EFTPS: The Electronic Federal Tax Payment System

EFTPS: The Electronic Federal Tax Payment System

A Secure Way to Pay All Your Federal Taxes

EFTPS, the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System, is a tax payment system provided free by the U.S. Department of Treasury. Pay federal taxes electronically via the Internet or phone 24/7. Visit EFTPS to enroll.

Businesses and Individuals can pay all their federal taxes using EFTPS. Individuals can pay their quarterly 1040ES estimated taxes electronically using EFTPS, and they can make payments weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Both business and individual payments can be scheduled in advance.

More than 9.5 million taxpayers are currently enrolled in the system. Since EFTPS started in 1996, there have been over 901 million electronic payments made, totaling over $20 trillion!

EFTPS is …

A Secure Government Web Site

EFTPS via the Internet is a secure government web site that uses the highest level of security available. Every user must have a secure Internet browser with 128-bit encryption in order to access the site. To log on to the system, an enrolled user must be authenticated with three pieces of unique information known only to the user: Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN or SSN), EFTPS Personal Identification Number (PIN) and an Internet Password. The combination of these three pieces of identification adds to the security of the site and the privacy of taxpayer data.

Convenience at Your Fingertips

EFTPS offers you the convenience and flexibility of making your tax payments via the Internet or phone. By 8:00 p.m.(ET) at least one calendar day in advance of the due date, you access EFTPS directly to report your tax information. You will instruct  EFTPS to move the funds from your account to the Treasury’s account for payment of your federal taxes. Funds will not move from your account until the date you indicate. You receive an immediate acknowledgement of your payment instructions, and your bank statement will confirm the payment was made.

You can initiate your tax payment 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As an added convenience,  EFTPS allows taxpayers to schedule tax payments in advance. Businesses can schedule payments up to 120 days in advance of their tax due date. Individuals can schedule payments up to 365 days in advance of their tax due date. EFTPS will automatically make your payments for you on the due date you indicate. Scheduled payments can be changed or cancelled up to 2 business days in advance of the scheduled payment date.

You can use EFTPS to make all your federal tax payments, including income, employment, estimated and excise taxes.

EFTPS Enrollment

To use EFTPS you must first enroll.  To enroll, or for more information online, visit  EFTPS or to receive an enrollment form, call EFTPS Customer Service:

• 1-800-555-4477 (for business payments)
• 1-800-316-6541 (for individual payments)
• 1-800-733-4829 (TDD Hearing-Impaired)
• 1-800-244-4829 (Español)
• 1-800-555-8778 (EFTPS Internet)
• 1-800-945-0966 (for Batch Provider payments)

And there’s more…

Tax professionals, accountants and payroll companies are discovering the added benefits of using EFTPS.

• EFTPS via the Internet or phone – Once enrolled, individual and business taxpayers can use the Internet to make all their federal tax payments via the Internet or phone. Both payment methods are interchangeable. To enroll, visit EFTPS.
• Are you a Tax Professional making multiple EFTPS payments via the Internet or phone and managing multiple PINs for your clients? Tired of the PIN going to your clients and having to retrieve it from them? Having difficulty obtaining paper FTD Coupons from your clients? You might be interested in the EFTPS Batch Provider which allows tax professionals/providers to register through the software and send up to 1,000 enrollments and 5,000 payments in one transaction. Users can synchronize enrollments and payments between the software and EFTPS database in real-time. Click here to download the EFTPS Batch Provider Software and user manual.
• EFTPS-Bulk Provider – Designed for payroll processors who initiate frequent payments from and desire automated enrollment through an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) compatible system.

Want to Get Rid of Those Paper FTD Coupons or Having Trouble Obtaining Coupons? If you are a business, forget about standing in line or last minute trips to the bank. Stop using coupons. Use EFTPS! For more information on EFTPS or to enroll in EFTPS, visit www.eftps.gov or call EFTPS Customer Service at 1-800-555-4477 to receive an Enrollment Form.

Additional Information is available in the articles below:

Publication 4132 –  Two sided sheet that explains the process of enrolling and paying via the Internet

Publication 966 –  The Secure Way to Pay Your Federal Taxes for Businesses and Individuals

Publication 4169 – Tax Professional Guide to Electronic Federal Tax Payment System

Publication 4320 – EFTPS Toolkit – contains PDF(s) and descriptions of  EFTPS educational materials and their intended target audience and is for use by tax professionals and financial institutions to assist in educating their clients on the benefits of EFTPS.

Link for ordering free Educational materials

Publication 4275 – Express Enrollment for New Businesses

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