Federal Estimated Tax Payment, Clarification for

[Jonathan1]

On 1/2/2025, I made (online, via the IRS website) what I thought was an estimated tax payment ($1800) for tax year 2024.  The transaction is displayed on the IRS website as processed for tax year 2024  - but the transaction is showing as "balance payment" and not as an estimated tax payment.  I have not yet filed my year 2024 federal tax return. 

The $1800 is not included in the "estimated tax payments" (for 2024) displayed on the IRS website. 

Question: I am unable to find a way to cancel or modify this processed transaction on the IRS website.  How may I treat this $1800 "balance payment" transaction going forward.  I am perfectly fine with cancelling it or applying it to year 2025 estimated tax payments.  But I am unsure how the IRS interprets this so-called balance payment.  I do not "owe" any payments to the IRS.  Thanks for any clarification or additional details needed to help clarify. 

[JotikaT2]

Contacting the IRS is your best option to confirm they have received the payment and that it is applied to the correct tax year.  If the IRS does not apply it to the correct year, then when you file your tax return, the payment may not be matched to the correct year and it will cause delays in processing your return.  

General procedural questions shows what you need to do before contacting the IRS but it also has steps of how to review your account and check the payments.

[Jonathan1]

Thank you Jotika. I appreciate your response and guidance.

Would you kindly clarify what you mean when you say "confirm (with the IRS) they have received the payment".

In the last several years, I have received refunds for both Federal and New York State returns.

Are you referring to "estimated tax payments"?  All my estimated tax payments display accurately and correctly on the IRS and New York State sites.  Are those the payments you suggest I should check with the IRS - or some other payment?

[AmyC]

1. Call the IRS payment department at 800-316-6541to speak with a human and get your account straightened out. I am assuming you are looking at your online account. When you make a payment, you choose what it goes toward, the IRS may have had an issue at just that moment to put your payment in the wrong spot.

2. To continue forward with your tax return, enter the amount as intended, an estimated payment. 

[Jonathan1]

I will do that, thanks for the response and telephone number.