PayUSATax lost my $6.8K estimated tax payment - HELP!

I've seen this issue before with third-party payment processors. First, don't panic - you have documentation that can protect you. Here's what you should do right away: 1) Document everything. Print out your confirmation from PayUSATax, your bank statement showing the charge, and any emails you've received. Keep a log of all your phone calls with dates, times, and representative names. 2) File a dispute with your bank or credit card company immediately. Most banks allow between 60-120 days to file disputes for unauthorized or incorrect charges, but the sooner you do this, the better. 3) Contact the IRS directly at 800-829-1040 to explain the situation. They can't resolve the payment processor issue, but they can note your account that you're actively working to resolve a payment problem. 4) Consider requesting a Tax Advocate through the Taxpayer Advocate Service. They can help mediate these kinds of situations. The good news is that if you have proof of payment, the IRS will typically waive any penalties once the situation is resolved. This happens more often than you'd think.

I went through something similar with a different tax payment processor last year and ended up trying https://taxr.ai to help sort through all my documentation. Their system analyzed my payment receipt, bank statements, and IRS notices, then generated a detailed report showing exactly where the error occurred. What I discovered was that my payment had actually been applied to the wrong tax year, which is why it wasn't showing up where I expected. The taxr.ai report made it super clear what happened and gave me exactly what I needed to get it fixed. Saved me hours of phone calls and confusion!

Just wanted to follow up - I was skeptical about taxr.ai but decided to try it with my missing payment situation. Holy crap, it actually worked! The analysis identified that my payment had been processed but was sitting in an unassigned payments account because the payment processor had transposed two digits in my SSN. The report laid everything out so clearly that when I called the IRS, I was able to explain exactly what happened and get it resolved in one phone call. The IRS agent even commented that they wished more people came prepared with such clear documentation. Definitely recommend giving it a try if you're dealing with a lost payment situation!

After reading this thread, I feel compelled to share something that might save you weeks of frustration. When I had a similar issue last year, I spent MONTHS trying to get through to the IRS on my own with no success. The hold times were ridiculous - I once waited 3+ hours only to get disconnected. Then I discovered https://claimyr.com - they basically hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you when an agent is about to pick up. You can see how it works in this demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was able to get through to a real IRS agent in about 45 minutes instead of spending my entire day on hold. The agent was able to locate my missing payment and resolve the issue. Without being able to actually talk to the IRS directly, I might never have gotten this fixed.

I need to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After writing that skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I've been trying to reach the IRS about a CP2000 notice for weeks. The service actually worked exactly as described - I got a call back when an agent was ready (took about 90 minutes total), and I didn't have to stay on hold that whole time. The IRS agent I spoke with was able to pull up my account immediately and help resolve my issue. I wasted so much time trying to get through on my own before this. Sometimes it pays to be wrong!

I had the exact same issue with PayUSATax last year! What worked for me was filing a dispute with my credit card company. They have a specific process for when merchants don't deliver services as promised. The most important thing is to act quickly. My bank had a 90-day window for disputes, but some only give you 60 days from when the charge appears on your statement. Make sure to provide all your documentation showing you never received the service you paid for (the IRS payment not being processed). In my case, the credit card company gave me a provisional credit while they investigated, and eventually ruled in my favor. I then made my tax payment directly through the IRS website instead.

Another thing to consider - if you end up having to make the payment again while this is being sorted out, make sure to request abatement of any penalties and interest when you file your tax return. The IRS has a "reasonable cause" exception for situations like this. Form 843 is what you'd use to request abatement, and you'd include all your documentation showing you attempted to make the payment on time. I've seen cases like this where the IRS approved the abatement because it was clearly the payment processor's fault, not the taxpayer's.

I'm going through something very similar right now with a different payment processor! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. I used DirectPay to make a $4,200 estimated payment back in February and it's been missing for over 8 weeks now. What's really frustrating is that these third-party processors charge convenience fees (I paid an extra $35) but then can't even guarantee the payment actually reaches the IRS. At this point I feel like paying directly through the IRS website is the only safe option, even though their system is clunkier. I'm definitely going to try the bank dispute route based on what others have shared here. Has anyone had success getting the convenience fees refunded too when disputing these charges? It seems unfair to pay extra for a "service" that didn't work. Also planning to file complaints with both the BBB and CFPB as suggested. These payment processors need to be held accountable for these systemic issues that are clearly affecting multiple taxpayers.