The free way: IRS Direct Pay
IRS Direct Pay moves money straight from your bank account to the IRS, no fee, no account or password to create. Here's the walkthrough:
- Go to the IRS Direct Pay page on irs.gov (search "IRS Direct Pay" - the IRS doesn't want links to its payment tools posted around the web for phishing-safety reasons, so type it directly into your browser).
- Choose the reason for payment: "Estimated Tax".
- Choose the tax form: 1040-ES.
- Choose the tax year you're paying for (the current year, e.g. 2026).
- Verify your identity using information from a recent tax return (name, address, filing status, and a few details from a prior-year return).
- Enter your bank account and routing number, and the payment amount (your quarterly number from the calculator).
- Review and submit. You'll get a confirmation number, save it.
You can schedule a payment up to 365 days in advance, so you can set up all four 2026 due dates in one sitting if you want to stop thinking about it.
Other ways to pay
- EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System): also free, but requires enrolling in advance (you get a PIN by mail, which takes about a week) - better if you want a recurring system long-term, slower to set up the first time.
- Debit or credit card: through an IRS-approved third-party processor. Convenient, but always carries a processing fee (a percentage of the payment, sometimes worth it for the cash-back/points if your card earns more than the fee costs).
- Check or money order by mail: mailed with a paper Form 1040-ES voucher to the address listed for your state in the 1040-ES instructions. Slowest and the easiest to lose track of - not recommended unless you have a reason to avoid the online options.
- IRS mobile app (IRS2Go): wraps Direct Pay and card payment options in an app if you'd rather pay from your phone.
A few things that trip people up
- Make sure you select "1040-ES" and "Estimated Tax", not a different form - picking the wrong reason can misapply your payment and cause confusing notices later.
- Pick the correct tax year - if you're paying your Q1 2026 estimate in April 2026, the year is 2026, not 2025.
- Save your confirmation number every time. If a payment ever goes missing, this is what support will ask for.
Already past a due date?
Pay it as soon as you can anyway - the IRS underpayment penalty is calculated like interest and stops accruing the moment you pay, it isn't a flat fee that's the same no matter when you pay. See our penalty explainer for how that's actually calculated.