4 ms·

I'm one of those weirdos who still uses checks to submit quarterly taxes. I'd rather pay the $20 every few years for new basic checks instead of digitally integ

by nickjj 5y ago

I'm one of those weirdos who still uses checks to submit quarterly taxes. I'd rather pay the $20 every few years for new basic checks instead of digitally integrating with the IRS. I'm not doing anything bad or sketchy either, I just feel more comfortable doing it by check. I've thought about converting to digital next year but with this new policy, there's no chance of that.

jiveturkey 5y ago
I guess you're not in California? Which requires online payment. Note that paying estimated tax doesn't today require a login, so I am pretty sure this won't change that. It's just like signing up for a service -- super one click easy. It's the cancelling that's hard.
- nickjj 5y ago
  Ah, yep I'm in NY where state taxes are encouraged to be done digitally but it's not a hard requirement. My accountant sends the vouchers every quarter. I didn't realize estimated taxes didn't require a login. That's promising. Thanks for the tip. Although I just checked online on the official irs.gov site and it looks like they charge you additional fees for paying electronically. It would be cheaper for me to buy checks and stamps than to pay their $2.50 debit transaction fee 8 times per year (1 state + 1 fed x 4).
  - jiveturkey 5y ago
    no there's no charge. there's a credit fee if you use a credit card, and i guess you're saying there's a debit fee for a debit card, but since you pay by check today anyway just pay by e-check instead.
    - nickjj 5y ago
      I think there's a $2.50 fee if you pay by debit card based on this https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-your-taxes-by-debit-or-credit-card https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-your-taxes-by-debit-or-cred.... Unless I'm misreading that it's saying if I pay through a debit card I will be charged $2.50 based on "$2.50 flat fee for consumer or personal debit card". I have a personal debit card hooked up to my checking account. I'll circle up with my accountant to double check. If there's a no login solution to pay all estimated taxes electronically without a fee and I can control when the transaction happens by entering a debit card I'd consider using that.
      - jiveturkey 5y ago
        That makes sense, they just pass the debit fee on to you. However e-check is an ACH transaction. I've never seen any online payment site that charges for e-check as I believe there isn't an individual transaction fee associated to ACH. Just because your debit card is connected to checking, doesn't mean that if you pay by e-check it automatically invokes the debit fee. It's only if you pay via the debit method, eg if you don't want to give our your true account number for some [wrong] reason. I am absolutely certain there is no charge as this is the one and only way I pay taxes, and like you I would mail a check if there were any fee at all attached to e payment.
        nickjj 5y ago
        Ah now I remember why I don't file electronically. For estimated taxes to NY it only allows "direct debit from bank account" which is classified on Wikipedia as: "A direct debit or direct withdrawal is a financial transaction in which one person (or company) withdraws funds from another person's bank account." I don't like the idea of the government having direct access to my bank with an ability to pull funds whenever they choose to.
        jiveturkey 5y ago
        I don't disagree with the sentiment, but the government already has this ability, whether you pay electronically or not. When you write a check, the money is in fact transferred electronically, just with a paper authorization as middleman. Do you know you can write any date whatsoever on the check and it doesn't matter? Also the amount can be completely illegible. Doesn't matter. Writing a check isn't any kind of "defense" against the thing you don't like. I don't believe the tax authorities accept cash, but I may be wrong. That would be your only way to limit their reach. If "direct debit" incurs the fee, then yes, I too would write a check. Not sure from the description if that is functionally equivalent to e-check or ACH, or if it means the same as "debit card". Avoiding the fee is useful, but avoiding the reach is impractical and not achieved with a check.
- PopAlongKid 5y ago
  >California? Which requires online payment. Only for those who have had to make a payment in the past of $20,000 or more at one time, so the vast majority of CA taxpayers are not subject to this requirement. And the penalty is 1% so it is not out of the question to pay by non-electronic means and accept the penalty.
- octoberfranklin 5y ago
  Washington claims to "require" online payments for business taxes but they keep cashing my paper checks. Call their bluff using certified mail.

by nickjj 5y ago

jiveturkey 5y ago

I guess you're not in California? Which requires online payment. Note that paying estimated tax doesn't today require a login, so I am pretty sure this won't change that. It's just like signing up for a service -- super one click easy. It's the cancelling that's hard.

nickjj 5y ago
Ah, yep I'm in NY where state taxes are encouraged to be done digitally but it's not a hard requirement. My accountant sends the vouchers every quarter. I didn't realize estimated taxes didn't require a login. That's promising. Thanks for the tip. Although I just checked online on the official irs.gov site and it looks like they charge you additional fees for paying electronically. It would be cheaper for me to buy checks and stamps than to pay their $2.50 debit transaction fee 8 times per year (1 state + 1 fed x 4).
- jiveturkey 5y ago
  no there's no charge. there's a credit fee if you use a credit card, and i guess you're saying there's a debit fee for a debit card, but since you pay by check today anyway just pay by e-check instead.
  - nickjj 5y ago
    I think there's a $2.50 fee if you pay by debit card based on this https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-your-taxes-by-debit-or-credit-card https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-your-taxes-by-debit-or-cred.... Unless I'm misreading that it's saying if I pay through a debit card I will be charged $2.50 based on "$2.50 flat fee for consumer or personal debit card". I have a personal debit card hooked up to my checking account. I'll circle up with my accountant to double check. If there's a no login solution to pay all estimated taxes electronically without a fee and I can control when the transaction happens by entering a debit card I'd consider using that.
    - jiveturkey 5y ago
      That makes sense, they just pass the debit fee on to you. However e-check is an ACH transaction. I've never seen any online payment site that charges for e-check as I believe there isn't an individual transaction fee associated to ACH. Just because your debit card is connected to checking, doesn't mean that if you pay by e-check it automatically invokes the debit fee. It's only if you pay via the debit method, eg if you don't want to give our your true account number for some [wrong] reason. I am absolutely certain there is no charge as this is the one and only way I pay taxes, and like you I would mail a check if there were any fee at all attached to e payment.
      - nickjj 5y ago
        Ah now I remember why I don't file electronically. For estimated taxes to NY it only allows "direct debit from bank account" which is classified on Wikipedia as: "A direct debit or direct withdrawal is a financial transaction in which one person (or company) withdraws funds from another person's bank account." I don't like the idea of the government having direct access to my bank with an ability to pull funds whenever they choose to.
        jiveturkey 5y ago
        I don't disagree with the sentiment, but the government already has this ability, whether you pay electronically or not. When you write a check, the money is in fact transferred electronically, just with a paper authorization as middleman. Do you know you can write any date whatsoever on the check and it doesn't matter? Also the amount can be completely illegible. Doesn't matter. Writing a check isn't any kind of "defense" against the thing you don't like. I don't believe the tax authorities accept cash, but I may be wrong. That would be your only way to limit their reach. If "direct debit" incurs the fee, then yes, I too would write a check. Not sure from the description if that is functionally equivalent to e-check or ACH, or if it means the same as "debit card". Avoiding the fee is useful, but avoiding the reach is impractical and not achieved with a check.
PopAlongKid 5y ago
>California? Which requires online payment. Only for those who have had to make a payment in the past of $20,000 or more at one time, so the vast majority of CA taxpayers are not subject to this requirement. And the penalty is 1% so it is not out of the question to pay by non-electronic means and accept the penalty.
octoberfranklin 5y ago
Washington claims to "require" online payments for business taxes but they keep cashing my paper checks. Call their bluff using certified mail.