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Tax season is upon us, and many people are discovering they owe money to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). (Still haven't filed? You may want to read these 50 things to know if you haven't done your taxes yet.)
This year, you have until April 18 to figure out how to pay taxes — April 15 falls on a Saturday, so taxes aren't officially due until the following Tuesday. While there really isn’t a way to lower your tax bill at this point, although proper planning could lower it for next year, you may be wondering if you charge the bill to your credit card.
The short answer is yes, you can pay your taxes with a credit card. In fact, doing so may actually benefit you, if you're using a rewards card. But there's a lot to consider before doing you go this route.
Should You Use a Credit Card to Pay Your Taxes?
The answer here is maybe. If you have the means to pay your taxes in cash but are looking to earn some rewards, then a big tax bill is certainly a good opportunity to do that (assuming you pay the card off in full and don't lose rewards to interest fees — more on that in a bit). But if you're considering using your credit card to pay your taxes simply because you can't afford them right now, the more prudent financial decision is very likely to talk to the IRS about a payment plan. Whatever you do, don't avoid paying your taxes. It can have lasting ramifications for your finances, including your credit. You can see how your financial choices are affecting your credit by taking a look at your two free credit scores, updated every 14 days, on Credit.com.
Remember: There Are Fees
The IRS is contracted with three different companies to collect payments. These companies impose convenience fees that range from 1.87% to 2%. (You can read more about how to pay your taxes with a credit card here.) In order to profit by paying your taxes with a credit card, you have to earn more than the fees they are charging you.
There are a lot of rewards cards out there that offer 1.5% to 2% cash back on purchases. But if you’re paying 1.87% and earning 2% you aren’t profiting much (on a $5,000 tax bill, you earn $6.50).
Paying With an Existing Card
If you don't want a new card, or think you won't qualify for a rewards card, it can still be advantageous to use your existing card can have advantages over paying your taxes through your bank account, even if it doesn’t have cash back. Credit cards give you a grace period from when you charge, to when you have to pay. Let’s suppose your card cycles on the eleventh of the month, so you pay your taxes on April 12. The next cycle ends on May 11 and your payment is due on June 11. That’s two extra months to hang onto your money and not incur any interest.
Image: sturti
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