EFTPS Is Closing for Individual Taxpayers — What to Use Instead
Individual taxpayers can no longer create new accounts on EFTPS.gov. The IRS stopped new individual enrollments on October 17, 2025, though existing users can continue using the system for now.
What happened
- EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) was the primary way individuals scheduled recurring federal tax payments.
- On October 17, 2025, EFTPS.gov stopped accepting new individual enrollments.
- IRS.gov confirms: "Individual taxpayers can no longer create new EFTPS accounts."
- Existing users can still use EFTPS "for now" (IRS language).
- Business accounts are NOT affected.
Why this matters for freelancers and 1099 contractors
EFTPS let you schedule all four quarterly payments a year ahead in one place, and freelancers who relied on "set and forget" scheduling can no longer sign up for it. You have not lost the capability — but the replacement is not the one most articles name.
IRS Direct Pay does let you schedule up to 365 days in advance, so the horizon is not the problem. The limit is elsewhere: the IRS states plainly that "you can only make or schedule one payment at a time using IRS Direct Pay," and that otherwise "you will need to keep track of the future payment dates yourself." Four quarters means four separate sessions, re-verifying your identity each time you leave the application.
The tool that actually replaces the EFTPS workflow is your IRS Individual Online Account, which schedules future payments up to a year out and accepts one to five payments in a single transaction. It requires registration and identity verification, which EFTPS-style scheduling did not.
The IRS still points you to a system you cannot join
This is worth knowing before you go looking. The IRS Direct Pay help page, updated June 26, 2026, still advises: "To schedule estimated tax payments to occur at intervals throughout the year and check on their status, paying through EFTPS may be faster and easier."
If you are a new individual filer, you cannot act on that advice — enrollment is closed to you. Use the Individual Online Account instead.
Alternatives for paying quarterly estimated taxes
| Method | Cost | Scheduling | Limits | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRS Individual Online Account closest replacement for EFTPS | Free | Up to a year ahead, 1–5 payments per transaction | Registration and identity verification required; 4 transactions per day | irs.gov/account |
| IRS Direct Pay | Free | Up to 365 days ahead, but one payment at a time | No registration; bank account required; 5 payments per 24 hours | irs.gov/directpay |
| Pay by card (Pay1040.com, etc.) | 1.85–1.98% fee | Immediate only | Credit/debit card | irs.gov/payments |
| IRS2Go app | Free | Same as Direct Pay | Mobile only | App Store / Google Play |
| Check / money order | Free | Manual, mail with 1040-ES voucher | Slowest | irs.gov/payments |
| Existing EFTPS account | Free | Up to 365 days ahead | Only if already enrolled | eftps.gov |
What to do now
- If you already have an EFTPS account → keep using it, but have a backup plan.
- If you want to schedule all four quarters at once → open an IRS Individual Online Account. It is the only free option that takes several payments in one transaction.
- If you just need to pay once, right now → use IRS Direct Pay. No registration, but one payment per session.
- Set reminders for each deadline (see quarterly tax due dates) — scheduling a year of payments only works if you know the amounts in advance.
EnoughPaid sends push notifications 14, 3, and 1 day before each quarterly deadline — no EFTPS account needed.
Join the waitlist →Sources: irs.gov, eftps.gov. Information current as of September 2026.