Direct Pay vs. EFTPS - which should I recommend to clients' estimated payments?

[Greta]

I have been recommending EFTPS for client estimated payments. It requires a PIN to be mailed to their address, and now requires additional authentication code. I just now tried Direct Pay on irs.gov site, and it required no authentication and swiftly let me pay. I assume it's safe to pay that way? Should I recommend this method from now on?

[Skylane]

I still give them ES vouchers and envelopes to stuff with their checks…  if they want to pay electronically, I stick with direct pay

[Jim-from-Ohio · Accepted solution]

I have them use direct pay.  I ask them to print the confirmations and bring those with them when we do  next year's taxes.

[Greta]

Our problem with sending estimates by check: Virginia no longer accepts checks over $1500 per quarter, mandating electronic payments on its website that's not user-friendly. New York's Dept of Revenue online somehow does not "recognize" the (correct) taxpayer information. The Direct Pay at IRS.gov was super-easy when I tried it. I also fill out SSA vouchers for clients to withhold taxes (max allowed at 22%). I suggest year-end RMD distributions with heavy withholding. My elderly clients are having difficulty remembering estimated payments. With interest rates for underpayment now higher (8% IRS 10% Virginia) estimated payments will be important this season.

[qbteachmt]

For those who want to schedule payments, we use EFTPS. For those who won't or don't want to or have an extra payment need (such as a buy/sell of some sort), we use Direct Pay.

[BobKamman]

@Greta   The Ad Hoc Committee to Oppose Year-End RMD will be holding its annual meeting on December 29, to commemorate all the taxpayers who took the advice of waiting until year end -- and then died, or had a stroke or heart attack, or lapsed into dementia in the last couple months of the year.  

Without these self-imposed procrastinators, our work would be less and our fees would be lower.