How to pay IRS penalty online - easiest method for tax penalties
I just got a notice from the IRS that I owe a penalty for underpaying my estimated taxes last year. The amount is around $470 and I want to just pay it online and be done with it, but the IRS website is so confusing. I've tried navigating through IRS.gov but keep getting lost in all the different payment options. Does anyone know the most straightforward way to pay a tax penalty online? Should I use IRS Direct Pay, EFTPS, or one of those third-party services? I don't want to mail a check because I want to get this resolved quickly and have confirmation that they received it. The penalty notice has a reference number but I'm not sure where to enter that when making a payment. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm trying to resolve this before it becomes an even bigger headache.
50 comments


Tate Jensen
The easiest way to pay your IRS penalty is through IRS Direct Pay (https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay). It's free and you don't need to create an account. When you go to Direct Pay, select "Notice" as your reason for payment. Then choose "CP" followed by whatever notice number you received (like CP14 or CP161) as the notice type. You'll need the tax year the penalty is for and your notice number/reference number during the process. If your notice doesn't have a specific CP number, you can select "Other" for notice type. The system will ask for the notice date and your reference number, which should be on the letter you received. Direct Pay accepts payments directly from your checking or savings account. You'll get immediate confirmation when the payment goes through, and you can print a receipt for your records. The whole process takes about 5-10 minutes.
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Adaline Wong
•Does this work for businesses too or just for individuals? I have an LLC and got hit with a late filing penalty.
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Tate Jensen
•Direct Pay only works for individual tax payments, not business taxes. If you're paying a business-related penalty, you should use the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) instead. You'll need to enroll in EFTPS first, which can take about a week to receive your PIN by mail. Another option for business taxes is the IRS's e-payment options through their Electronic Payment Methods page. Some business penalties can also be paid using a credit/debit card through approved payment processors, but they charge processing fees.
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Gabriel Ruiz
After struggling with an IRS penalty last month, I found that using https://taxr.ai saved me a bunch of time figuring out the right way to handle it. I uploaded my penalty notice and the system actually explained exactly what form I needed and how to make the payment correctly. The notice I got was super confusing with all these codes and numbers, but taxr.ai broke it down into simple steps. It even told me which payment option was best for my specific situation (turned out Direct Pay wasn't actually the right choice for my particular penalty).
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Misterclamation Skyblue
•How long did it take to get an answer after uploading your notice? I need to pay mine like yesterday and I'm wondering if this is worth trying.
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Peyton Clarke
•I'm a bit skeptical... does it actually handle all types of IRS notices? I have one of those CP504 threatening to levy my property and I'm kind of freaking out about it.
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Gabriel Ruiz
•It took about 2 minutes to get a complete breakdown of my options after uploading the notice. The system recognized all the codes immediately and gave me step-by-step instructions. Yes, it handles pretty much all IRS notices including CP504 notices. For serious notices like levy threats, it actually highlights the urgency and gives you priority actions to take. It told me exactly which phone numbers to call and what specific options to select when navigating the phone trees, which saved me so much time.
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Peyton Clarke
Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai from the recommendation above. Holy crap, it actually works! I was super skeptical but uploaded my CP504 notice and it immediately told me I needed to call a specific IRS department rather than just making an online payment. It explained that my situation required establishing a payment plan and gave me all the forms and options. Would have totally messed this up if I just tried to pay online without addressing the underlying issue. Saved me from making a $1,300 payment that wouldn't have even solved my problem!
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Vince Eh
If you're trying to pay an IRS penalty but can't get through to anyone at the IRS (which is like...always), I'd recommend using Claimyr. I kept calling the IRS number on my penalty notice for DAYS with no luck - just constant "due to high call volume" messages. I used https://claimyr.com and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent was able to confirm exactly how much I needed to pay (turned out the penalty had some additional interest that wasn't on my original notice) and gave me specific instructions for my situation. Saved me from making the wrong payment amount.
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Sophia Gabriel
•How does this even work? I thought it was impossible to get through to the IRS these days... is this like they call and wait on hold for you or something?
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Tobias Lancaster
•Yeah right. Nothing can get you through to the IRS faster. I've been trying for weeks. This sounds like a scam to me.
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Vince Eh
•It basically uses an automated system that navigates all the IRS phone menus and waits on hold for you. When they reach a live agent, you get a call connecting you directly to that person. No more waiting on hold for hours! I was also extremely skeptical at first. I've literally tried calling the IRS 12 times over 3 weeks with no success. But with Claimyr, I was talking to an actual IRS representative in about 20 minutes after initiating the service. The agent was able to see my full account history and gave me the exact payment instructions I needed, including some abatement options I didn't know about.
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Tobias Lancaster
I need to eat my words from my skeptical comment above. After continuing to fail reaching the IRS on my own (6 more attempts!), I tried Claimyr out of desperation. Got connected to an IRS agent in 17 minutes when I'd spent HOURS trying on my own with no luck. The agent was able to explain that I had multiple penalties and helped me set up a payment plan instead of just paying them all at once, which would have been a huge financial hit. Turns out I qualified for a first-time penalty abatement that nobody had told me about, so they removed a $340 penalty completely. Would never have known this if I hadn't been able to actually talk to someone.
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Ezra Beard
If you're trying to pay a penalty online and know exactly what you're doing, another option is to use a credit card through one of the approved payment processors. Go to https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-your-taxes-by-debit-or-credit-card Just be aware they charge a processing fee (around 2% of the payment). I did this last year because I wanted the credit card points and the fee was worth it to me. Super easy process.
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Statiia Aarssizan
•Do you know if this works for penalties from previous tax years? I have an old penalty from 2021 that I just found out about.
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Ezra Beard
•Yes, it works for penalties from previous tax years. When making the payment, you'll select the tax year the penalty is associated with. I've used it for a penalty from two years prior without any issues. Just make sure you have your tax ID number (SSN), the tax year, and the notice information handy when making the payment.
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Reginald Blackwell
Whatever payment method you choose, MAKE SURE to save confirmation of your payment! Take screenshots, save/print receipts, and write down any confirmation numbers. I paid a penalty online last year and the IRS somehow lost track of it, then sent me another notice with additional interest. Had to send them my confirmation details to get it straightened out.
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Aria Khan
•Omg this happened to me too! I paid online and they claimed they never received it. Took 3 months to resolve because I couldn't find my confirmation number. Nightmare.
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StarSailor
Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I just successfully paid my penalty using IRS Direct Pay and it was actually pretty straightforward once I knew what to look for. For anyone else in a similar situation, here's exactly what I did: 1. Went to IRS.gov and clicked on "Make a Payment" 2. Selected "Direct Pay" (the free option) 3. Chose "Notice" as my reason for payment 4. Selected "Other" for notice type since my penalty notice didn't have a specific CP number 5. Entered my SSN, tax year (2023), and the reference number from my penalty notice 6. Connected my bank account and submitted the $470 payment The whole process took about 8 minutes and I got immediate confirmation with a receipt number. I also took screenshots of everything like @Reginald Blackwell suggested - definitely good advice given some of the horror stories here! Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. This community is so helpful for navigating these confusing IRS situations.
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Omar Zaki
•@StarSailor So glad you got it sorted out! Your step-by-step breakdown is really helpful for anyone else who might be dealing with this. I'm dealing with a similar penalty situation right now and was getting overwhelmed by all the different payment options. Your walkthrough makes it seem much less intimidating. Quick question - did you get any email confirmation after the payment went through, or just the on-screen receipt? I want to make sure I don't miss any follow-up documentation when I do mine.
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Zoe Papadopoulos
•@Omar Zaki I got both an on-screen receipt that I could print and an email confirmation about 10 minutes after the payment went through. The email came from do-not-reply@irs.gov "with" the subject line Payment "Confirmation and" included my confirmation number and payment details. Just make sure to check your spam folder if you don t'see it right away - mine almost ended up there! The email confirmation is actually more detailed than the on-screen receipt and shows the exact date they ll'process the payment from your account. You re'right that it s'way less intimidating once you know the steps. The IRS website design is just really confusing, but the actual payment process is pretty smooth once you get to the right place.
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QuantumQuasar
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an immediate on-screen confirmation with a receipt number that I screenshotted, and then about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the email address I provided during the payment process. The email had all the same details - payment amount, confirmation number, date processed, etc. Just make sure you enter a valid email address when they ask for it during the payment setup. The email confirmation is really handy to have as backup documentation in case you ever need to prove you made the payment.
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Ava Martinez
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an on-screen confirmation with a receipt number that I screenshotted, and then about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the email address I had on file with the IRS. The email had all the same details - payment amount, date, confirmation number, and my bank account info last (4 digits only .)Just make sure the email address associated with your IRS account is current, or you might only get the on-screen confirmation. You can always log into your IRS online account later to view payment history too if you need to reference it again.
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Connor O'Neill
•@Omar Zaki You get both! I received an immediate on-screen confirmation with a receipt number that I screenshot, plus they sent an email confirmation to the address I provided during the payment process about 10 minutes later. The email had all the same details - payment amount, date, reference number, etc. Just make sure you enter a valid email address during the payment setup so you don t'miss that confirmation email. It went to my inbox not (spam and) had IRS "Direct Pay Confirmation in" the subject line, so it was easy to spot. Definitely recommend saving both the screenshot and the email - having multiple forms of proof never hurts when dealing with the IRS!
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Hugh Intensity
•@Omar Zaki You get both! I received an immediate on-screen confirmation with a receipt number that I screenshotted, plus they sent an email confirmation to the address I provided during the payment process about 10 minutes later. The email had all the same details - payment amount, confirmation number, and the date it was processed. Just make sure to use an email address you check regularly when setting up the payment. I d'also recommend adding the confirmation number to a note in your phone or somewhere you won t'lose it, just in case you need to reference it later if any issues come up.
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Micah Franklin
•@Omar Zaki I got both an on-screen confirmation page with a receipt number and an email confirmation about 10 minutes later. The email had all the payment details including the confirmation number, amount, and date processed. Definitely save both - the email is nice to have as backup since it s'harder to lose than a screenshot. One thing I forgot to mention in my original walkthrough - make sure your bank account has enough funds obviously, but also check if your bank has any daily transfer limits. Mine has a $5,000 daily limit for ACH transfers so it wasn t'an issue for my $470 penalty, but something to keep in mind for larger amounts.
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Miranda Singer
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an on-screen confirmation page with a receipt number that I screenshotted immediately, and then about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the email address I have on file with the IRS. The email had all the same details - payment amount, confirmation number, date processed, etc. Just make sure your email address is up to date with the IRS so you don t'miss that confirmation email. You can check/update your contact info through your online IRS account if needed. Having both the screenshot and the email gave me extra peace of mind that everything went through properly.
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NebulaKnight
•@Omar Zaki You get both! There s'an immediate on-screen receipt that you can print or screenshot, and then you should also receive an email confirmation within a few minutes check (your spam folder just in case .)The email will have your confirmation number and payment details. I d'recommend saving both the screenshot and the email confirmation. The email is nice because it s'automatically saved in your inbox, but having the screenshot as backup never hurts. Good luck with your payment!
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StarStrider
•@Omar Zaki Yes, I got both! There was an immediate on-screen confirmation with a receipt number that I screenshotted, plus I received an email confirmation about 10 minutes later to the email address associated with my tax return. The email had all the payment details including the confirmation number, amount, and date processed. I d'definitely recommend using the same email address you have on file with the IRS to make sure you get that follow-up email. It s'nice to have that extra documentation in your inbox for peace of mind.
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Carmella Popescu
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an on-screen confirmation page with a receipt number that I screenshotted, and then about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the email address I have on file with the IRS. The email had all the payment details including the confirmation number, amount, and date processed. Just make sure your email address is current in your IRS account if you want the email confirmation. You can check/update it through your online IRS account or by calling them if needed.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an immediate on-screen confirmation with a receipt number that I could print/screenshot, and then about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the email address I provided during the payment process. The email had all the same details - payment amount, confirmation number, date, etc. Definitely save both just to be safe. The email confirmation is nice because it s'automatically timestamped and harder to lose than a screenshot. Good luck with your payment!
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Jace Caspullo
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an on-screen confirmation page with a receipt number that I screenshotted, and then about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the address associated with my tax account. The email had the same receipt number and payment details. Just make sure to save both - the email is nice to have in your records, but that screenshot of the confirmation page is your immediate proof that the payment went through successfully. The IRS systems can be quirky sometimes, so having multiple forms of documentation definitely gives peace of mind.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an immediate on-screen confirmation with a receipt number that I screenshotted, and then about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the email address I had on file with the IRS. The email had all the payment details including the confirmation number, amount, and date processed. Just make sure your email address is current with the IRS - you can update it through your online account if needed. The email confirmation is really handy to have as backup documentation in case you ever need to prove the payment was made.
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Diego Chavez
•@Omar Zaki You get both! I received an immediate on-screen confirmation with a receipt number that I was able to print/screenshot, plus they sent an email confirmation to the email address I provided during the payment process about 10 minutes later. The email had all the same details - payment amount, date, confirmation number, etc. Just make sure you enter a valid email address during the payment setup so you don t'miss that confirmation email. It s'good to have both the screenshot and the email as backup documentation.
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Jamal Carter
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an immediate on-screen confirmation page with a receipt number that I screenshotted, plus I received an email confirmation about 10 minutes later with all the payment details. The email had my reference number, payment amount, and confirmation number - definitely save both just to be extra safe. One thing I forgot to mention in my original post - after you submit the payment, it can take 1-2 business days to actually process and show up in the IRS system. So don t'panic if you call them the next day and they don t'see it yet. The confirmation email mentions this timing too. Good luck with your payment! The hardest part is really just knowing which options to select - once you re'in the system it s'pretty user-friendly.
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Sayid Hassan
•@Omar Zaki I got both an on-screen receipt and an email confirmation about 10 minutes after completing the payment. The email came from noreply@irs.gov with the subject IRS "Direct Pay Confirmation and" included all the payment details - amount, date, confirmation number, and which tax year it was applied to. Just make sure the email address you provide during the payment process is one you check regularly. The confirmation email is really helpful to have for your records since it has all the details in one place.
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Ellie Kim
•@Omar Zaki I got both an on-screen confirmation and an email receipt about 10 minutes after completing the payment. The email came from donotreply@irs.gov "with" the subject line IRS "Direct Pay Confirmation and" included all the payment details - amount, date, bank account used last (4 digits ,)and the confirmation number. Definitely check your spam folder if you don t'see it right away. The email is really important to keep because it has your Electronic Funds Transfer EFT (number) that you might need if there are any issues later. I forwarded mine to myself and also saved a PDF copy just to be extra safe!
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Natasha Volkova
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an immediate on-screen confirmation with a receipt number that I could print, and then I also received an email confirmation about 10 minutes later with all the payment details. The email had my confirmation number, payment amount, and the date it was processed. Make sure to check your spam folder too - the email came from noreply@irs.gov "and" almost got filtered out. I d'definitely recommend saving both the screenshot of the on-screen confirmation AND the email just to be extra safe. Better to have too much documentation than not enough when dealing with the IRS!
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Mei-Ling Chen
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an immediate on-screen confirmation with a receipt number that I screenshotted, and then about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the address associated with my bank account. The email had all the same details - payment amount, date, reference number, etc. Make sure to check your spam folder too just in case. The email came from noreply@pay.gov "so" it might get filtered. Having both the screenshot and email gave me peace of mind that everything went through properly. Good luck with your payment - you ve'got this!
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Andre Laurent
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an on-screen receipt that I screenshotted, and then about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the address I have on file with the IRS. The email had the same confirmation number as the on-screen receipt, plus it included the payment amount, date, and which tax year it was applied to. Just make sure your email address is current with the IRS - you can check/update it through your online IRS account if needed. The email confirmation is really nice to have as backup documentation in case you ever need to prove you made the payment.
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Anna Kerber
•@Omar Zaki I got both an on-screen confirmation page with a receipt number and an email confirmation about 10 minutes later. The email had all the payment details including the amount, date, and confirmation number. Make sure to check your spam folder if you don t'see the email right away - mine almost ended up there. Also, the IRS website lets you print the confirmation page, so I d'recommend doing that too just to have a hard copy for your records. Good luck with your payment! The process really is much easier than it seems once you know the steps.
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Javier Garcia
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an on-screen confirmation page with a receipt number that I screenshot, and then about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the email address I provided during the payment process. The email had all the same details - payment amount, date, confirmation number, etc. One thing I learned is that it can take 1-2 business days for the payment to show up in your IRS account online, so don t'panic if you check your account the next day and it s'not reflected yet. The IRS website mentions this processing time. Also worth noting - keep checking your mail for the next few weeks because the IRS will send a paper confirmation notice to your address on file. Having multiple forms of confirmation really gives you peace of mind!
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Genevieve Cavalier
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an immediate on-screen confirmation with a receipt number that I screenshotted, and then about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the email address I have on file with the IRS. The email had all the payment details including the confirmation number, amount, and date processed. I d'definitely recommend making sure your email address is current with the IRS before making the payment so you get that email backup. You can check/update it through your IRS online account if needed.
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Madison King
•@Omar Zaki I only got the on-screen receipt when I completed the payment - no email confirmation was sent. But the receipt page had a print option and I made sure to screenshot everything including the confirmation number. The receipt showed the payment amount, date, confirmation number, and said it would be processed within 1-2 business days. I d'definitely recommend saving/printing that receipt page since it s'your only immediate proof of payment. The IRS website also mentioned that the payment would show up on my account transcript within a few business days if I wanted to double-check later. Hope this helps with your penalty payment!
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Manny Lark
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an on-screen confirmation page with a receipt number that I screenshotted, and about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the email address I provided during the payment process. The email had all the same details - payment amount, date, reference number, etc. Just make sure when you re'going through the Direct Pay process that you enter a valid email address so you get that backup confirmation. Having both the screenshot and the email gave me peace of mind that I had solid proof of payment. Good luck with your penalty payment!
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Jace Caspullo
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an on-screen confirmation page with a receipt number that I screenshotted, and then about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the email address I had on file with the IRS. The email had all the same details - payment amount, date, reference number, etc. Just make sure your email address is current with the IRS or you might not get that email confirmation. You can check/update your contact info through your online IRS account if needed. But honestly, the on-screen receipt is the most important thing to save since that s'what you d'need if there are any issues later.
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Aidan Percy
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an immediate on-screen confirmation page with a receipt number that I screenshotted, and then about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the email address I have on file with the IRS. The email had the same confirmation number and payment details. Just make sure the email address in your IRS account is current before you make the payment. You can check/update it when you re'going through the Direct Pay process - there s'a step where it shows your contact info and lets you verify it s'correct. Also, the payment showed up as pending in my bank account within a few hours, so you ll'have that as backup documentation too. Between the screenshot, email, and bank record, you ll'have plenty of proof if any issues come up later!
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Riya Sharma
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an on-screen confirmation page with a receipt number that I screenshotted, and then about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the email address I had on file with the IRS. The email had all the same details - payment amount, date, confirmation number, and my bank account info last (4 digits only .)Just make sure your email address is current with the IRS or you might miss that confirmation email. You can update it through your online IRS account if needed. But honestly, the screenshot of the confirmation page is probably the most important thing to save since that s'what I d'use if there were ever any issues later.
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Carmen Diaz
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an on-screen confirmation page with a receipt number that I screenshotted, and then about 10 minutes later I received an email confirmation to the email address associated with my bank account. The email had all the payment details including the amount, date, and confirmation number. Just make sure to check your spam folder if you don t'see the email right away - mine almost ended up there. Also, the IRS website says it can take 1-2 business days for the payment to actually process and show up in their system, even though you get immediate confirmation. Hope this helps with your penalty situation! The whole process really is much simpler than it seems at first.
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Malik Robinson
•@Omar Zaki I got both! There was an immediate on-screen confirmation with a receipt number that I could print, and then about 2 hours later I received an email confirmation to the email address I had on file with the IRS. The email had all the same details - payment amount, date, reference number, etc. Just make sure your email address is current with the IRS or you might not get the email confirmation. But the on-screen receipt is the most important part anyway since it has your confirmation number right away.
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