What other options for online IRS payment plan if website gives system outage error?

8 The IRS online payment system has been having a lot of technical issues lately, especially during peak filing season. There are actually several alternatives you can try: 1) Use IRS Form 9465 (Installment Agreement Request) - You can download this from the IRS website, fill it out, and mail it in. It's the old-school way but it works when the online system is down. 2) Try during off-peak hours - The system tends to work better very early morning (like 5-6am) or late night after 10pm when traffic is lower. 3) Use the IRS2Go mobile app - Sometimes the mobile app works when the website is down. It's available for both iOS and Android. 4) If you're really in a hurry, you can try calling the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040, but as you mentioned, wait times can be extremely long during tax season. Since you owe $6,400, you should qualify for a streamlined installment agreement which doesn't require detailed financial information. The standard term is 72 months, though you can pay it off faster if you want.

12 After spending literally DAYS trying to set up a payment plan online and getting that exact same error message, I finally discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it saved me so much frustration. It's this AI tool that analyzes your tax situation and actually helps guide you through alternative ways to set up payment plans when the IRS systems are down. In my case, it helped me figure out exactly which form to use and how to fill it out correctly so I didn't have to wait on hold with the IRS. The tool even explained that I qualified for a streamlined agreement without financial verification since my balance was under $50,000. It also gave me estimates of the penalties and interest I'd likely face with different payment timeframes, which helped me budget properly.

5 Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai and it was actually super helpful! I was skeptical at first (as I mentioned in my comment), but it analyzed my situation and recommended exactly which form to submit since the online system was down. It even created a personalized guide for filling out Form 9465 with my specific numbers. The best part was that it explained how to include a letter with my submission explaining that I had attempted to use the online system but encountered the outage error. Apparently this helps prevent the IRS from applying additional penalties for not using their online system. My payment plan was approved in about 3 weeks - not instant like online would have been, but WAY better than continuing to bang my head against the wall with that error message.

7 After trying for WEEKS to get through the IRS payment plan system and getting nowhere, I discovered Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They have this service that actually gets you through to an IRS agent on the phone without the insane wait times. There's a demo video here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was ready to throw my laptop out the window after seeing that system outage message for the 20th time. Called through Claimyr and got connected to an IRS rep in about 15 minutes (instead of the 2+ hours I waited the first time I tried calling). The agent was able to set up my payment plan over the phone and confirmed they've been having major issues with the online system. Super simple process once I actually got to talk to someone.

18 I was totally skeptical about Claimyr (as you can see from my earlier comment), but I was desperate after trying the online system for over two weeks and still getting that system outage message. Decided to give it a shot and I'm shocked to say it actually worked! Got connected to an IRS agent in about 25 minutes. The agent told me the online payment system has been having intermittent problems for weeks and they don't know when it will be fully fixed. She set up my payment plan over the phone in less than 15 minutes. I got an official confirmation number and everything is all set now. Honestly wish I'd tried this sooner instead of wasting days trying to make the website work!

3 You might want to check your internet cookies and cache. I had this same issue and cleared everything, then tried in incognito mode in Chrome and it finally worked! Sometimes it's just a browser issue rather than their system being completely down.

21 Has anyone tried calling the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service? I've heard they can sometimes help when you're having trouble with the regular IRS channels. Might be worth a shot if nothing else is working.

I've been dealing with the exact same issue for about two weeks now! The system outage error is so frustrating, especially when you're trying to be responsible and set up a payment plan before the deadline. One thing that worked for me was actually going to a local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center. I know it's old school, but they can help you set up the payment plan in person if you bring all your documentation. You can find locations on the IRS website - just make sure to call ahead because some require appointments. Also, if you end up having to mail in Form 9465, make sure to send it certified mail so you have proof of delivery. That way if there are any questions about timing, you can show exactly when the IRS received your request. The whole situation is really highlighting how outdated their systems are. Hoping they get this fixed soon for everyone still dealing with it!