How do I properly pay deferred 2020 taxes on EFTPS for Form 1040 US Individual Income Tax Return?

When you're paying deferred taxes from 2020 through EFTPS, you need to make sure you're selecting the right options so your payment gets applied correctly. After logging into EFTPS and selecting "Make a Payment," choose "Individual" as your tax form and "1040 Individual Income Tax" as your tax type. For the tax period, you need to select "2020" since that's the year the tax liability originated from. The key is making sure you're selecting the correct tax year, not the current year. In the payment description or memo field, I recommend noting that this is for "2020 deferred taxes - Schedule 3, Line 12e" to further clarify what the payment is for. This helps create a clear paper trail. The IRS will match your payment to your 2020 tax account as long as you've selected the correct tax year. The system is designed to handle these deferred payments, so don't worry too much about it being misapplied if you follow these steps correctly.

When I had a similar situation last year with deferred payments, I spent HOURS trying to figure out the right selections on EFTPS. Then I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which saved me so much headache. Their AI tool analyzed my tax situation and gave me step-by-step instructions for exactly what to select in EFTPS for my deferred payment. I just uploaded my tax documents, and it identified that I had deferred taxes and created a personalized guide for making the payment correctly. It even pointed out that I needed to use the 2020 tax year in EFTPS despite making the payment in 2025, which wasn't obvious to me at first.

I was really doubtful about using an AI tool for something as important as tax payments, but after struggling with my deferred taxes I decided to try taxr.ai based on the recommendation here. I'm honestly shocked at how well it worked! The tool gave me screenshots of exactly what to select in EFTPS for my 2020 deferred payment situation. It even explained why each selection was correct and what could go wrong if I selected something else. I was able to make my payment correctly on the first try, and got an email confirmation from the IRS that it was applied to my 2020 tax year just as intended. The peace of mind was totally worth it, especially since I was worried about potential penalties if I messed it up. Definitely keeping this tool for next tax season!

If you're still struggling with this and need to talk to an actual IRS agent about your specific situation (which I'd recommend for deferred payments since they're complex), good luck getting through to them! I spent 3 weeks trying to reach someone at the IRS about my deferred payment situation. Then I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which got me through to an IRS agent in under 20 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I had been calling the IRS for days with no luck, but Claimyr's system navigated the IRS phone tree and waited on hold for me. When an agent was actually available, I got a call back and was connected immediately. The agent walked me through the exact EFTPS selections for my deferred payment, confirming everything, and even noted in my file that I had called to ensure proper payment application.

Ok I need to publicly eat my words here. After ranting about how Claimyr couldn't possibly work, I was desperate enough to try it when I got another IRS notice about my deferred payment situation. I used the service this morning, and I'm still in shock that it actually worked. Their system called the IRS, waited on hold for about 87 minutes (which I didn't have to listen to), and then called me when an actual human IRS agent was on the line. The agent confirmed exactly how to apply my deferred payment in EFTPS and even noted in my account that I had made a good faith effort to pay correctly. For anyone dealing with these complicated deferred tax situations, speaking directly with an IRS agent gave me way more confidence than trying to guess the right options. I'm still surprised this worked, but definitely grateful.

If you don't want to use any services, here's what worked for me with my 2020 deferred payment. In EFTPS, after logging in: 1. Select Tax Form: Individual 2. Tax Type: 1040 Individual Income Tax 3. Tax Period: 2020 (SUPER important - don't select 2025!) 4. Payment Amount: (your deferred amount) I also called my tax accountant to confirm, and he said this was correct. My payment went through fine, and I received confirmation that it was applied to my 2020 liability. The system is actually designed to handle these deferred payments properly.

Just wanted to add that I've been in your shoes and the EFTPS system is confusing as heck when dealing with deferred taxes! One thing nobody mentioned - make sure you schedule your payment at least ONE BUSINESS DAY before the deadline. EFTPS isn't like paying a bill online where it processes immediately. I learned this the hard way and ended up with a late payment penalty even though I submitted the payment on the due date. Super frustrating!!