How many credit cards can I use to pay my taxes?

[wasCB14]

Copying part of my post from FT...I have also used the "payment verification" tool on pay1040 just now and searched by SSN, last 4 digits, and tax payment amount. Every one of my five payments has been confirmed.

With pay1040, I have made the following payments, all quarterly estimates:
2016 estimated taxes in 2017 once
2017 estimated taxes in 2017 twice
2017 estimated taxes in 2018 once
2018 estimated taxes in 2018 once

I'm not sure if this is unusual, but I've had no payments rejected, and received no relevant notices from the IRS.

Maybe it matters that I was making estimated payments, instead of a return payment?

*Or maybe pay1040 defines "year" based on tax due dates or filing dates, rather than tax years or the calendar year of payment?

[longtimelurker]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

Copying part of my post from FT...I have also used the "payment verification" tool on pay1040 just now and searched by SSN, last 4 digits, and tax payment amount. Every one of my five payments has been confirmed.

With pay1040, I have made the following payments, all quarterly estimates:
2016 estimated taxes in 2017 once
2017 estimated taxes in 2017 twice
2017 estimated taxes in 2018 once
2018 estimated taxes in 2018 once

I'm not sure if this is unusual, but I've had no payments rejected, and received no relevant notices from the IRS.

Maybe it matters that I was making estimated payments, instead of a return payment?

*Or maybe pay1040 defines "year" based on tax due dates or filing dates, rather than tax years or the calendar year of payment?

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From the IRS link posted earlier ( https://www.irs.gov/payments/frequency-limit-table-by-type-of-tax-payment) you are allowed 2 1040 payments a year and up to 8 (2 per quarter) 1040 ES  so this is well within those limits.   The screenshots above were for straight 1040 payments, and so they do not allow more than 2 per tax year.

Now I don't know what happens if I make say 2 Q2 1040ES payments using one processor and then make another Q2 1040ES with another.  My guess is that the processor will accept the third payment (assuming it is only checking its records) and then the IRS may return the payment.

[wasCB14]

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@wasCB14 wrote:

Copying part of my post from FT...I have also used the "payment verification" tool on pay1040 just now and searched by SSN, last 4 digits, and tax payment amount. Every one of my five payments has been confirmed.

With pay1040, I have made the following payments, all quarterly estimates:
2016 estimated taxes in 2017 once
2017 estimated taxes in 2017 twice
2017 estimated taxes in 2018 once
2018 estimated taxes in 2018 once

I'm not sure if this is unusual, but I've had no payments rejected, and received no relevant notices from the IRS.

Maybe it matters that I was making estimated payments, instead of a return payment?

*Or maybe pay1040 defines "year" based on tax due dates or filing dates, rather than tax years or the calendar year of payment?

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From the IRS link posted earlier ( https://www.irs.gov/payments/frequency-limit-table-by-type-of-tax-payment) you are allowed 2 1040 payments a year and up to 8 (2 per quarter) 1040 ES  so this is well within those limits.   The screenshots above were for straight 1040 payments, and so they do not allow more than 2 per tax year.

Now I don't know what happens if I make say 2 Q2 1040ES payments using one processor and then make another Q2 1040ES with another.  My guess is that the processor will accept the third payment (assuming it is only checking its records) and then the IRS may return the payment.

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So 355F1 may potentially have two payments returned? It looks to me like 355F1 made 2 payments with each of 2 processors (4 payments total), all as 1040 and not 1040-ES.

What you say about the quarterly limits makes sense to me, and is consistent with my experience (and lack of problems). I do think FT's choice of words can be clarified.

[355F1]

I made a total of SIX payments tonight.

All 1040 taxes due.

2 with pay1040
2 with official tax payments
2 with payusatax

Not sure if someone thought I was only able to make a total of 2 payments.

I made 2 payments per processor, and THEN I tried a third AFTER each of the 2 payments cleared.

[wasCB14]

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@355F1 wrote:
I made a total of SIX payments tonight.

All 1040 taxes due.

2 with pay1040
2 with official tax payments
2 with payusatax

Not sure if someone thought I was only able to make a total of 2 payments.

I made 2 payments per processor, and THEN I tried a third AFTER each of the 2 payments cleared.

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The cause for unease is that the IRS (according to the payment frequency limit table to which LTL shared the link) will only accept 2 1040 payments. It therefore seems unusual that they would apparently allow up to 6 1040 payments if the payments are spread across 3 CC processors. Because the 6 payments are in such close proximity to each other, it is possible that the IRS can't track efficiently how many payments it has received per SSN. The card processors clearly do block further payments when their internal records say someone's over the IRS limit...but in the event the limit is 2 1040 payments across ALL processors and other methods of payment, processors wouldn't know how many payments are going through checks, withdrawals, or other card processing services.

It seems to work for others on FT, though.