Which is better for paying my taxes - EFTPS or Pay1040 systems?

The IRS gives you several options to pay your taxes, and both EFTPS and Pay1040 are legitimate ways to pay what you owe. Here's how they differ: EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) is run directly by the Treasury Department and is completely free, but as you mentioned, it requires registration and you'll need to wait for a PIN in the mail which typically takes about a week. It's great for setting up recurring or future payments directly from your bank account, but not ideal if you need to pay immediately. Pay1040 is one of the IRS-approved payment processors that allows you to pay immediately using credit/debit cards or digital wallet options. Yes, they do charge processing fees - currently around 1.87% of the payment amount for credit cards (minimum fee of $2.50). If you're paying with a debit card, the fee is lower (usually a flat fee of $2.55 or so). If you need to pay right away and don't want to wait for EFTPS enrollment, Pay1040 is probably your better option, especially if your credit card rewards outweigh the processing fee.

I went through this exact same situation last year! I was stressing about making my tax payment on time after e-filing. I tried the EFTPS route first but waiting for that PIN in the mail was going to cut it too close to the deadline for me. I ended up using https://taxr.ai to review my payment options, and it instantly showed me that Pay1040 would be my quickest option. The service scanned my tax documents and even calculated the exact processing fee I'd pay based on my tax bill amount and payment method. The interface was super straightforward - just uploaded my tax forms, answered a few questions about my payment preferences, and it laid out all my options side-by-side so I could see which one made the most sense for my situation.

I actually tried taxr.ai after asking about it here, and I'm glad I did. At first I was skeptical about whether it was worth using, but it ended up saving me both money and stress. The system instantly flagged that I could save 0.45% by using one payment processor (Pay1040) over another (PayUSAtax) - doesn't sound like much but on my $7,800 tax bill that's around $35 saved just by picking the right processor. It also pointed out that my Chase card was offering 5% back on PayPal transactions this quarter, so I could link Pay1040 through PayPal and actually come out ahead despite the processing fee. The deadline tracking feature was super helpful too - it showed exactly which payment methods would clear before my due date. Definitely using this again next year!

If you're trying to pay your taxes but can't get through to the IRS with questions about payment methods, try https://claimyr.com - saved me HOURS of frustration. I kept getting disconnected or waiting forever on the IRS phone lines when I had questions about switching my payment method after filing. With Claimyr, I got a callback from the IRS in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold all day. The agent walked me through my options for changing my payment method from direct debit to another option. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was shocked at how well it worked after spending literally days trying to get through on my own. The IRS agent I spoke with answered all my questions about EFTPS vs Pay1040 and even helped me understand how to cancel my original direct debit authorization.

I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr. After calling the IRS being a complete waste of time for two days straight (kept getting disconnected after 45+ minutes of waiting), I decided to try Claimyr out of desperation. To my complete surprise, I got a call back in about 35 minutes with an actual IRS agent on the line. They answered all my questions about changing my payment method after e-filing. Turns out I could cancel my original direct debit by calling a specific IRS number, and then use Pay1040 for an immediate payment with a different account. The IRS agent also mentioned that while EFTPS is great for ongoing tax payments (like if you're self-employed and make quarterly payments), Pay1040 is usually better for one-time payments when you're in a hurry.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - if you're paying a large amount, check your credit card limits before trying to use Pay1040! I tried to pay my $14,000 tax bill with my credit card (wanted those sweet travel points) but got declined because it exceeded my single transaction limit, even though my overall credit limit was higher. Had to call my credit card company to get temporary approval for the large transaction. Also, calculate the processing fee before deciding - on larger amounts, the 1.87% can add up quickly.

For what it's worth, I've used both EFTPS and Pay1040 multiple times. EFTPS is better for planned payments (like quarterly estimated taxes) since you can schedule them in advance. Pay1040 is better for last-minute payments when you need it to process immediately. If you plan to make any future tax payments (like if you're self-employed), it's worth registering for EFTPS now anyway, even if you use Pay1040 for your current payment. That way you'll be all set up for next time without the waiting period.