When paying taxes online using a credit card, you will have a couple of options. The Internal Revenue Service doesn’t accept credit card payments on IRS.gov but there are approved payment processors that accept payments from credit and debit cards. You can see the full list of payment processors below.
- Pay1040
- PayUSAtax
- OfficialPayments
Each of these above payment processors has its own payment processing fees ranging from $2 to 1.90% of the amount paid. You can also pay taxes with your bank account on IRS Direct Pay but it isn’t a convenient option if you want your payment to reach the IRS as soon as possible.
This is the fastest way of paying taxes online. At the time of writing, the fees for the above payment processors are as follows.
- Pay1040
- Credit Card: 1.96%
- Debit Card: $2.55
- OfficialPayments
- Credit Card: 1.99%
- Debit Card: $2.00 for payments under $1,000, $3.95 for payments over $1,000
- PayUSAtax
- Credit Card: 1.96%
- Debit Card: $2.55
All three of these payment processors accept all kinds of payments from VISA, Master Card, Discover, and American Express to Amex Express Checkout to NYCE to Pulse and more. See the full list of accepted payments on IRS.gov.
Keep in mind that it may a few hours for your payment to be processed. Once you’re done paying, make sure to keep the confirmation number as you will use it to track the status of your payment.
On the other hand, you can use the IRS Direct Pay to make payments using a bank account. This will also allow you to pay taxes quickly but the amount of time it takes for your payment to be processed is significantly longer. This is due to how payment is made. On average though, payments made on Direct Pay take about two business days to be processed.
However, if you place your payment after 9 PM or on a Sunday, your payment will begin processing the next business day so depending on when you make your payment, it may take up to 3 business days.
The IRS Direct Pay is best for those who are going to make large tax payments but for that, the IRS recommends using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). To pay taxes on EFTPS, you must enroll and create an account. The EFTPS is also best for business.