Avoid confusion, delays – use tax.idaho.gov to pay your taxes

BOISE, Idaho — Feb. 18, 2025 — As tax season shifts into high gear, the Idaho State Tax Commission is warning the public about third-party payment services that allow people to pay their Idaho taxes or set up a payment plan through the service. While the service might do what it says, it’s costing taxpayers needless fees and delays.

“Everyone who needs to pay Idaho taxes should go to our website at tax.idaho.gov/epay. This is the safest, fastest, and lowest-cost way to pay,” said Tax Commission Chairman Jeff McCray. “Unfortunately, we’re seeing some third-party payment services leading people to believe they’re associated with us when they’re not. That’s causing taxpayers frustration, worry, and costing more money than they need to spend.”

Payment services are running online ads that appear when someone searches for terms such as the “Idaho State Tax Commission,” the “Idaho Department of Revenue,” or “Pay Idaho taxes.” People click the ad without realizing it’s not going to the Tax Commission website.

At least one of these services is taking payments by credit card for a hefty fee. The service then pays the person’s taxes by check, which causes delays. These delays can easily mean the taxpayer will owe interest, penalties, or both. The services have also styled their receipts to look like they’re coming from the Tax Commission when they’re not.

“The only payment service affiliated with the Tax Commission is PayIt, which processes all debit and credit card payments through the Quick Pay option on our website at tax.idaho.gov/epay,” said McCray. “People can also pay using their bank account through Quick Pay. And anyone with an account in our Taxpayer Access Point, or TAP, system can pay through TAP.”

The advantages of paying directly with the Tax Commission are:

• There’s no fee to pay using your bank account (ACH debit).
• There’s a low fee to pay by credit/debit card.
• Taxpayers won’t experience delays with payments that could cause interest and penalty charges.

These payment services shouldn’t be confused with legitimate tax preparation software and tax preparers that allow customers to pay through them. The Tax Commission has more on its website, tax.idaho.gov, about free tax software you might qualify to use and a list of tax software providers that the agency works with.