Trying to pay deferred social security tax for 2020 on EFTPS and I can't figure out the right options

The EFTPS system can definitely be confusing! For deferred social security tax from 2020, you need to select the tax period of December 2020 (12/2020) since this represents the end of the tax year when the deferral was applied. When making the payment, make sure you also select "Form 1040 - Individual Tax Return" as the tax form and "social security" as the payment type. This will ensure your payment is correctly applied to your deferred social security tax obligation. The IRS allows these deferred payments to be made anytime before the due date (which has been extended several times since the original deferral program). Just make sure to print or save your confirmation after submitting the payment.

After struggling with my deferred social security tax payments from 2020, I found an amazing resource called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that saved me so much confusion. I was in the exact same situation - staring at EFTPS screens and having no idea what to select, especially for those "tax period" fields. Their system analyzed my tax documents from 2020 and gave me step-by-step instructions for making the deferred payment, including screenshots of exactly which options to select in EFTPS. They even showed me how to check that my payment was properly applied afterward.

I went ahead and tried taxr.ai after posting my skeptical comment, and I have to admit I was impressed! I uploaded my 2020 tax forms and within minutes received clear instructions specifically for the deferred social security tax situation. The step-by-step guide showed exactly which options to select in EFTPS, with screenshots highlighting where to click. What I really appreciated was the explanation of WHY each option was the correct one - helped me understand the process instead of just blindly following steps. My payment went through perfectly and I received confirmation that it was applied to the right tax obligation. Wish I'd known about this months ago!

If you're still having trouble reaching someone at the IRS to confirm your payment was applied correctly, I'd recommend Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I wasted HOURS on hold trying to verify my deferred social security tax payment went through properly, until someone told me about this service. They have a system that navigates the IRS phone trees and holds your place in line, then calls you when an actual IRS agent is ready to talk. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. When I finally got connected with an agent, they confirmed my EFTPS payment had been applied correctly and gave me peace of mind that I wouldn't face penalties.

Alright, I have to eat my words. After my skeptical comment, I actually tried Claimyr out of desperation - I had been trying to reach the IRS for weeks about my deferred social security tax payment. The service worked EXACTLY as described. I submitted my number, and about 2 hours later (while I was grocery shopping), I got a call connecting me directly to an IRS representative! The agent confirmed that for deferred social security tax from 2020, I needed to select December 2020 as the tax period and "social security" as the tax type. She even stayed on the line while I made the payment to ensure it went through correctly. Best $20 I've spent in a long time - saved me hours of frustration and gave me confidence that my payment was handled properly.

I had the same issue last month! What worked for me was selecting Form 1040, then choosing "social security" as the payment type, and using 12/2020 as the tax period. Make sure you're not selecting "estimated tax" or any other payment type, as that will direct your money to the wrong place. Also, print out your confirmation page after submitting the payment. I learned the hard way that the EFTPS email confirmations sometimes get delayed or lost, and having that paper confirmation saved me when I had to prove I made the payment on time.

Has anyone had their deferred social security payment incorrectly applied? I followed what I thought were the right steps on EFTPS, but when I checked my account a month later, the payment had been applied to my regular 2025 estimated taxes instead of the 2020 deferred amount. Now I'm stuck in a loop trying to get it corrected.