Phantom IRS Form

[BLACK BART]

I'm looking for a form which I'm not sure exists. 

I've always paid my taxes with a bank check but now that it takes IRS months to cash one I want to pay direct debit.  I've never done it before and thought there used to be a form that had to filled with the return (88-something) to do that.  Maybe I'm mistaken because on my ATX 1040 EF Info page it simply says "you owe $xxxx" and gives me four check box options (paper check/ direct debit/ credit card/ installment pay); then says go to bank account info and fill in.  Which is all fine and simple; I do that; no error messages come up; and I'm ready to file. 

But is that correct? Is that all there is to it? Years ago, before I was filing EF, it seems like some fan of direct debit told me of another form to be filled out and sent with the return.  I never did pay that way and my clients always send checks.  Reason I'm doing this is (1) the mail is so bad now (2) IRS Collections is going full speed ahead with "pay-up" and Levy notices even though they have our unprocessed checks. 

Thanx for any help.

[Possi]

That's how it works in TaxWise, yes. It's pretty simple. 

We print an "ACH 1040/ES" page as a reminder to the client.

[Lion EA]

Yes, easy peasy to do direct debit (or direct deposit) as you e-file a return.

The 88-something form is if you want to split your direct deposit into two or more accounts: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8888.pdf

[TAXMAN]

Mom and both kids want to make ach payments. Mom wants to pay kids amount from her checking account. (kids names not on account) Can she safely do that? Kids are 18 and do not have a checking/savings account.

[Lion EA]

That might be a bank question and not a tax question. Have your client talk to their banker.

Or, use IRS's Direct Pay to make payments via checking account or credit card.

[TAXMAN]

TP is going to use direct pay for everybody. I guess IRS doesn't care as long as they get the $.

[Lee B]

It will be interesting to see how this works out?

My guess is that you will have pay via third party using a credit card or debit card

[Lion EA]

Well, IRS communication is at an all time low, but we all knew that. I tried to poke around Direct Pay to see if the ownership of the bank account had to match the owner of the tax return with the balance due. Can't really get that far without actually setting up a payment. Chat popped up. I asked my question and a rep was on in seconds. Her response was "see if it will let you." Duh. I can do that without you! Our tax dollars at work.

Mom can make her own Direct Pay payment. Then try to pay for her kids. If she can't, why not have them open checking accounts at a bank that has no fee accounts? If the kids are 18, won't they be needing checking accounts/debit cards for college or jobs/direct deposit or just to buy stuff online?

Direct Pay also has a credit card option that's via a third party, as cbslee explained above, that might let mom pay for her kids.

Let us know if either option works.

[Catherine]

We have plenty of parents who pay the kid's tax from their accounts.  As long as the account numbers are valid, the IRS doesn't give a fat hoot.  They'll take the funds and apply them to the return.  

Drake has a page for the client to sign, affirming the routing and account numbers are correct.  Might not be a bad idea to use something like that, as proof you were authorized to use Mom's account for kid's tax.

[Sara EA]

I do a partnership and the individual returns for the partners.  All of them have their personal tax liabilities direct debited from the same partnership account, which is in the name of the partnership and doesn't have any of their names on it.  Money comes out on time, every time.

[JohnH]

You could also set up a personal EFTPS account. I think it’s an excellent way to handle tax payments, estimated tax, extension payments, etc.