IRS Payment Applied to Wrong Year - How to Fix?
I accidentally made a payment to the IRS for next year instead of this year. Now it's not going towards my current debt. Has anyone dealt with this before? What should I do to fix it?
40 comments
I accidentally made a payment to the IRS for next year instead of this year. Now it's not going towards my current debt. Has anyone dealt with this before? What should I do to fix it?
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40 comments


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Tom Maxon
I found a way to solve IRS payment year reallocation, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL0Uwqpj1V0
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Adaline Wong
Ugh, that sucks. I've been there before. You need to call the IRS and ask them to reallocate the payment to the correct tax year. Be prepared to wait on hold for a while though 🙄
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Gabriel Ruiz
yep, this is the way. make sure you have all your payment details ready when you call. they'll probably ask for the exact date and amount
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Misterclamation Skyblue
Waiting on hold with the IRS is the worst 😫 I swear they do it on purpose to discourage ppl from calling
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Tate Jensen
AuthorThanks for the advice! Any idea how long the wait times usually are?
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Adaline Wong
Last time I called, I was on hold for over 2 hours. It's ridiculous 🤦♂️
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Peyton Clarke
Here's what you need to do: 1. Gather all your payment information (date, amount, method of payment) 2. Call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 3. When you get an agent, explain that you need to reallocate a payment to a different tax year 4. Be polite but firm - sometimes you might need to ask for a supervisor if the first agent isn't helpful 5. Get a confirmation number or some kind of written proof of the change 6. Follow up in a few weeks to make sure the change was actually made It's a pain, but it's fixable. Good luck!
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Tate Jensen
AuthorThis is super helpful, thank you so much! I'll definitely follow these steps.
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Vince Eh
Great advice! I'd add: keep detailed notes of every conversation, including agent names and badge numbers if possible. The IRS can be a maze sometimes 🤔
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Sophia Gabriel
I found a way to get someone on the phone without waiting forever. I used this site's (claimyr.com) calling tool that dials the phone menu, stays on hold, waits for a live agent to pick up, then sends the call to my phone. It does cost $20, but it works. Here's a video about it: https://youtu.be/Jc9x-gysK0
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Tobias Lancaster
Sounds too good to be true. Has anyone else tried this?
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Ezra Beard
idk man, paying to talk to the IRS? That feels wrong somehow 🤔
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Sophia Gabriel
I get the skepticism, but it seriously saved me hours of frustration. Worth every penny imo
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Statiia Aarssizan
How does it actually work? Do they just have a bunch of people sitting on hold all day?
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Sophia Gabriel
It's automated. They use some kind of AI to navigate the phone tree and detect when a human picks up. Pretty clever actually!
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Reginald Blackwell
have you tried using the IRS website to fix this? sometimes you can make changes online without calling
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Aria Khan
oof, classic IRS move. their systems are so outdated, im not surprised this happend. good luck getting it fixed, OP!
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Everett Tutum
For real tho. The IRS needs a serious tech upgrade. It's like they're still using Windows 95 or smthn 💀
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Sunny Wang
Whatever you do, DON'T ignore this. I made that mistake once and ended up owing way more in penalties. Deal with it asap!
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Tate Jensen
AuthorYikes, thanks for the warning. I'll definitely take care of it right away.
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Hugh Intensity
Pro tip: if you can't get through on the main IRS line, try calling your local Taxpayer Advocate Service. They can sometimes help with issues like this and the wait times are usually shorter.
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Effie Alexander
This! 👆 The Taxpayer Advocate Service is a lifesaver. They helped me resolve a similar issue last year.
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Dananyl Lear
I had this exact same issue last year! The key is to call the IRS as soon as possible and request a payment reallocation. When you call, make sure you have your SSN, the exact payment amount, date of payment, and which tax years you want to move the payment between. The agent will be able to transfer the payment from the wrong year to the correct year. It usually takes about 4-6 weeks to process, but you should see the change reflected in your account. Don't wait too long though - there might be time limits on how long you can request these changes!
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Omar Hassan
Another option to consider is submitting Form 8758 (Application for Adjustment of Tax Liability) if the phone lines are too busy. You can mail or fax this form to request the payment reallocation. It might take longer than calling, but it's a good backup if you can't get through to a live agent. Just make sure to include all your payment details and clearly explain which tax year the payment should be moved to. Keep copies of everything you send!
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Marcelle Drum
This is really helpful! I didn't know there was a form option. That might be worth trying if I can't get through on the phone. Do you happen to know where I can find Form 8758? Is it available on the IRS website, or do I need to request it from them?
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Sofia Morales
You can find Form 8758 on the IRS website at irs.gov - just search for "Form 8758" in their forms section. It's available as a PDF download. Make sure you're getting the most current version though, as tax forms get updated periodically. The instructions are pretty clear about how to fill it out for payment reallocations.
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Dmitri Volkov
You can find Form 8758 on the IRS website at irs.gov - just search for "Form 8758" in their forms section. It's available as a PDF download. Make sure you're getting the most current version of the form. Also, when you fill it out, be super detailed about why you're requesting the reallocation - the more information you provide, the smoother the process usually goes!
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Amy Fleming
You can find Form 8758 on the IRS website at irs.gov - just search for "Form 8758" in their forms section. It's available as a PDF download. Make sure you're getting the most current version though, as they sometimes update these forms. You can also call the IRS forms line at 1-800-TAX-FORM if you want them to mail you a copy, but downloading is obviously much faster!
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Drew Hathaway
You can find Form 8758 directly on the IRS website at irs.gov - just search for "Form 8758" in their forms section. It's available as a PDF download. Make sure you're getting the most current version though, as they sometimes update these forms. When you fill it out, be super detailed about why you need the reallocation and include documentation of your original payment if you have it.
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Yuki Ito
You can find Form 8758 on the IRS website at irs.gov - just search for "Form 8758" in their forms section. It's available as a PDF download. Make sure you're getting the most current version though, as they sometimes update these forms. I'd also recommend calling first if possible since it's usually faster, but having the form as a backup plan is smart!
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Zara Mirza
You can find Form 8758 on the IRS website at irs.gov. Just search for "Form 8758" in their forms section. It's available as a PDF download. Make sure you're getting the most current version - the form gets updated occasionally. I'd also recommend calling first though, since phone resolution is usually faster even with the wait times.
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Amina Sy
You can find Form 8758 on the IRS website at irs.gov - just search for "Form 8758" in their forms section. It's available as a PDF download. When you fill it out, make sure to be very specific about the payment details and include documentation like bank records or confirmation numbers if you have them. The mailing address will depend on your state, so check the form instructions for where to send it.
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Melissa Lin
You can find Form 8758 on the IRS website at irs.gov - just search for "Form 8758" in their forms section. It's available as a PDF download. Make sure you're getting the most current version though, as they sometimes update these forms. Also, when you fill it out, be super detailed about why you need the reallocation - the more specific you are, the better chance they'll process it quickly.
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Eli Butler
You can find Form 8758 on the IRS website at irs.gov - just search for "Form 8758" in their forms section. It's available as a PDF download. I'd recommend calling first though since it's usually faster, but having the form as backup is definitely smart!
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Sofia Morales
You can find Form 8758 directly on the IRS website at irs.gov - just search for "Form 8758" in their forms section. It should be available as a PDF download. Make sure you're getting the most current version of the form. Also, when you fill it out, be super detailed about the payment mix-up and include any confirmation numbers or reference numbers you have from the original payment. The more documentation you provide, the smoother the process usually goes!
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PaulineW
You can find Form 8758 on the IRS website at irs.gov - just search for "Form 8758" in their forms section. It's available as a PDF download. Make sure you're getting the most current version of the form. When you fill it out, be very specific about the payment details and include any documentation you have like bank records or confirmation numbers. Good luck!
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Freya Ross
You can find Form 8758 on the IRS website at irs.gov - just search for "Form 8758" in their forms section. It's available as a PDF download. Make sure you're getting the most current version though! I'd also recommend calling first if possible since it's usually faster, but having the form as a backup plan is smart.
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Javier Gomez
You can find Form 8758 on the IRS website at irs.gov - just search for "Form 8758" in their forms section. It's available as a PDF download. I'd recommend calling first though since it's usually faster, but having the form as backup is smart. Make sure to send it certified mail if you go that route so you have proof they received it!
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Kayla Morgan
You can find Form 8758 on the IRS website at irs.gov - just search for "Form 8758" in their forms section. It's available as a PDF download. Make sure you're getting the most current version of the form. When you fill it out, be super detailed about your payment information and what you want changed. I'd also recommend sending it certified mail so you have proof they received it!
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Nia Harris
You can download Form 8758 directly from the IRS website at irs.gov - just search for "Form 8758" in their forms section. It's available as a PDF that you can fill out electronically or print and complete by hand. Make sure you're getting the current year version though! And definitely keep photocopies of everything before you mail it in case it gets lost in their system.
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