IRS will offer online payment for individuals

The IRS plans to go live tomorrow with a Web payment system for taxpayers who use Form 1040 or file quarterly. The service has offered online filing for several years but not online payment.IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti will formally announce the service tomorrow at a Washington press conference.Users register via the Web site for online payment, using their Social Security numbers or taxpayer numbers to identify themselves. Within six weeks, the IRS mails back two kits, one containing a personal identification number and the other a password.With the PIN and password, the taxpayer can arrange for electronic transfer of funds from his or her bank account to the Treasury.Online taxpayers must now go to two separate sites—one for filing and one for payment—but an IRS spokeswoman said the service hopes to eventually combine the two functions in one site. For 1040 filers, the Treasury won’t accept payment until this spring, even though people can register now, the spokeswoman said.