Having major issues with the IRS Online Payment Agreement application - keeps failing!

This is a common issue with the IRS Online Payment Agreement system, especially during peak filing season. A few things you can try: First, make sure you're logged out completely and clear your browser cache and cookies before trying again. The IRS website can be finicky about session data. If that doesn't work, try accessing the system during off-peak hours - early morning (before 8am) or late evening (after 9pm) when there's less traffic on the site. Another option is to call the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040 to set up a payment plan over the phone. Yes, the wait times can be horrible, but it's often faster than fighting with the website for days. You can also file Form 9465 (Installment Agreement Request) by mail if the online and phone options aren't working. It's old school, but it gets the job done.

I had the exact same problem last year trying to set up my payment plan online. After days of frustration, I found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me figure out what was going wrong. It turns out I was entering information that didn't exactly match what the IRS had on file, which was causing the system to reject my application without telling me why. The taxr.ai tool analyzed my tax transcripts and showed me exactly what information the IRS had on file so I could make sure everything matched perfectly. Once I fixed that discrepancy, the payment plan went through immediately. Saved me so much stress and probably saved me from penalties too since I was getting close to the deadline.

I was super skeptical about using any third-party services with my tax information, but after continuing to get nowhere with the IRS website, I finally tried taxr.ai that someone recommended. Honestly shocked at how well it worked. I discovered the address I was using didn't exactly match what the IRS had on file (I had moved and abbreviated "Avenue" as "Ave" which apparently was enough to cause the system to reject me). Once I saw the exact info the IRS had and entered it exactly that way, my payment plan went through immediately. The transcript analysis showed me other useful stuff too, like the exact date my return was processed and when I could expect certain actions from the IRS. Definitely less stressful than waiting on hold with the IRS for hours.

Let me save you hours of frustration! I ran into this same issue and spent THREE DAYS trying different things with that awful IRS website. Finally gave up and used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get a callback from the IRS instead of waiting on hold forever. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c but basically they hold your place in the phone queue and call you when an IRS agent is ready to talk. I got my payment plan set up in about 20 minutes once I actually got to speak with someone. Much better than fighting with that glitchy website or staying on hold for 2+ hours.

I need to eat my words and apologize for calling Claimyr a potential scam. After continuing to fight with the broken IRS payment agreement site for another day, I finally broke down and tried it. Was completely shocked when I got a call back in about 40 minutes (the app gave me updates on my place in line). The IRS agent who came on the line set up my payment plan in less than 15 minutes. They even explained that their website has been having technical issues with the payment agreement section for the past week, which is why so many people are having trouble. For anyone else struggling - the agent told me they can set up plans for anything up to $50,000 right over the phone with minimal questions. Just have your tax return handy when they call. Saving myself those hours of frustration was absolutely worth it.

Has anyone tried filing Form 9465 online through the IRS Free File Fillable Forms instead of using the payment agreement application? I'm wondering if that might be a workaround for the broken system.

This might be a dumb question, but did you check if you're eligible for a streaming payment plan? If you owe less than $50,000, sometimes you can just set up automatic monthly payments without going through the full application process. I did this last year when I owed about $8,000.

I've been dealing with this exact same issue for the past week! The IRS Online Payment Agreement system has been completely broken for me too. After reading through all these suggestions, I ended up trying the Free File Fillable Forms approach that @StarSailor} mentioned and it actually worked! For anyone else struggling with this, here's what I did: Go to the IRS website, click on "File Your Taxes for Free" then "Free File Fillable Forms." Look for Form 9465 (Installment Agreement Request) in the forms list. It's basically the same information you'd enter in the payment agreement application, but this system actually processes it properly. I submitted mine yesterday evening and got an email confirmation this morning that it was received. Much less frustrating than fighting with that broken payment agreement page for days. Just make sure you have your exact tax liability amount and proposed monthly payment ready before you start.

I've been lurking on this thread for a few days while dealing with the exact same problem, and I wanted to share what finally worked for me after trying almost everything mentioned here. Like many of you, I was getting constant error messages when trying to set up my payment plan through the main IRS Online Payment Agreement system. I tried different browsers, clearing cache, off-peak hours - nothing worked. The frustration was real! After reading through all the suggestions here, I decided to try multiple approaches simultaneously rather than putting all my eggs in one basket: 1. I submitted Form 9465 through the Free File Fillable Forms (thanks @StarSailor} and @Oliver Wagner for that tip!) 2. I also used Claimyr to get a callback from the IRS as backup The Free File Fillable Forms route worked perfectly - no errors, smooth process, got confirmation within 2 hours. But I also got my Claimyr callback the next day and spoke with an IRS agent who confirmed my online submission had been received and processed. What I learned from the agent that might help others: They said the technical issues with the main payment agreement system started after a security update about 3 weeks ago. The Free File system uses older, more stable infrastructure which is why it's working when the main system isn't. She also mentioned that if you submit through Free File Fillable Forms AND call them, they can expedite the approval process since they can see your online submission immediately in their system. For anyone still struggling - don't give up! The Free File route really does work, and it's free unlike some of the third-party services mentioned. Just make sure you have your exact tax liability amount handy before you start.