What Happened to the EFTPS Payment System? New Login Requirements?

The EFTPS system recently transitioned to using either LOGIN.GOV or ID.me for authentication as part of the IRS's broader security upgrade. This change started rolling out in early 2025 and affects all EFTPS users. You will need to create new credentials through either LOGIN.GOV or ID.me to access your EFTPS account moving forward. Your payment history and scheduled payments should still be there, but you'll need to set up the new authentication method. Both LOGIN.GOV and ID.me are secure identity verification services that help protect your tax information. The good news is your old EFTPS account information still exists - it's just behind a new security layer. Once you set up the new login credentials, you'll be able to access your same account with all your payment history.

I had the exact same issue last month when trying to make my estimated tax payment! After getting redirected to those new login options, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which helped me understand what was happening with the EFTPS system changes. Their AI tool explained that this is part of the IRS's new security initiative, and they walked me through the entire process of setting up my LOGIN.GOV credentials and linking it back to my EFTPS account. It saved me a ton of frustration because the transition wasn't explained very well on the EFTPS site itself. They even showed me screenshots of what each step would look like!

Just wanted to update - I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and it was super helpful! The guide they provided for setting up LOGIN.GOV and connecting it to my existing EFTPS account was amazingly clear. The whole process took about 15 minutes following their instructions, and I could see all my previous payment history and scheduled payments once I got in. The best part was they explained why the IRS made this change (apparently it's part of some bigger security upgrade across all their systems) and what to expect going forward. I'm actually glad I made the switch because the new login seems more secure than the old PIN system.

If you're struggling to get through to the IRS to ask questions about the EFTPS change, try using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent days trying to reach someone at the IRS about this exact issue and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. With Claimyr, I got connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes who explained the whole EFTPS transition and helped me troubleshoot an issue I was having connecting my old account. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was honestly shocked it worked because I'd basically given up on getting through to anyone at the IRS by phone.

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I was desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about the EFTPS transition because I couldn't recover my old payment information. Gave Claimyr a shot and they actually got me through to an IRS agent in about 30 minutes. The agent explained that my EFTPS account was flagged because I had made too many incorrect login attempts (while trying to use my old PIN). They helped me reset everything and connect my account to LOGIN.GOV. All my payment history and bank information was still there. I've literally never gotten through to a human at the IRS before this, so I'm genuinely impressed. Still can't believe it worked.

For what it's worth, I think the EFTPS transition to LOGIN.GOV/ID.me is actually a good thing for security. The old system with just a PIN was pretty basic, and with all the tax fraud happening these days, the stronger authentication makes sense. I went through the LOGIN.GOV setup about a month ago. Took maybe 15 minutes total and now I actually feel better about making payments through the system. The multi-factor authentication gives me more peace of mind.

Does anyone know if we can still call EFTPS directly to make payments instead of dealing with this new login system? I'm not comfortable with all this online verification stuff.

I went through this exact same frustration about 3 weeks ago! The transition caught me completely off guard too. I ended up choosing LOGIN.GOV and it was actually pretty straightforward once I got past the initial confusion. Here's what I learned: your old EFTPS account and all your information is still there - they just added this new security layer on top. After setting up LOGIN.GOV (took about 10 minutes), I was able to access my same account with all my payment history, saved bank accounts, and even my scheduled quarterly payments. The IRS apparently made this change as part of a broader security upgrade across all their systems. While it was annoying at first, I have to admit the new authentication feels much more secure than the old PIN system. I'd recommend just biting the bullet and setting up one of the new login methods - LOGIN.GOV seems to be the more popular choice based on what I've seen here. Don't worry about losing your account data - it's all still there waiting for you once you get through the new login process!

I went through this same transition about two weeks ago and wanted to share my experience since it sounds like a lot of people are dealing with this surprise change. The new LOGIN.GOV requirement initially frustrated me too, but once I got through the setup process, I actually prefer it to the old PIN system. The multi-factor authentication gives me more confidence that my tax payment information is secure, especially with all the identity theft issues we hear about these days. One thing that helped me was doing the LOGIN.GOV setup on a desktop computer rather than my phone - the interface seemed cleaner and easier to navigate. The verification process was straightforward: just email confirmation and a text message code to my phone. After connecting through LOGIN.GOV, I was relieved to find all my saved payment methods, scheduled payments, and payment history exactly where I left them. The IRS definitely could have communicated this change better to users, but the actual transition preserves all your existing account information. For anyone still on the fence about making the switch, I'd recommend just getting it done before your next payment deadline. It's a one-time setup that takes about 15 minutes, and then you're back to making payments as usual with better security.