IRS Launches New Online Tool To Assist Taxpayers

IRS Launches New Online Tool To Assist Taxpayers With Account Balances, Paying Taxes & More

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced the launch of a new online application to help taxpayers. The new tool, available on IRS.gov, allows taxpayers to view their tax account balance online. The balance includes any amount owed for tax, as well as penalties and interest for each tax year. Once you view your balance, you can take advantage of online payment options, including direct pay, pay by debit or credit card and Online Payment Agreement.

Don’t go crazy: it isn’t a 24-hour option. The tool is available Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET; Saturday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET; and Sunday, 6 p.m. to midnight ET. The balance will update no more than once every 24 hours, usually overnight.

“This new tool is part of the IRS’s commitment to improve and expand taxpayer services by providing additional online taxpayer options,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “The new ‘balance due’ feature, paired with the existing online payment options, will increase the availability of self-service interactions with the IRS. This will give taxpayers another way to take care of their tax obligations in a fast and secure manner.”

Before using the tool, taxpayers must authenticate their identities through the Secure Access process. This is a two-step authentication process, which means returning users must have their credentials (username and password) plus a security code sent as a text to their mobile phones.