Requested a Payment Plan, never got a response

[user17569101930]

Maybe I'm just dense, I'm not sure...

When filing my taxes in February, I was going to owe some in Federal. I decided to choose the option to request a payment plan. Went through all the steps, submitted my filing and it was approved within 20 minutes.

When I got a copy of my return from the Turbo Tax website, it had all of the payment vouchers included in the pdf. This is the part where I must just be dense because I took this to mean that the payment plan had been accepted, and I would just make my payments according to the vouchers.

Come April, I made the first payment (1 of 4). Made another one a couple months later and never heard anything. 

Yesterday, I got a letter in the mail from the IRS saying I was negligent because I had not paid my balance in full - hence this conversation.

Was I supposed to receive a notification from Turbo Tax about the acceptance of my payment plan? Where in the process did I mess up? I haven't deleted a single Turbo Tax email in over 7 years, and I haven't changed mailing address in 3 - did they just not send me something, or did my mail carrier mess me up?

I have since contacted the IRS, they confirmed that I was not on a plan, and I set one up through them - but I've now got additional fees due to the whole process being wonky and so wildly unavoidable that it's irked me quite a bit. I put a little too much faith in Turbo Tax facilitating the payment plan request and got thoroughly burned, lesson learned..

[xmasbaby0]

Those four vouchers that printed out with your tax return were not for paying your 2024 tax due.  Those were 1040ES vouchers to use to pay estimated tax for tax year 2025 -- to help you avoid an underpayment penalty or a big tax bill next year when you file your 2025 tax return.   You are not required to use those 1040ES vouchers or make estimated payments, but if you expect to owe at least $1000 for 2025, making payments helps you to avoid owing so much at tax time next year.  Using them is optional.

BUT----those were in no way to be used as a "payment plan" to pay what you owed for 2024, which is why you are getting a letter from the IRS now.

You could have applied for a payment plan for your 2024 tax due by doing that with the IRS

To apply for a payment plan with the IRS

Apply Online for a Payment Plan

[xmasbaby0]

@user17569101930   One suggestion---call the IRS and ask to have those payments you made using the 1040ES vouchers applied toward your 2024 tax due instead of toward 2025.  Explain that you were confused by those and thought you were making payments for 2024.

Call the IRS: 1-800-829-1040 hours 7 AM - 7 PM local time Monday-Friday
When calling the IRS do NOT choose the first option re: "Refund", or it will send you to an automated phone line.
So after first choosing your language, then do NOT choose Option 1 (refund info). Choose option 2 for "personal income tax" instead.
Then press 1 for "form, tax history, or payment".
Then press 3 "for all other questions."
Then press 2 "for all other questions."
- When it asks you to enter your SSN or EIN to access your account information, don't enter anything.
- After it asks twice, you will get another menu.

Press 2 for personal or individual tax questions.
Then press 3 for all other inquiries
It should then transfer you to an agent.