SmallBizResource Blog -- Government

3 Options For Extending Your Tax Payments

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins Monday, Apr 13, 2009, 02:37 PM ET

Filing your taxes on deadline is one thing, but coming up with the cash to pay your tax bill may pose an even bigger challenge especially amid this recession. Here's 3 ways to buy yourself a little more time to pay up.

The IRS is unrelenting about meeting your tax filing deadlines, but when it comes to actually sending your hard earned dollars to the Federal Treasury, there's a little more leeway. Here are 3 recommended payment options straight from the IRS that are worth investigating if you do need more time to come up with the cash.

1. Additional Time To Pay -- Based on your circumstances, you may be granted a short additional time to pay your tax in full. The IRS is sometimes able to allow a brief additional amount of time to pay in order to facilitate tax debt repayment. A brief additional amount of time to pay can be requested through the Online Payment Agreement application at IRS.gov or by calling 800-829-1040. Taxpayers who request and are granted an additional 30 to 120 days to pay the tax in full generally will pay less in penalties and interest than if the debt were repaid through an installment agreement over a greater period of time.
2. Installment Agreement -- You can apply for an IRS installment agreement using our Web-based OPA application on IRS.gov. This Web-based application allows taxpayers who owe $25,000 or less in combined tax, penalties and interest to self-qualify, apply for, and receive immediate notification of approval. You can also request an installment agreement before your current tax liabilities are actually assessed by using OPA. The OPA option provides you with a simple and convenient way to establish an installment agreement and eliminates the need for personal interaction with IRS and reduces paper processing.
3. Pay By Credit Card Or Debit Card -- You can charge your taxes on your American Express, MasterCard, Visa or Discover credit cards. Additionally, you can pay by using your debit card. However, the debit card must be a Visa Consumer Debit Card, or a NYCE, Pulse or Star Debit Card. To pay by credit card or debit card, contact one of the service providers at its telephone number or Web site listed below and follow the instructions. There is no IRS fee for credit or debit card payments, but the processing companies charge a convenience fee or flat fee. If you are paying by credit card, the service providers charge a convenience fee based on the amount you are paying. If you are paying by debit card the service providers charge a flat fee of $3.95, do not add the convenience fee or flat fee to your tax payment.

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Government