If I am sending a paper amended return for 2019 and pay electronically using IRS Direct Pay, when can I pay electronically since the IRS may not receive and process the paper return potentially for 16 weeks, and the paper return won't be in the system for a long time. I would know when they receive the paper return with the certified mail tracking number, but I won't know when they will process the return. Do I need to wait until I see my return shows up in the IRS site under "where is my amended return", then make the payment online? By then, after 16 weeks (4 months), I may have to pay or pay more penalties and interest. That is why I am thinking about putting a paper check along with the paper amended return and mail them in an envelope, providing that I can send a check along with the return (my previous posted question on page 18 of the 1040-X instruction, in the section "Pay by check or money order", I am not sure what "Don't attach the payment to your return" in the instructions mean. Does it mean "don't enclose the check with the return in the same envelope", or just "don't staple to check to the return and just enclose it loosely in the envelope with the amended return to mail"? Thank you.
