Final regulations clear path for direct IRS card payments
October 21, 2026
The IRS has finalized regulations allowing taxpayers to pay their taxes by credit or debit card directly to the agency, rather than through third-party payment processors.
The regulations implement changes Congress made in the Taxpayer First Act. Under prior law and regulations, the IRS generally relied on third-party payment processors and was prohibited from paying fees under contracts related to accepting credit and debit card tax payments.
The final regulations remove that prohibition on paying fees and allow the IRS to enter into contracts under which it pays processing fees, provided the agency fully recoups those costs from taxpayers using the payment method.
The regulations allow the IRS to receive benefits available to other organizations that accept card payments, including guaranteed receipt of funds and reduced paper-check processing costs, the IRS said. Read more.
