IRS Installment Agreements During Covid-19
2020-04-03
See https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/installment-agreement-direct-debit-frequently-asked-questions
To help people facing the challenges of COVID-19 issues, the IRS through the People First Initiative, will temporarily adjust and suspend key compliance programs.
For taxpayers under an existing Installment Agreement, payments due between April 1 and July 15, 2020 are suspended. Taxpayers who are currently unable to comply with the terms of an Installment Payment Agreement, including a Direct Debit Installment Agreement, may suspend payments during this period if they prefer. Furthermore, the IRS will not default any Installment Agreements during this period. By law, interest will continue to accrue on any unpaid balances.
The IRS will continue to debit payments from the bank for Direct Debit Installment Agreements (DDIAs) during the suspension period. However, taxpayers who are unable to comply with terms of their Installment Agreement may suspend payments during this period. Installment agreements will not default due to missing payments during the suspension period through July 15.
Tto suspend direct debit installment payments, taxpayers should contact their bank directly to stop payments during the suspension period. Banks are required to comply with customer requests to stop recurring payments within a specified timeframe. IRS may be able to suspend certain single DDIA payments on request, but due to disruptions caused by COVID-19 issues it may be difficult to reach an assistor.
Note that if payments are stopped, in order to avoid possible default of the agreement once the suspension period expires on July 15, 2020, taxpayers must inform their bank to allow the debits to resume at least two weeks before their next payment is due.