The IRS got DOGED on March 25, 2025, when Trump signed the executive order "Modernizing Payments To and From America’s Bank Account." The order helps move the IRS and all other government agencies into the electronic world.

As of September 30, 2025, government agencies — including the IRS — will only accept your money electronically. That means you can pay your September 15th estimated tax payment by check, but after that you’ll have to pay your estimated tax payments (and all other tax payments) electronically.

To pay the IRS directly from your account, use the IRS system known as IRS Direct Pay. To make your payment, you go to the IRS.gov website and then go to “Pay” in the header. You can then make a direct deposit to the IRS from your bank account. You will need your routing number and your account number at the bank you want to use.

You can make payments to the IRS in this way, but you can’t receive electronic payments, such as a tax refund for overpayment.

I am stunned at the number of people who come up to me at live events, where I have talked about saving taxes, and they proudly tell me they don’t pay taxes. IN FACT, they get money back every year. I politely say, “That’s great,” and move on to the next person.

In order to do direct deposits and refunds for your business, you’ll need to file Form 8050. If you have a business, that means you had better start filing; after September, you’ll have to use the direct deposit/refund route.

There are a couple of ways you can set up a direct deposit and refund account as an individual taxpayer.

On your 1040 return, you can give the IRS your banking information. The IRS will then enter your banking information in your IRS account. But that only applies to the IRS and not other agencies you may be dealing with.

On the IRS.gov site, when you click “set up account,” you will be taken to another page, and you’ll have to click that you want to create a new account. Once you click there, you will be asked to set up an ID.me account.

You will need to set up an ID.me account like 30 million people already have.

Note that only some government agencies use ID.me. The other agencies use Login.gov. Login.gov is a government-run, single sign-on solution, but Login.gov is only used by certain agencies.

For example, ID.me services the IRS, Social Security Administration, Veterans Affairs, Department of Health & Human Services, and USPTO. Login.gov doesn’t service those agencies. DOGE needs to drill deeper into the issue and make it so only one system is needed to access every government agency. As of today, I think the ID.me will be more useful for most of you.

This is only the beginning. Isn’t the government getting to be more fun all of the time?

Lee Phillips

United States Supreme Court Counselor

United States Federal Tax Court Attorney