TurboTax payment methods missing - can't find direct payment or installment plan option

This is actually a common issue with TurboTax this filing season. The payment options depend on which screen you're looking at. If you're only seeing credit card options, you're probably in the "pay your TurboTax filing fees" section, not the "pay your tax liability" section. Continue through the filing process until you reach the actual IRS payment screen (it comes after the state tax section). That's where you'll see options for direct payment from a bank account and setting up an installment plan. TurboTax separates the payment for their service from the payment to the IRS. Also, if you want to do a partial payment plus installment plan, you'll need to first select the direct bank payment option for your partial amount. Then after filing, you'll need to set up the installment agreement separately through the IRS website at irs.gov/payments/online-payment-agreement-application.

I had this EXACT same issue while filing last week! Turns out TurboTax has a really confusing workflow this year. I discovered that you need to click "Continue" past the credit card screen, which feels wrong because you think you're agreeing to use credit card. On the next page it finally showed me direct debit from checking account and payment plan options. I honestly thought I was losing my mind until I just kept clicking through. Try going to https://taxr.ai if you're still stuck - I uploaded screenshots of my TurboTax screens there and they explained the exact navigation path to find the direct payment option. It's buried about 3 screens deeper than it should be!

Just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here, and it was actually super helpful! I uploaded a screenshot of the confusing TurboTax payment screen I was stuck on, and it immediately explained that I needed to click through THREE more screens before the direct payment and installment options would appear. The interface is so unintuitive this year! But now I've got my payment set up properly - did half as direct payment and half on the installment plan. They also helped me figure out my 1099-NEC questions that I mentioned earlier. Way faster than waiting on hold with TurboTax support.

If you're struggling with TurboTax's confusing interface and need to set up a payment plan, another option is to just finish filing your taxes and then deal directly with the IRS. I had to call the IRS about an installment plan last year and it was ACTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE to get through. After days of trying, I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting disconnected. You can see a demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c They basically navigate the IRS phone tree for you and call you back when they've got an agent on the line. I was able to set up my installment agreement directly with the IRS and confirm everything was good to go. Might be easier than trying to figure out TurboTax's weird interface.

OK I feel dumb for calling the Claimyr thing a scam in my previous comment. I was desperate enough to try it yesterday after another failed attempt to reach the IRS about my refund situation. IT ACTUALLY WORKED. Got a call back in about 35 minutes and was connected to an agent who helped sort out my refund issue from last year. The best part was not having to sit with my phone on speaker for hours listening to that awful hold music! The agent I spoke with was actually really helpful once I got through. Definitely worth it for the time saved. Now I can focus on figuring out this year's mess with TurboTax...

Pro tip: If you're getting stuck in the TurboTax interface, try switching browsers or using incognito mode. I had this exact same issue where direct deposit and payment plan options weren't showing up. Turns out my browser extensions were interfering with some elements on the page. Switched to Edge (which I never use) and suddenly all payment options appeared!

Has anyone tried calling TurboTax support directly? I had this problem and called them - turns out there's a glitch in their system that sometimes doesn't display all payment options depending on how you answer previous questions in the tax interview. The rep had me go back and change my answer to the question about "how do you plan to pay your taxes" much earlier in the process, then the direct payment option finally showed up.