Using Credit Card to pay taxes - which IRS payment website is most reliable?

I've used all three processors over the past few years for different tax payments. They all work fine generally, but there are some differences worth noting. Pay1040 has consistently had the lowest processing fee (1.87% last I checked), which is why I typically use them. I've never had an issue with payments going through properly - they send confirmation emails and I've always been able to verify with the IRS that payments were received. Their interface is a bit dated but functional. PayUSAtax charges slightly more (1.96% I believe), but their website is more user-friendly. I used them once when Pay1040 was having technical issues during peak filing season. ACI Payments (formerly Official Payments) typically has the highest fees (around 1.99%), but in my experience, they have the most reliable system and better customer service if you need to call. With your Amex, verify beforehand that the processor accepts it - all three should, but sometimes there are temporary issues with specific card types.

I stumbled across a service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) when I was trying to figure out the same thing last year. They have a calculator that helps you determine if paying taxes with a credit card is actually worth it after accounting for processing fees vs. rewards. I ended up using Pay1040 based on their recommendation since I had a Chase card with a signup bonus I was trying to hit. The transaction went through perfectly, posted as a purchase (not cash advance), and I had no issues. The IRS confirmed receipt of payment within 48 hours. What was helpful about taxr.ai was that they explained all the processor differences and showed exactly how much I'd save or lose based on my specific card's rewards structure. Saved me from doing all that math myself.

Just wanted to follow up - I took the advice about using taxr.ai to check which processor would be best for my situation. The calculator confirmed that using my Amex was worth it even with the processing fee because of the welcome bonus. I ended up going with Pay1040 based on their recommendation (lowest fee), and it worked perfectly! The payment went through immediately, I got an email confirmation, and it counted toward my spending requirement for the welcome bonus. Already received an email from Amex confirming the bonus will be applied to my account next statement. The whole process was much smoother than I expected after reading all those negative reviews. Definitely recommend checking taxr.ai before deciding which processor to use - saved me both money and stress!

After trying to contact the IRS about a previous tax payment issue for WEEKS with no luck (constant busy signals or disconnects), I used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to finally get through to a real person. They have this system that basically waits on hold for you and calls you back when an actual IRS agent is on the line. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c When I finally got through, I asked the IRS agent directly about credit card payments. She confirmed that all three processors (Pay1040, PayUSAtax, and ACI) are official partners, but recommended keeping the confirmation email and payment details just in case there's ever a question about your payment. She also mentioned that most issues come from people entering incorrect information (SSN, tax year, etc.) rather than problems with the processors themselves. This might be overkill if you're just making a regular payment, but if you ever need to speak with the IRS about payments not showing up properly, Claimyr saved me hours of frustration.

I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment yesterday, I was still struggling to get through to the IRS about a payment issue from my Q4 estimated taxes. Out of desperation, I tried the service. Within 2 hours, I got a call back and was speaking with an actual IRS representative. They confirmed my payment had been received but was applied to the wrong tax year. Got it fixed in one call instead of the dozen failed attempts I'd made on my own. As for the original credit card question - the IRS rep told me all three processors are legitimate, but she personally recommended avoiding peak filing times (early April, mid-October) when their systems get overloaded. She also suggested keeping screenshots of the payment confirmation page along with the email receipt.

Just a heads up about using credit cards for tax payments - make sure your credit limit can handle it! I tried to pay my $12,500 tax bill with my new credit card last year to hit a bonus, and it got declined because it exceeded my available credit. Had to split it between two cards which was a hassle. Also, double-check with Amex about how the transaction will be reported on your statement. Some processors show up with weird merchant names that don't obviously say "IRS payment" which can make record-keeping confusing.

One thing nobody's mentioned - if you use a credit card, your payment is considered "processed" on the day you submit it, even if it takes a couple days to actually hit your account. This saved me from a late payment penalty last year when I submitted my payment on April 15th though it didn't fully process until April 17th. The IRS uses the submission timestamp as your official payment date as long as the payment eventually clears.

I've been using credit cards for tax payments for the past 3 years and wanted to share some additional tips based on my experience: 1. Set up account alerts on your credit card before making the payment - some processors can take 24-48 hours to show the pending charge, which can be nerve-wracking if you're not expecting it. 2. If you're using this strategy primarily for a welcome bonus (like your Amex), consider timing your payment earlier in the tax season rather than waiting until the deadline. This gives you more buffer time to resolve any potential issues. 3. Keep a copy of your tax return along with the payment confirmation - I had one year where the IRS applied my payment to the wrong tax period, and having both documents made it much easier to get corrected. For your specific situation with the Blue Cash Everyday, that's a great card for this strategy since it has no annual fee. Just make sure the processing fee doesn't eat into too much of your welcome bonus value. In my calculations, as long as the welcome bonus is worth more than about 3x the processing fee, it's usually worth doing. Good luck with whichever processor you choose!