IRS Releases Publication 966 (3/2012), Electronic Federal Tax Payment System a Guide to Getting Started
Publication 966 (3/2012)
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WHAT IS EFTPS?
EFTPS is the free Electronic Federal Tax Payment System provided by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
With EFTPS you can conveniently pay your taxes either online or by phone from anywhere, 24/7, 365 days a year. It's fast and easy, with step-by-step directions that help you make payments in minutes. It also helps ensure accuracy and reduce penalties by allowing you to schedule payments in advance and review your information throughout the process.
You have two options for enrolling in EFTPS--both are free.
ONLINE:
Step-by-step enrollment is available at EFTPS.gov. You will receive your Personal Identification Number (PIN) in the mail within five to seven business days.
PHONE:
Call 1.888.725.7879 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, to request an enrollment form by mail. You will then receive your PIN within seven business days after your completed enrollment form is received by EFTPS.
If your enrollment cannot be processed for any reason, EFTPS will notify you.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER ENROLLMENT?
As soon as you receive your PIN, you can begin scheduling payments. If you use EFTPS.gov, follow the prompts to set your Internet password. If you wish to schedule payments by phone, just call 1.800.555.3453.
NOTE
If you received a pre-enrollment letter from EFTPS, activate your enrollment by calling 1.800.555.3453. You'll need your financial institution's routing number and account number.
Using EFTPS is simple. Make sure you have your PIN and EIN/SSN. You will be prompted for any other information necessary to complete your tax payment as you go along.
1. To start, submit your tax payment information by 8 p.m. ET at least one day prior to your due date at EFTPS.gov or call:
1.800.555.3453 (Businesses) 1.800.315.4829 (Individuals)
2. After submitting your information, you will immediately receive an EFT Acknowledgment Number to keep for your records.
EFTPS will then debit your designated bank account on the date you scheduled. Your tax data will be reported to the IRS, and your records will be updated automatically.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
It's your responsibility to initiate tax payment instructions. Your payments will not be processed unless you instruct EFTPS to carry them out.
To avoid penalties related to EFTPS payments, you are responsible for:
1. Submitting your tax payment to EFTPS by 8 p.m. ET at least one calendar day before the tax due date
2. Recording the EFT Acknowledgment Number you receive
3. Making sure your account contains the funds to cover your tax payment
If EFTPS.gov is unavailable, you are still responsible for making timely payments by phone by calling 1.800.555.3453.
SCHEDULE PAYMENTS AHEAD OF TIME
With EFTPS you can schedule payment instructions up to 365 days in advance if you are an individual or 120 days in advance for businesses.
Payments can be scheduled weekly, biweekly, monthly, and quarterly--whatever is convenient for you. This is especially useful for Form 1040-ES estimated tax payments that are due quarterly.
CHECK YOUR PAYMENT STATUS ANYTIME
You may check the status and history of any payment you have made using EFTPS in the last sixteen months at EFTPS.gov.
ENROLLING ADDITIONAL ACCOUNTS OR USERS
If you need to change your financial institution information, you will need to create an additional enrollment. To do this, log in to EFTPS.gov and select My Profile; then select Edit Financial Institution Information.
If you wish to add an additional user to your account, log in to EFTPS and select My Profile; then select Additional Enrollment.
If you wish to cancel a scheduled payment, you must do so by 11:59 p.m. ET at least two business days before the scheduled date.
You can be assured your information is protected and that no one has access to your account unless you authorize it.
Online payments require three unique pieces of information for authentication:
• Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Social Security Number (SSN)
• Personal Identification Number (PIN)
• Internet password
Phone payments require your PIN as well as your EIN/SSN.
WHAT IF YOU USE A PAYROLL SERVICE?
If you use a payroll company to make some, but not all, of your tax payments, you will need to enroll in EFTPS and initiate the remainder of those payments on your own.
Even if you do use a payroll company to pay all of your taxes, it is still a good idea to enroll in EFTPS separately. This allows you to check on and ensure that payments are being made on your behalf. It also provides flexibility if you ever need to change payroll companies in the future.
If you wish to have a financial institution initiate a tax payment on your behalf through an ACH credit, you will first need to be enrolled in EFTPS.
Please check with your financial institution to see if this service is available. Financial institutions may charge you a fee for using this service.
In extraordinary circumstances, same-day tax wire payments can be made. Make sure in advance that your financial institution provides this service, and ask about fees.
1. Visit EFTPS.gov and download the Same-Day Taxpayer Worksheet.
2. Complete the first sheet--then submit both pages to your financial institution.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL TAXPAYERS
If you are located outside the United States but have a U.S. banking account, you can enroll in EFTPS.
For more information and other options for those outside the United States with federal tax liabilities, please consult the International Taxpayers Fact Sheet under the Downloads section at EFTPS.gov.
Live U.S.-based EFTPS call centers are open 24/7, 365 days a year to assist you with any of your customer service needs.
CALL:
1.800.555.4477 (Businesses) 1.800.316.6541 (Individuals)
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