On Tax Day, IRS' Online Filing System Goes Kaput

WASHINGTON, DC — Today is the deadline for millions of Americans to file their taxes, but the IRS' system that allows people to submit their returns online doesn't seem to be working properly. IRS Acting Commissioner David Kautter told lawmakers he was alerted on Tuesday morning that numerous systems were down, media outlets reported.

“We are working to resolve the issue and taxpayers should continue to file as they normally would," he said.

The "Direct Pay With Bank Account" page on the IRS website — which allows taxpayers to pay their taxes — had a simple message for citizens on Tuesday: "Alert: This service is currently unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience."

The agency will perform a hard reboot of the system to try to fix it, The Washington Post reported, citing a congressional official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations.

The direct pay option is just one of several available to citizens, but it's only one of a few that doesn't hit taxpayers with extra fees. Those who want to pay with a credit card through the IRS website will incur a 2 percent surcharge.

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