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Electronic tax payment enrollment alert

September 4, 2007

I cannot believe it’s September! At the first of each month, which for me is today since I took most of the Labor Day long weekend off, I look at the financial tasks I have to complete within the next 30 days.

It’s usually pay the bills, balance the bank account, contribute to the IRA. All pretty routine.

September, however, is an added-duty month. On the 17th, our estimated tax payments are due. If you file a 1040ES, too, I wanted to be sure to remind you that you can do so electronically .

Eftps_screen_shot_2
Now in the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve run into some glitches with the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System, or EFTPS.

Back in January, it was a brain fart on my part that led to momentary payment complications. Then in June, I discovered my regular tax payment was misdirected to our 2007 estimated account, but I’m not taking all the blame on that mistake.

Those issues notwithstanding, I’m still committed to electronic tax payment. So sometime next week, I’ll sign back on and transfer money for our third 2007 estimated payment from our account to the Treasury.

If you’re interested in joining me in the e-process, you need to sign up ASAP. To use EFTPS, you have to establish an account first, which the IRS says could take up to 15 days, primarily because they snail mail your enrollment specifics to you. Yeah, I know. It seems counterintuitive to me, too, but that’s Uncle Sam.

When I enrolled back in 2006, I got my account material in about a week. So there’s a good chance that if you head over to the EFTPS Web page today, you’ll be able to use the system for your September 1040ES payment.

And if you and/or the IRS are a bit slow, you’ll at least be ready when the January payment’s due.

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The More Tax Posts tab at the top of this page will take you to, well, more tax posts. You also can search below for a tax topic. 

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TAX-SAVVY WAYS 
TO WRAP UP 2026

It’s over! With October’s extended filing deadline behind us, it is now time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2026 tax bill. 

You’ll find ways to do just that on the Tax Tips page (see the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of the blog), as well as the separate tax tip pages for each month, notably October through December. If you’re on the Tax Tips page, you’ll find a monthly list at the end of this column. If you’re on another blog page, you can head straight to the October tips; at the bottom of that tips page you’ll find links to all the other 11 months’ collections of tax advice.

Not to spoil what you’ll find in that tax advice, but it does cover such things as tax deductions for charitable donations, investment moves that could reduce tax due, and ways to max out your tax-favored retirement savings. 

Finally, as the year winds down, things get hectic. There are lots of other things to occupy our time, like the much more fun upcoming holidays. But don’t lose sight of taxes, since timing is key. To be of use, most tax moves must be made by the end of the tax year. That’s Thursday, Dec. 31, which also is the last business day of the year. 

So that you don’t miss that final tax year deadline, also keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will keep you on top of just how much time is left to make important, tax-saving moves. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

Credits/Deductions
Disasters
Family
Filing and Paying Taxes
Politics/Laws
Refunds
State Taxes
Tax Brackets/Inflation
Tax Tips
Comments
  • Steve Austin
    19 years ago Reply

    I’m all rigged up and ready to pay Uncle!
    I have tried to determine whether or not I need to make a Sep payment. My current estimated 2007 tax liability is about $976. My understanding is that I can make that payment in April with no penalty. But if I find that my estimated liability rises to $1000 or above by the middle of the month, do I need to make a small payment just to keep my outstanding amount below the penalizable $1000?

  • Roth & Company, P.C.
    19 years ago Reply

    E-FILE FOR ESTIMATED TAX PAYMENTS?

    Most taxpayers are familiar with electronic filing by now. Did you know you can also electronically file and pay your…

  • Kay
    19 years ago Reply

    If you don’t want to mess with estimated taxes, you can bump up your payroll withholding. Just turn in a new W-4. You can either change exemption amount (fewer means less money taken out; if you’re single, change it to zero) or you can have a specific dollar amount taken out, say $50 more a paycheck. Just change it back in January if you want more cash in your check.

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