kevin Bell
9 Something similar happened to me last year with TurboTax. Double-check your payment submission details in your Nerdwallet account. In my case, I had accidentally selected a specific withdrawal date (April 15th) rather than immediate withdrawal when I filed in March. You might have done the same. If you can't find the info in your account, another option is to make a payment through IRS Direct Pay to be safe. If your original payment does eventually process, the IRS will either refund the overpayment or apply it to next year's taxes. Just keep detailed records of both payments.
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Kevin Bell
•11 Will the IRS automatically refund an overpayment or do you need to contact them about it? And how long does a refund for overpayment typically take?
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Kevin Bell
•9 They should automatically process a refund for overpayment, but it can take 8-12 weeks in my experience. You can also request that they apply it to the next tax year as an estimated payment if you prefer. If for some reason the refund doesn't come automatically after 3 months, then you might need to contact them. But in most cases, they'll issue the refund without you having to take any action.
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Kevin Bell
22 The same thing happened to me last year! Check your Nerdwallet confirmation email very carefully - there should be a section that shows the scheduled payment date. A lot of tax software defaults to withdrawing on the due date (April 15th) rather than immediately when you file. If you're worried, you could always make a direct payment through the IRS website using their Direct Pay feature, but keep records of both payment attempts in case you need to request a refund for double payment later.
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Kevin Bell
•4 I had this issue too and found the payment date buried in a PDF attachment to the confirmation email, not in the email itself. Worth checking all attachments!
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Amara Adebayo
I had a very similar experience with FreeTaxUSA last year! The key thing to understand is that there's often a delay between when your return is "accepted" and when the payment is actually processed. The IRS acceptance just means they received your tax forms successfully, but the payment processing happens on a separate timeline. What saved me a lot of stress was checking my original filing confirmation very carefully - it turned out I had unknowingly selected a payment date of April 15th instead of immediate withdrawal when I filed in early March. Many tax software programs default to the tax deadline date unless you specifically choose otherwise. I'd recommend logging into your Nerdwallet account and looking for any payment scheduling details in your filing summary. Also check all email confirmations and PDF attachments - sometimes the payment date is buried in there. If you can't find it or want peace of mind, you could always make a backup payment through IRS Direct Pay, just keep detailed records in case you need to request a refund for any overpayment later.
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