Stop paying a fee to pay your taxes.
The IRS reminded everyone this month that Direct Pay moves money straight from your bank account — no sign-in, no fee. If you’re self-employed and still paying quarterly estimates by card, you’re donating a percentage for nothing.
The IRS put out a reminder on September 10 (notice IR-2026-109) that I wish more of my self-employed clients would take seriously: you can pay the IRS directly from your bank account, for free, with no sign-in and no registration. It’s called Direct Pay, it lives on IRS.gov, and a lot of people are still handing a card processor a percentage cut to do the same thing.
The timing wasn’t an accident — third-quarter estimated taxes were due September 15, five days later. And estimated taxes are exactly where this matters, because the people who pay four times a year — freelancers, sole proprietors, independent contractors — are the ones most likely to be paying by card and eating the fee.
What Direct Pay actually does
- One-time payments from a checking or savings account — no account to create, no login to remember.
- Identity check, not registration: individuals verify with details from a prior-year return; businesses match on business name and EIN.
- Pay today or schedule ahead — payments can go out the same day or be scheduled up to 365 days in advance.
- Proof built in: every payment returns a confirmation number, email confirmation is optional, and a scheduled payment can be changed or cancelled up to two business days before it runs.
IRS chief executive Frank J. Bisignano called it “a free, secure, and convenient way to pay directly from a bank account” — and on the “free” part, he’s right. Card processors typically take around 2% to move your money to the IRS. On a $5,000 quarterly estimate, that’s $100 you just gave away for nothing.
Why this is on a tax resolution blog
Because a huge share of the back-tax debt I resolve started as missed or shorted estimated payments. The underpayment penalty stacks up quietly, quarter after quarter — and then one April there’s a five-figure balance and a notice in the mailbox. Paying on time, with a free method so there’s no excuse, is the cheapest tax strategy that exists.
The bottom line: if you’re self-employed, set up your Q4 estimated payment now (due January 15), use Direct Pay, and keep the confirmation number. Future you will be glad.
Alex Volkov, CPA is a New York-licensed CPA with over two decades in accounting, focused on resolving IRS tax problems — back taxes, liens, levies, garnishments, and audits — for individuals and businesses nationwide.
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Source: Self Employed, “IRS Pushes Free Direct Pay As Q3 Estimated Tax Deadline Lands” (IRS notice IR-2026-109, Sept. 10, 2026). Read the original report.