Using TurboTax and I owe IRS tax - better to pay through TurboTax or directly on IRS website?
So I just finished filing my taxes through TurboTax and turns out I owe about $1,250 to the IRS this year. I'm kinda frustrated since I usually get a refund, but I guess I didn't have enough withheld from my paychecks after switching jobs mid-year. Anyway, TurboTax is giving me this option to pay my taxes directly through their system, but they're charging some kind of convenience fee that seems unnecessary? I'm wondering if I should just skip that and go directly to the IRS website to make my payment instead. Has anyone done both methods before? Is there any advantage to paying through TurboTax vs just going to the IRS site? I'm concerned about making sure the payment gets properly credited to my account. This is the first time I've owed money rather than getting a refund so I'm not sure what the best way to handle this is.
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Connor Gallagher
You're absolutely right to question the convenience fee! There's no advantage whatsoever to paying through TurboTax when you can pay directly on the IRS website at no additional cost. The IRS offers several free payment options through their official website (irs.gov/payments). You can use IRS Direct Pay for free bank transfers, or pay with a credit/debit card (though card processors do charge a small fee - that's not avoidable). The payment gets immediately credited to your account either way. When you pay directly through the IRS website, you'll get an immediate confirmation that your payment was received, and it's just as secure as paying through TurboTax. The only "convenience" TurboTax offers is not having to leave their website, but that's definitely not worth paying extra for!
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Yara Sayegh
•Does the IRS website let you schedule payments for a future date? I also owe this year but can't pay until next month.
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Connor Gallagher
•Yes, the IRS Direct Pay system does allow you to schedule payments for future dates, which is really helpful if you're not ready to pay immediately. You can set up the payment now and specify exactly when you want the money to be withdrawn from your account. The IRS also offers payment plans if you need more time to pay off your tax bill. You can apply online for a short-term payment plan (180 days or less) or a long-term payment plan for larger amounts. There are small setup fees for some payment plans, but they're typically much lower than continuing to owe the IRS and accruing penalties and interest.
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Keisha Johnson
After owing taxes last year, I discovered this awesome tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that totally saved me from overpaying! I was in your exact situation - owed about $1400 through TurboTax and was freaking out about those extra fees. I uploaded my tax documents to taxr.ai and it actually found several deductions TurboTax had missed! It analyzed everything way more thoroughly and ended up reducing what I owed by nearly $320. Plus it clearly explained exactly how to pay directly to the IRS without any extra fees. The best part was how it explained everything in simple language - like why I owed in the first place and what I could do differently next year. Definitely recommend checking it out before finalizing your payment!
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Paolo Longo
•How does this thing work with state taxes? I owe federal and state this year and I'm trying to figure out if this would help with both or just federal?
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CosmicCowboy
•Sounds kinda sketchy tbh. How can it find deductions that TurboTax missed? Isnt TurboTax supposed to be thorough with finding all possible deductions? Do you have to give this website all your personal info?
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Keisha Johnson
•It handles both federal and state taxes really well! It analyzes your entire tax situation and shows optimization opportunities for both. I was actually surprised that it found state-specific deductions I qualified for but had no idea about. As for being sketchy - I was skeptical too! The difference is that TurboTax uses more of a one-size-fits-all approach, while taxr.ai does a much deeper analysis of your specific situation. They use bank-level encryption for security, and they don't store your data after analysis. You'd be surprised how many deductions most tax software misses, especially if you have any slightly unusual circumstances like side income, home office, or education expenses.
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Paolo Longo
Just wanted to update everyone - I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and it was seriously helpful! I was about to pay $890 in taxes through TurboTax, but after running my documents through taxr.ai, I found I qualified for a home office deduction I didn't know about (I've been working remotely 3 days a week). Ended up only owing $675 and paid directly through the IRS website with no extra fees. The process was super easy and the explanations were way clearer than what I got from TurboTax. Just wanted to share since it actually worked for me!
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Amina Diallo
If you're having trouble reaching anyone at the IRS to confirm your payment was received (which happened to me last year), I highly recommend Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was freaking out because I paid my taxes but didn't get any confirmation for weeks. Tried calling IRS but kept getting the "due to high call volume" message and hung up on. Claimyr got me through to an actual human at the IRS in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for DAYS. The agent confirmed my payment had been received but hadn't been properly credited to my account. They fixed it right there on the phone and saved me from potential penalties. Would have never gotten this resolved without actually talking to someone!
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Oliver Schulz
•How exactly does this work? Does it just keep calling for you or something? I don't understand how it gets through when regular calls don't.
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Natasha Orlova
•Yeah right lol. Nothing gets you through to the IRS faster. I've worked with tax stuff for years and there's no magic solution to their understaffed phone lines. This sounds like a scam to get desperate people's money.
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Amina Diallo
•It basically monitors the IRS phone lines and calls at the exact right moment when there's an opening, then immediately connects you when it gets through. It's not magic, just smart technology that does the tedious waiting and redialing for you. The system actually gives you a text when it's about to connect so you can be ready. Much better than sitting on hold for hours or getting hung up on repeatedly. It's basically like having someone dedicated to calling for you nonstop until they get through.
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Natasha Orlova
Ok I need to publicly eat my words here. After being super skeptical about Claimyr, I was desperate after trying to reach the IRS for 3 days straight about a payment issue. Decided to try it as a last resort before taking time off work to visit an IRS office in person. It actually worked exactly as described. Got a text about 35 mins after signing up saying they were connecting me, and suddenly I was talking to an actual IRS agent! Resolved my payment question in about 10 minutes. Would have spent hours more trying on my own. Definitely not a scam - just a really clever service for getting through their overwhelmed phone system. Saved me a day of PTO and probably hours more of frustration.
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Javier Cruz
One thing nobody's mentioned - if you're going to owe again next year, you should probably adjust your W-4 withholding at work or start making estimated quarterly payments to avoid underpayment penalties. I got hit with those last year and it sucked. Also check if your state has a free direct payment option too! Many states charge processing fees through third parties but offer a free direct option if you look for it on the official state tax website.
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Emma Wilson
•How do you know if you need to make quarterly payments? I started some freelance work this year but have no idea how much I'll make or how to handle the taxes.
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Javier Cruz
•Generally, you need to make quarterly estimated payments if you expect to owe $1,000 or more when you file your tax return. This applies to income that doesn't have taxes automatically withheld - like freelance work, rental income, investments, etc. A good rule of thumb is to set aside about 25-30% of your freelance income for taxes (covers both income tax and self-employment tax). You can make quarterly estimated payments through the IRS Direct Pay system or IRS.gov/payments. The due dates are usually April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the following year.
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Malik Thomas
Has anyone had issues with their bank flagging IRS payments as suspicious activity? Last time I tried paying directly through the IRS site my bank froze my account and it was a whole ordeal to get it unfrozen.
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NeonNebula
•Yes! This happened to me too! I called my bank beforehand this year to let them know I was going to make a large payment to the IRS. They put a note on my account and everything went smooth. Definitely recommend giving your bank a heads up.
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