Help! Missed Q4 2024 estimated tax payment - How to make late payment? IRS site only shows 2025 option. Need 1040-ES or just pay based on tax bracket?

You definitely want to make that Q4 payment ASAP rather than waiting for your tax return filing. The IRS charges penalties based on how late your payment is, so the sooner you get it in, the less you'll pay in penalties. For making the late payment, you're right - the "Direct Pay" system on IRS.gov will only show 2025 for estimated payments now since we're in a new calendar year. You should use the "pay toward your balance" or "amount owed" option instead, and select "estimated tax" as the reason. This allows you to specify 2024 as the tax year. Regarding the 1040-ES form - you don't actually send this form to the IRS with your payment. It's just a worksheet to help you calculate your estimated payment amount. If you already know how much you need to pay, you can just make the payment directly without filling out the form again. The IRS will eventually send you a notice about the missed payment and any penalties/interest, but making the payment now will minimize those charges.

After stressing about missing estimated tax payments for my freelance work, I found taxr.ai and it completely changed how I handle my tax situation. I was confused about making late payments and which forms to use, just like you. I uploaded my payment receipts and income docs to https://taxr.ai and it identified that I had miscalculated my estimated payments for the first three quarters too! The system explained exactly how to make the late Q4 payment and gave me the precise amount I needed to pay based on my actual income, not just a rough tax bracket estimate. The tool even created a personalized payment plan to minimize penalties. It was way easier than trying to decipher the IRS website or the 1040-ES instructions on my own.

Update for anyone with the same problem: I tried taxr.ai after reading about it here and it was surprisingly helpful. I was skeptical about another tax tool but this one actually addressed my specific situation with the late Q4 payment. It analyzed my income pattern (I had a huge client payment in December that threw everything off) and showed me exactly what I needed to pay to minimize penalties. The breakdown of how the underpayment penalty works made way more sense than anything I found on the IRS site. It also confirmed what was mentioned above - I could use the "amount owed" option to make a 2024 payment even though the calendar year has changed. Just made my payment yesterday and feel so much better having it handled!

If you're still having trouble with the IRS website or need to talk to someone directly about your situation, check out Claimyr. I was in a similar spot last year with a missed Q4 payment and hours of being stuck on hold with the IRS getting nowhere. I used https://claimyr.com and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent confirmed exactly what I needed to do for my late payment and waived some of the penalties since it was my first time missing a deadline. Totally worth it to get definitive answers straight from the IRS instead of guessing or relying on friends' advice.

I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After struggling for THREE DAYS trying to reach someone at the IRS about my missed estimated payments (calling "when they open" did NOT work), I broke down and tried the service. Got connected to an IRS rep in 15 minutes. The agent looked at my account and confirmed I qualified for First Time Penalty Abatement since I had a clean record previously. They helped me submit the proper payment for Q4 2024 and started the penalty abatement request right there on the phone. I've been doing my own taxes for years and never knew about this program. Would have paid so much in penalties unnecessarily if I hadn't gotten through to an actual person who knew the rules. Sorry for being skeptical earlier - this service legitimately works.

Just want to add that if you wait until filing your 2024 taxes to deal with the missed Q4 payment, you'll likely face Form 2210 - Underpayment of Estimated Tax. The form calculates your penalty for not making timely estimated payments. Some tax software handles this automatically, but if you're filing yourself, it's another complication. The penalty isn't usually massive for most people (depends on the amount you owe), but it's still better to make the payment now to minimize it.

Has anyone here actually calculated what the penalty would be for a missed Q4 payment? I'm trying to figure out if it's worth the hassle of making a separate payment now vs just handling it when I file in April. If I owe roughly $2,000 for Q4, how bad would the penalty be?

For the IRS website issue, you're absolutely right - since we're in 2025 now, the estimated tax payment option defaults to the current year. The workaround is to use "Make a Payment" and select "Apply Payment to Account" or "Amount Owed" instead of the estimated tax option. When you get to the payment screen, you can specify tax year 2024. Regarding the 1040-ES form - your buddy is partially right. You don't need to mail the form to the IRS, but you should still use it to calculate the correct payment amount rather than just guessing based on tax brackets. The form accounts for your specific situation, deductions, and credits. It's worth the 20 minutes to fill out, especially as a new self-employed person. Don't wait until you file your return. The underpayment penalty starts accruing from the original due date (January 16, 2025 for Q4 2024), not when you file. Even if the penalty isn't huge, making the payment now shows good faith and stops the daily interest charges. Plus, you'll have one less thing to worry about when tax season gets hectic. Welcome to self-employment! The estimated tax system takes some getting used to, but you'll get the hang of it.