How to Check a Balance Owed to the IRS

This article was written by Jennifer Mueller, JD. Jennifer Mueller is an in-house legal expert at wikiHow. Jennifer reviews, fact-checks, and evaluates wikiHow's legal content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. She received her JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006.

This article has been viewed 52,736 times.

If you owe money to the IRS, you typically will receive a notice with the amount you owe. You can also check your balance by requesting a transcript, which gives you more detail than a notice would. If you can't pay your balance in full, you can set up an online payment agreement to avoid additional fees and penalties. When you enter the agreement, you'll create an online account that enables you to check your balance at any time. [1] X Trustworthy Source Internal Revenue Service U.S. government agency in charge of managing the Federal Tax Code Go to source

Checking by Phone, Mail, or Online

• If you filed more than one tax return, such as one for yourself and one for your business, make sure you're using the tax ID number associated with the transcript you want.
• The IRS never charges a fee for transcripts, so you don't have to worry about a method of payment.

• To request a transcript by phone, call 1-800-908-9946. This is an automated system, so it is available 24/7.

• Check the instructions page following the form to get the address where you should mail the form once you complete it.

• Click on the "File" tab from the IRS.gov home page, then click "Individuals" from the drop-down menu. When you navigate to "Your Information," you'll find a link to check your tax record.
• If the tool to view your record is not currently available for new users, you'll see an "Alert" box at the top of the page. If you already have an IRS.gov account, you can continue to log in as usual by clicking the "Get Transcript Online" button.

• Requesting your transcript online rather than through the mail may enable you to get your transcript sooner.

Interpreting a Tax Balance Notice

• If you have a notice from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, it typically relates to a non-IRS debt that was covered by taking all or part of your tax refund. The Bureau facilitates these transfers, but it doesn't have any information about your tax account balance.
• State tax department notices also won't include any information about the balance you owe to the IRS.

• You will owe additional penalties, fees, and interest if you can't pay the balance in full by the due date listed on the notice.
• There may be an additional fee of a few dollars associated with certain methods of payment, such as credit or debit cards.

• For example, if you made a payment on December 1, and the notice is dated November 30, the balance on the notice clearly does not reflect your most recent payment. To get your correct balance you would want to subtract the amount of that payment from the amount listed on the notice.

• If you can't find contact information on the notice, or if you misplaced your notice after receiving it, you can call the IRS's general customer service number at 1-800-829-1040. Business taxpayers should call 1-800-829-4933.
• Take notes while you're on the phone so you have written information for your records. Depending on the outcome of the phone call, the IRS may send you an additional notice.

• If you've taken any notes, for example after talking to an IRS agent or tax professional, keep these notes along with your copy of the notice.

Setting Up a Payment Plan

• You must file all required returns to be eligible for an online payment agreement.
• You don't necessarily have to know exactly how much money you owe to apply for an online payment agreement, as long as you know if it's less than $50,000 (for long-term agreements) or $100,000 (for short-term agreements).

• You must have a valid email address to set up an online payment agreement.
• If you previously registered for another service with irs.gov, you can log in and apply for an online payment agreement using the same user name and password.

• Follow the instructions to complete and submit your application. You may have to pay a fee to set up the agreement. Any fees assessed will be added to your total tax bill.

• You can download Form 9465 at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f9465.pdf.
• You can also request an installment agreement by calling 1-800-829-1040 and following the prompts.

• When you pay in installments, you're still responsible for accrued penalties and interest until your balance is paid in full. You can check your balance at any time by logging in to your account. [13] X Trustworthy Source Internal Revenue Service U.S. government agency in charge of managing the Federal Tax Code Go to source

Expert Q&A

Even if you owe back taxes, it's still important to file your tax returns on time every year. Not filing a return can result in additional fines and penalties on top of the money you owe. [14] X Research source

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1. ↑https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-irs-notice-or-letter
2. ↑https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript
3. ↑https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript
4. ↑https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript
5. ↑https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-irs-notice-or-letter
6. ↑https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-irs-notice-or-letter
7. ↑https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-irs-notice-or-letter
8. ↑https://www.irs.gov/payments/payment-plans-installment-agreements
9. ↑https://www.irs.gov/payments/online-payment-agreement-application

1. ↑https://www.irs.gov/payments/online-payment-agreement-application
2. ↑https://www.irs.gov/payments/payment-plans-installment-agreements
3. ↑https://www.irs.gov/payments/payment-plans-installment-agreements
4. ↑https://www.irs.gov/payments/online-payment-agreement-application
5. ↑https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/newsletters/2016/feb/when-clients-owe-taxes-to-irs.html

About This Article

This article was written by Jennifer Mueller, JD. Jennifer Mueller is an in-house legal expert at wikiHow. Jennifer reviews, fact-checks, and evaluates wikiHow's legal content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. She received her JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. This article has been viewed 52,736 times.

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