How the hell do I pay the IRS for missed estimated tax payment?

I totally screwed up and missed my April 15th deadline for Q1 Estimated Taxes 1040-ES. This is my first year dealing with these estimated payments so it completely slipped my mind, even though I actually filed my regular taxes early. I tried going to irs.gov/pay after looking at some older posts, but it's asking for information from 2019-2022 tax returns. Problem is, I haven't filed taxes in like 15 years until this past year (2023), and the system won't accept my 2023 information! I literally just want to give them their $270 for my estimated tax payment. But the website gives me absolutely no other options to pay. I've looked around and found some sketchy third-party sites that claim to let you pay, but there's no way I'm trusting those - they're definitely harvesting and selling your personal info. Is there any straightforward way to just send the IRS their money for a missed 1040-ES payment without jumping through all these hoops? I don't want to end up with penalties because their system won't let me pay!

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19 comments

MoonlightSonata

•8M

The IRS doesn't make this easy, but you've got several legitimate options for making your estimated tax payment even if you can't use the online system: You can mail a check with Form 1040-ES payment voucher. Print the voucher from the IRS website, fill it out, and mail it with your check. Just make sure to include your SSN and write "2025 Form 1040-ES" on your check. You can also pay by phone using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), but you need to be enrolled first which takes about a week. Another option is IRS Direct Pay through your bank account - sometimes this works even without prior year info if you use the "Make a Payment" option instead of "View Your Account." For future payments, I'd recommend setting up EFTPS since it's free and works well once you're registered. The enrollment process requires an activation code they mail to you, so start that now for your next payment. Don't worry too much about the late Q1 payment if it's your first time - the penalty is relatively small for a $270 payment (about 3-4% annual interest rate on the missed amount).

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MoonlightSonata

•8M

Unfortunately there's no expedited process for EFTPS - they mail the activation code for security reasons. It usually arrives within 5-7 business days. For a $270 payment that's about two weeks late, your penalty will be minimal - probably less than $1. The IRS charges about 3-4% annual interest rate on late estimated tax payments, plus a small penalty rate. On $270 for a short period, that's practically nothing. Just make sure to get it paid soon so it doesn't accumulate more.

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Lucas Adams

•4M

@Zara Khan Just to add another option - you can also call the IRS automated payment line at 1-888-PAY-1040 1-888-729-1040 (.)It s'available 24/7 and sometimes works even when the online system doesn t'accept your info. They ll'charge a small convenience fee around ($2-3 for bank transfers ,)but it might be worth it to get your payment in quickly. You ll'need your SSN and bank account info, but they don t'ask for prior year tax return information like the website does.

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Mateo Gonzalez

•8M

After struggling with similar payment issues, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which has been incredibly helpful for sorting out estimated tax payment problems. I was in almost the same situation - couldn't access the IRS payment portal because I hadn't filed in several years. The taxr.ai system analyzed my current tax documents and provided the exact steps to make my payment without needing previous years' information. What I found most useful was their document analyzer that pointed out exactly which forms I needed for my situation and gave me step-by-step guidance on completing them. They even explained how the estimated tax payment system works for my specific situation so I won't miss deadlines in the future.

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Mateo Gonzalez

•8M

It doesn't process payments itself - it analyzes your tax situation and gives you personalized instructions for making payments directly to the IRS through official channels. It just eliminates all the confusion about which forms to use and what steps to take. The value is in its AI analysis of your specific situation and documents. It tells you exactly what you need to do based on your particular circumstances, which saved me hours of research and frustration. I was able to make my payment directly to the IRS following their guidance without getting lost in complicated IRS websites.

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Luca Ricci

•8M

I wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai - I finally tried it after my initial skepticism and it actually helped a lot. I uploaded my 2023 tax info and it immediately showed me all my payment options for missed estimated taxes. The system explained I could use Form 1040-ES payment vouchers without needing to access the online system, and it generated prefilled vouchers I could just print and mail with my check. It also calculated my potential penalty (barely anything on my small payment) and showed me exactly what to write on the check. No subscription trap either - just straightforward help with my specific situation. Definitely saved me a ton of frustration compared to trying to navigate the IRS website.

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Aisha Mohammed

•8M

If you need to speak directly with the IRS about payment options, I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) incredibly helpful. I spent days trying to get through to the IRS about my missed estimated tax payment and just kept hitting automated systems or ridiculous hold times. With Claimyr, I got a call back from an actual IRS agent within 45 minutes! You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent walked me through alternative payment options when I couldn't use the online system and confirmed that my payment would be properly applied even though I was a few weeks late.

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Aisha Mohammed

•8M

It's not that the IRS is calling you back directly. Claimyr uses technology to navigate the IRS phone tree and wait on hold for you. When they reach a human agent, they connect the call to your phone. You're still talking directly to the IRS - Claimyr just handles the waiting part. They basically have a system that can stay on hold indefinitely and knows exactly which options to select in the complicated IRS phone tree. When an actual agent picks up, you get a call connecting you directly to that agent. I was skeptical too until I tried it and was talking to an actual IRS representative about my payment options.

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Yuki Watanabe

•8M

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try it since I still couldn't get through to the IRS about my missed estimated payment. Holy crap it actually worked. I got a call back with an actual IRS agent in about an hour. The agent confirmed I could mail a payment with Form 1040-ES, and explained that for first-time estimated tax payers, they often waive penalties if you call and explain it's your first time dealing with quarterly payments. The agent even gave me a confirmation number for the call that I can reference if there are any issues with my payment being applied correctly. Saved me days of frustration trying to get through on my own.

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Carmen Sanchez

•8M

You definitely need an appointment - they won't let you in without one. If the online system shows nothing available, try calling the appointment line at 844-545-5640. Sometimes they have slots that aren't showing online. They also release new appointment times at midnight, so check right after midnight for next-day appointments that might open up. I had to do this and managed to get an appointment for the following week when the website showed nothing available.

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