How to Look up IRS Past Payments

This past weekend, I learned how to look up past IRS payments. So I thought I may as well share it with you. You’re welcome.

If you’re anything like me, it’s chaos around tax time. I don’t even do my own taxes- I just have to hand the information over to my CPA. And that itself seems hard enough, lol.

One thing I can never remember is how much I’ve paid in estimated taxes throughout the past year. That number is always changing for us, because we are self-employed and the business income is not steady through the year. I finally learned how to look up my past payments to the IRS, including estimated taxes, so I can let the CPA know.

Individual Online IRS Account

You online IRS Account let’s you not only see your past payments going back 5 years, but also:

1. View the amount you owe
2. View pending or schedule payments
3. Make a payment or a a payment plan
4. Access your tax records and transcripts
5. Access electronic versions of some notices from the IRS
6. Authorize approvals from tax professionals
7. Update your contact information

So, here goes.

1. Go to irs.gov/account

It takes you to this page: https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account

2. Create an ID.me Account

Click on Sign in to your Online Account takes you to the following screen

IRS partners with ID.me to verify your information and create the account.

It lets you know that its working with the IRS to keep your information safe.

It makes you create a MultiFactor Authentication method.

It lets you select how you want to verify who you are:

After it obtains the info you feed it, it takes your consent to verify your biometrics.

Once you consent, they send you a text message on your mobile. This takes you to a link which lets you scan your face, like a selfie. Pretty sci-fi.

You get to review the information before it is sent to “trusted sources” to verify.

3. Share information with IRS

Once the account information is verified, it will ask for your permission to share the info with IRS.

4. Look up your IRS past payments

You’re done! Now you can look at a whole bunch of information within your account. Here is how the payment activity looks:

I found out how much I had paid in estimated taxes throughout the past year and sent it off to my CPA. Done and dusted.

5. Log out safely

And close your browser.

I hope you find this useful.

Since nothing but taxes (and death) are certain, we better get organized about it.