Paying quarterly estimated taxes does not require mailing paper checks or Form 1040-ES vouchers. The IRS provides free, instant online payment portals. Here is how to submit payments correctly in under 5 minutes.

Method 1: IRS Direct Pay (No Account Needed)

IRS Direct Pay is the fastest method for individual sole proprietors and single-member LLC owners:

  1. Navigate to IRS.gov/directpay and click Make a Payment.
  2. Under Reason for Payment, select Estimated Tax.
  3. Under Apply Payment To, select 1040ES (for 1040, 1040-SR, 1040-NR).
  4. Under Tax Period for Payment, select the current tax year.
  5. Verify your identity using a prior year's filed tax return information.
  6. Enter your bank checking/routing details and submit. Save the 10-digit confirmation number and print the confirmation page as a PDF for your CPA.

Method 2: EFTPS (For Advanced Scheduling)

The Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) requires an initial enrollment where a PIN is mailed to your address, but allows you to schedule all four quarterly payments for the entire year in advance.

Don't Forget Your State Tax Portal

If your state levies personal income tax, federal payments do NOT cover state liabilities. Visit your state's Department of Revenue website (e.g. California FTB, New York DTF) to submit state estimated tax payments quarterly.