How to reach PayUSATax and Pay1040 customer service for payment records?

IRS payment tracing can be confusing, but I can help you work through this. First, you don't necessarily need to contact the payment processors - the IRS has records of all payments received, regardless of which processor you used. The fastest way to get this information is to create or log into your online account at IRS.gov. Under the "Records" tab, you'll find a section for payments that shows all transactions received. This will show payment dates, amounts, and which tax year they were applied to. For the $5,300 credit, this likely means payments were made that weren't matched to a specific return. Since your 1040-X wasn't received, the IRS doesn't know how to apply some of those payments, which explains the credit. And yes, it's possible some payments were applied to your husband's account if you used different payment methods or identification information. If you can't access your online account, you can request a tax transcript. The Account Transcript specifically will show all payments, credits, and adjustments for that tax year.

I had a similar issue last year tracking down payments! After struggling for weeks with these payment processors, I finally found an actual solution with taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). They have this amazing tool that can search through all your tax records and find every payment you've made to the IRS, even when the payment processors aren't being helpful. I uploaded my confirmation emails and bank statements, and their system was able to match everything up with what the IRS had on record. They even found a payment that had been misapplied to the wrong tax year! Saved me hours of phone calls and frustration trying to reach customer service reps who never seemed to answer. You might want to give it a try since you're dealing with multiple payment processors and trying to figure out that mysterious $5,300 credit.

I just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai after reading about it here, and wow - it actually worked! I had a similar situation with payments made through Pay1040 that I couldn't track down. I uploaded the confirmation emails, bank statements, and the IRS notice I received. Within 2 days I had a complete report showing exactly which payments were applied where. It turns out two of my payments had been applied to the wrong tax year because I entered the wrong year code when making the payment. No wonder I couldn't figure it out! The report made it super easy to contact the IRS with proof of all my payments. I didn't even need to reach the payment processors directly. If anyone's dealing with missing payments or credits that don't make sense, definitely worth trying.

If you're still trying to reach the IRS directly, I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) - check out their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I was in a similar situation trying to figure out misapplied payments and couldn't get through on the IRS lines. After weeks of frustration, I tried Claimyr and got connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes when I had previously been trying for DAYS. They hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you once they've reached an agent. The IRS representative was able to pull up all my payment records across tax years, including those made through third-party processors. They found payments that had been applied to the wrong tax year and even identified a payment that was sitting in a suspense account because of a typo in my SSN. Saved me hours of hold music and frustration.

Just wanted to update about my experience with Claimyr since I was skeptical at first. I finally tried it yesterday after reading about it here, and I'm honestly shocked at how well it worked. I had been trying for over a week to reach someone at the IRS accounts management line about my misapplied payments. Every time I'd wait 1-2 hours only to get disconnected or told to call back later. With Claimyr, I got a call back in about 45 minutes with an actual IRS agent on the line! They pulled up all my payment records including the ones made through Pay1040 and PayUSATax. Turns out one payment was applied to 2023 instead of 2022, and another was sitting in limbo because I'd transposed two digits in my SSN when entering it. If you're still trying to track down those payment records, I'd definitely recommend giving this a try. Saved me so much time and frustration!

Another option is to request a payment tracer through the IRS. Call the main IRS line and request a payment trace for each of the payments you made. You'll need the date, amount, and payment method. They can trace each payment to see exactly where it went and which tax account and year it was applied to. Also, for the 1040-X issue, remember that amended returns can't be e-filed (though this is changing), so if you e-filed it, that would explain why they never received it. Make sure to mail it with certified mail next time so you have proof of delivery.

Just a warning from personal experience... if you paid via credit card through those processors, check your statements carefully! Last year I made payments through Pay1040 and they accidentally charged me twice for one transaction. Took months to get it resolved since their customer service is so terrible. Also, pro tip: there's an email address that sometimes works better than their customer service form - I eventually got a response there after weeks of trying the normal channels.

I've dealt with this exact same frustration! PayUSATax and Pay1040 customer service is notoriously difficult to reach. Here are a few strategies that have worked for me and others: For PayUSATax: Try their live chat feature on their website during business hours (usually 8am-5pm EST). It's not always available, but when it is, you can sometimes get connected to a real person faster than phone. For Pay1040: Their Facebook page actually responds to messages - I know it sounds weird, but I got a response within 2 days when I messaged them there with my payment details. However, given your timeline urgency with the $5,300 credit and missing 1040-X, I'd strongly recommend calling the IRS directly at 1-800-829-0922 (this is the dedicated line for payment inquiries). Yes, the wait times are brutal, but they can see ALL payments made to your account regardless of which processor was used. They can also help you understand why payments might have been applied to different accounts. Since your husband originally filed as Single and you're trying to amend to Married Filing Jointly, there's a good chance the IRS systems are having trouble matching payments between your individual accounts. The IRS can actually initiate payment traces on their end without you needing the processor details first. The $5,300 credit is likely payments sitting in a "suspense account" waiting to be properly applied once your amended return is processed.

I've been through a similar situation with tracking down payments from multiple processors! Here's what worked for me: For PayUSATax, try calling early morning (around 7:30-8:00 AM EST) - I found their phone system is less congested then and you're more likely to get through to a person. Also, if you have a business account with them, there's sometimes a separate business support line that's faster. For Pay1040, beyond the Facebook messaging that others mentioned, try their LinkedIn company page - they actually respond to professional inquiries there pretty quickly since fewer people think to use it. But honestly, given your timeline and the complexity with the missing 1040-X and mysterious $5,300 credit, I'd skip the payment processors entirely and go straight to the IRS. The key is calling the right number at the right time. Try 1-800-829-1040 (the main line) at exactly 7:00 AM when they open - you'll get through much faster than calling during peak hours. When you do reach the IRS, ask them to do a "payment history inquiry" for both your SSN and your husband's SSN for tax year 2022. They can see everything in real-time, including payments that might be sitting in processing limbo. This will be way more comprehensive than anything the payment processors can tell you. The $5,300 credit is almost certainly related to your missing amended return - payments probably got applied but the IRS doesn't know how to reconcile them without the corrected filing status.