Gift Yourself a Lower April Tax Bill: IRS Accepting Early Payments

It may seem an unorthodox gift during the holidays, but taxpayers who will owe taxes when they file their Form 1040 by April 15 can take a proactive step to lower what that payment will be: By paying some or all of it early. For the millions of Americans who pay quarterly estimated taxes, this concept is not new, but even wage earners can do this.

Taxpayers who paid too little tax during 2019 can still avoid a tax-time surprise by making a quarterly estimated tax payment now, directly to the Internal Revenue Service. The deadline for making a payment for the fourth quarter of 2019 is Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020.

Income taxes are pay-as-you-go. This means that by law, taxpayers are required to pay most of their tax during the year as income is received. There are two ways to do this:

Most wage-earning taxpayers have their taxes withheld throughout the year from paychecks, pension payments, Social Security benefits or certain other government payments.
Making quarterly estimated tax payments throughout the year. Self-employed people and investors, among others, often pay tax this way.

Either method can help avoid a surprise tax bill at tax time and the accompanying penalty that often applies. If a taxpayer failed to make required quarterly estimated tax payments earlier in the year, making a payment to cover these missed payments, as soon as possible, will usually lessen and may even eliminate any possible penalty.

The IRS recommends that everyone check their possible tax liability by using the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator. This online tool allows taxpayers to see if they are withholding the right amount and find out if they need to make an estimated tax payment. Form 1040-ES, available on IRS.gov, includes a worksheet for figuring the right amount to pay as well.

This is especially important for anyone who owed taxes when they filed their 2018 return. Taxpayers in this situation may include those who itemized in the past but will now claim the increased standard deduction, as well as two wage-earner households, employees with non-wage sources of income and those with complex tax situations.

Taxpayers who owed taxes when they last filed and who did not adjust their 2019 withholding may find that they owe taxes again, and even a penalty, when they file their 2019 return next year. Making a quarterly estimated tax payment now can help.

In addition, various financial transactions, especially late in the year, can often have an unexpected tax impact. Examples include year-end and holiday bonuses, stock dividends, capital gain distributions from mutual funds and stocks, bonds, virtual currency, real estate or other property sold at a profit.

Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, has additional details, including worksheets and examples, that can be especially helpful to those who have dividend or capital gain income, owe alternative minimum tax or self-employment tax, or have other special situations.

The fastest and easiest way to make an estimated tax payment is to do so electronically using IRS Direct Pay or the Treasury Department’s Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). For information on other payment options, visit IRS.gov/payments. If paying by check, be sure to make the check payable to the “United States Treasury.”

Though it’s too early to file a 2019 return, it’s never too early to get ready for the tax-filing season ahead. For more tips and resources, check out the Get Ready page on IRS.gov.