Set up IRS payment plan through TurboTax but can't find record of it now
I thought I was being smart by setting up a payment plan for my tax bill while filing through TurboTax. I linked my bank accounts and everything seemed good to go at the time. But now I'm freaking out because I can't find ANY record of this payment plan on TurboTax's website! It shows my return was accepted, which is great, but it's still showing the total amount I owe without any indication a payment plan exists. Has anyone else had this issue with TurboTax payment plans disappearing? April 17th is coming up fast, and while I know my filing is taken care of, I'm super worried about getting hit with fees or penalties if my payment plan isn't actually set up correctly by the deadline. Do I need to contact the IRS directly? Call TurboTax? I'm really stressed about this!
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Alice Pierce
This is actually pretty common with TurboTax. The payment plan is with the IRS, not TurboTax - they just facilitate setting it up during the filing process. Your payment plan information would be maintained by the IRS, not visible in your TurboTax account. To verify your payment plan is set up correctly, you should: 1) Create an account on the IRS website (if you don't already have one) at irs.gov 2) Look under "View Your Account" where you should see your payment plan details 3) If you don't see it there, you can call the IRS directly at the number on your tax bill Don't panic! If you completed the payment plan setup during filing and received confirmation, it's likely in the system even if TurboTax doesn't show it. The IRS typically sends a confirmation letter within 2-3 weeks after accepting your payment plan.
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Amy Fleming
•Thanks for the info! I did get a confirmation screen when I finished filing, but didn't think to take a screenshot. Do you know if there's a specific waiting period before it shows up on the IRS website? I created an account there but don't see any payment plan listed yet.
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Alice Pierce
•It can take up to 3 weeks for your payment plan to appear in your IRS online account. This is because the IRS needs to process your tax return first, and then process the payment plan request. If you filed recently, that's likely why you don't see it yet. As long as you received that confirmation screen when filing, you should be fine. The confirmation is your proof that you submitted the payment plan request before the deadline, which is what matters for avoiding penalties. Keep checking your IRS account every few days - it should appear there eventually.
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Esteban Tate
I went through the exact same stress last year! TurboTax doesn't maintain your payment plan info because they're just the middleman. I found https://taxr.ai super helpful when I was confused about my payment plan situation. I uploaded my TurboTax confirmation email and other docs, and they explained exactly what was happening with my payment plan and what to expect. The tool analyzed my situation and confirmed that my plan was already in the IRS system even though I couldn't see it online yet. Apparently there's a processing delay between when you set it up through TurboTax and when it appears in the IRS system.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
•Does taxr.ai actually connect with the IRS systems? How would they know if your payment plan is in the system if you can't see it yourself on the IRS website?
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Elin Robinson
•I'm curious - did taxr.ai require you to create an account? I'm always hesitant to share my tax info with yet another service. Was it worth it just to check on a payment plan?
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Esteban Tate
•They don't directly connect to IRS systems. They analyze your tax documents and confirmation emails to explain what's happening based on document patterns they've seen before. They correctly told me that my TurboTax confirmation meant the plan was submitted, even if not visible yet. You do need to create an account but the verification process is pretty straightforward. For me, it was definitely worth it because they explained exactly what was happening with my payment plan and what to expect next. They also told me exactly when I should start worrying if I didn't see it in my IRS account (which was about 21 days after filing).
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Elin Robinson
Just wanted to update - I decided to try taxr.ai after posting my question here. I was skeptical, but it actually helped a ton! I uploaded my TurboTax confirmation screens and the tool confirmed my payment plan was properly submitted. It even explained the exact timeline for when it would show up in the IRS system and what the confirmation letter would look like. The best part was it analyzed the confirmation code from my TurboTax submission and explained exactly what each part meant - turns out one section of the code actually indicates the payment plan was included! Never would have known that on my own. Huge relief to know I don't have to worry about penalties while waiting for official IRS confirmation.
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Atticus Domingo
If you're still worried and want to speak directly with the IRS (which I recommend), use https://claimyr.com to get through to them quickly. I wasted DAYS trying to reach someone at the IRS about my payment plan last year - kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. Then I found this service through https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c and it changed everything. They basically wait on hold with the IRS for you and call you when an actual human agent is on the line. I got through in one afternoon after spending an entire week trying on my own. The IRS agent was able to confirm my payment plan was in their system even though it wasn't showing up online yet.
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Beth Ford
•How does that even work? The IRS phone system is a nightmare - does this service have some special access or something?
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Morita Montoya
•Sounds like a scam. Why would I pay someone else to wait on hold when I can just do it myself? And how do they get you through faster than anyone else? The IRS doesn't give priority to certain callers.
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Atticus Domingo
•They use automated systems to navigate the IRS phone tree and wait on hold for you. When they reach a human agent, they conference you into the call. It's basically like having someone else do the waiting for you. They don't get you through any faster than if you waited yourself - the difference is you don't have to sit there listening to hold music for hours. You just go about your day and your phone rings when an agent is ready to talk. For me, the time saved was absolutely worth it since I had already wasted so many hours trying to get through on my own.
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Morita Montoya
I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway out of desperation. It actually worked exactly as described! I got a call back in about 90 minutes (after trying for THREE DAYS on my own with no success). The IRS agent confirmed my payment plan was already in their system even though it wasn't visible on my online account yet. She explained it takes 2-3 weeks to appear online but was definitely received before the deadline. She even gave me a confirmation number for my records. Would have saved myself so much stress if I'd just used this service from the beginning instead of wasting days on hold listening to that awful IRS music. Sometimes it's worth admitting when you're wrong about something!
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Kingston Bellamy
One thing nobody's mentioned - be sure to make your first payment on time even if you don't have official confirmation yet! If you set up a payment plan through TurboTax, they should have given you payment information including the amount and due date for your first payment. Stick to that schedule. Missing your first payment could void your entire payment plan, even if the plan itself hasn't been officially confirmed by the IRS yet. This happened to my brother last year and it was a nightmare to fix.
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Amy Fleming
•That's a really good point I hadn't considered. My first payment is supposed to be due on May 15th according to what I set up in TurboTax. Should I just go ahead and make that payment to the IRS directly if I still don't have confirmation by then?
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Kingston Bellamy
•Yes, absolutely make that May 15th payment even without official confirmation. You can pay directly through the IRS Direct Pay system on their website - just make sure to select the correct tax year and payment type (installment agreement). This way you're covered no matter what. If your payment plan is already in their system, the payment will be correctly applied to it. If there was some glitch and the plan wasn't properly set up, you've still made a payment toward your tax debt before any serious penalties kick in.
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Joy Olmedo
Has anyone ever had a payment plan completely disappear? Like, you set it up through TurboTax but the IRS has no record of it? I'm worried this might happen to me too.
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Isaiah Cross
•It happened to me once! Turned out TurboTax had a transmission error with that part of my return. I had to call the IRS and set up the payment plan directly with them. They were actually pretty understanding about it and didn't charge me any late fees since I could prove I tried to set it up on time.
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