QUESTION:
What if I already filed my 1040 and scheduled an EFTPS automatic payment on April 15? Is there a way to cancel that automatic payment and take advantage of the deferral to July 15?
ANSWER:
First, the backstory. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) pushed the filing deadline to July 15, 2020. The IRS also issued guidance about payment relief – waiving penalty and interest on payments previously due on April 15, 2020. That means that tax payments aren’t due until July 15, 2020.
Some taxpayers schedule payments in advance through Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). EFTPS is a free service from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. All federal taxes can be paid using EFTPS. You can make payments via the web, a voice response system, or special channels designed for tax professionals, payroll services, and financial institutions. You can schedule business and individual payments up to 365 days in advance.
So what happens if you’ve already scheduled payments through EFTPS? I called up EFTPS to find out. Those numbers are:
- To reach an EFTPS® customer service agent: 1.800.555.4477 (en español, 1.800.244.4829)
- TDD (hearing impaired): 1.800.733.4829 (8 a.m.-8 p.m. ET M-F)
- If you’re outside the United States, call EFTPS® at 1.303.967.5916 (toll call).
They are available by phone or online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (You can find more numbers here.)
According to an EFTPS rep, to cancel a previously scheduled payment, you need to call them and have the following information:
- Your name and Tax ID number;
- The exact amount of the payment; and
- The date of the payment.
EFTPS can cancel – and reschedule – the payment with that information.