Simplify Your Federal and Georgia Tax Payments Online

Simplify Your Federal and Georgia Tax Payments Online

By Alicia Sher, CFP®

Paying your taxes doesn’t have to involve piles of paperwork. Both the IRS and the Georgia Department of Revenue offer secure online platforms that make it easy to manage and submit your tax payments. Here’s a step-by-step guide to streamline the process.

Paying Federal Taxes with IRS Direct Pay

While owing taxes to the IRS is never ideal, making payments doesn’t have to be a hassle. The IRS offers a fast, secure, and fee-free service called IRS Direct Pay, which allows you to make a variety of payments, including estimated taxes, extension payments, and balances due for current or prior years.

To make a payment:

1. Visit https://directpay.irs.gov *
2. Select:
   • Reason for Payment (e.g., “Balance Due” or “Estimated Tax”)
   • Apply Payment To (e.g., “1040”)
   • Tax Year
3. Enter your personal information as it appears on your most recent tax return
4. Provide your checking or savings account details
5. Review and submit your payment
6. Save the confirmation number and print or email yourself a receipt

Helpful Tips:

• You can schedule payments up to 30 days in advance
• Only one Direct Pay transaction is allowed per day

After submitting a payment, you can confirm it was applied correctly by creating an IRS Online Account, which also gives you access to your tax payment history, transcripts, and more.

Set Up Your IRS Online Account

Creating an IRS Online Account is optional for making payments; however, we highly recommend setting up in order to access your full tax history and for managing your tax records.

To register:

1. Go to https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account *
2. Select “Sign in or create account”
3. Follow the prompts to create an ID.me account (if you don’t already have one)
4. Complete identity verification by:
   • Uploading a government-issued photo ID
   • Taking a live selfie
   • Confirming key identity details

 Paying Georgia State Taxes via the Georgia Tax Center (GTC)

If you owe state taxes in Georgia, you can make payments online through the Georgia Tax Center (GTC) by setting up an account.

To get started:

1. Visit https://gtc.dor.ga.gov/_/#1 *
2. Click “Sign Up” under the “Log in” section (top right corner)
3. Click “Next” to proceed through the steps
4. Select “Individual Income Tax” and click “Next”
5. Choose “SSN” and click “Next”
6. Enter your SSN and the Federal AGI from your most recent tax return

Once your account is set up, you can:

• Make a Return Payment for a specific filing period
• Submit an Estimated Payment for anticipated tax liabilities

Need Help?

As always, your Bluerock Team is here to assist. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions!

Alicia Sher, Partner and Wealth Manager

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Hightower Advisors, LLC is an SEC registered investment adviser. Securities are offered through Hightower Securities, LLC member FINRA and SIPC. Hightower Advisors, LLC or any of its affiliates do not provide tax or legal advice. This material is not intended or written to provide and should not be relied upon or used as a substitute for tax or legal advice. Information contained herein does not consider an individual’s or entity’s specific circumstances or applicable governing law, which may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and be subject to change. Clients are urged to consult their tax or legal advisor for related questions.