Making payments in MassTaxConnect

Answers to common questions about making payments in MassTaxConnect, including what methods of payments are available.

General information

When is the payment due if the due date falls on a weekend?

If the due date falls on a weekend or holiday, the payment is due on the following business day.

On the due date, what is the latest time I can pay to avoid penalty and interest?

You will have until 11:59 p.m. to pay on the due date to avoid penalty and interest. You can make electronic payments at any time on MassTaxConnect.

How do I check my balance?

Once you log in to your account, your overall balances are displayed in each of the account panel.

• Red font indicates a balance due and a
• Green font indicates an overpayment. 

To check the balance for a specific tax account

• Log in to MassTaxConnect.
• From the Summary tab, select the account type that you wish to check the balance.
• From the Returns link, you can view each period and the balance correlated with each period.

How do I make a payment?

MassTaxConnect makes it easy, convenient, and secure for you to make payments. MassTaxConnect gives you the option to pay by EFT debit or credit card.

DOR accepts:

• Visa 
• MasterCard and
• Discover credit and debit cards. 

When paying with a credit or debit card, there is a convenience fee of 2.35% of your payment amount that will be charged by the third party vendor that provides this service. Below are some examples of where you can find payment options.

To pay by period:

• Locate the account and select the Returns hyperlink. 
• Select the Period you want. 
• Select the Make a Payment hyperlink.

To make individual payments for multiple taxpayers and accounts:

• Select the Manage Payments and Returns hyperlink in the More… section. 
• You will see three columns:
  • Accounts
  • Show
  • For Periods.
• Select Payments from the drop-down list in the Show column.
• Select the Make Payment hyperlink for the appropriate:
  • Period
  • Account Type and
  • Customer.

To file and pay on a return:

Please note that Individuals cannot file Personal Income Tax Returns through MassTaxConnect. 

• Completely fill out a return for your account type.
• Before you submit the return, you will be asked if you would like to make a payment.
• Select one of the two payment options.

To make a bill payment:

• Log in to MassTaxConnect.
• In the More… section, select the Make a Bill Payment hyperlink. 
• You will need the Letter ID from the bill issued.
• If you are a third party designee, you will first need to select the individual or business from the Individuals and Businesses tab.

To make a payment for the Notice of Intent to Assess while you are logged into MassTaxConnect:

• In the More… section, select the Make a Bill Payment hyperlink. 
• Enter and confirm the letter identification number from the Notice of Intent to Assess.
• Enter the amount to pay and choose the method of payment (EFT or credit card payment option).
• Follow the prompts and submit.

How do I make a bill, estimated or extension payment without logging into MassTaxConnect?

For Individual taxpayers: 

Individual taxpayers can make bill, estimated, extension, or return payments on MassTaxConnect without logging in.

• From the MassTaxConnect homepage, select the Make a Payment hyperlink in the Quick Links section. 
• Select the Individual payment type radio button. 
• Enter the taxpayer’s name.
• Choose the appropriate ID Type. 
• Enter the ID # and your phone number. 
• Select the Payment Type option: 
  • Bill Payment
  • Estimated Payment 
  • Return Payment. 
• Select Next.
• Select a payment method: 
  • Bank debit or
  • Credit card.
• Enter the required payment information. 
• Confirm the payment request information.
• Select Submit.

Keep the payment confirmation for your records.

For Business taxpayers:

Business taxpayers can make bill payments on MassTaxConnect without logging in. Business and fiduciary taxpayers must log in to make estimated, extension, or return payments.

• From the MassTaxConnect homepage, select the Make a Payment hyperlink in the Quick Links section. 
• Select the Business payment type radio button]. 
• Enter the Business name.
• Select the appropriate Business ID Type.
• Enter and confirm the Business ID #.
• Enter your phone number.
• Select Next.

Business bill payments require a payment number letter ID or payment voucher for processing which can be found on a DOR bill. If you do not have a bill, call DOR at:

• [phone] or 
• [phone].

We recommend that you log in to MassTaxConnect make all payments. This will be a more accurate way to pay, track and verify your payments.

How do I make estimated payments when logged into MassTaxConnect?

For business and individual taxpayers: 

• Log in to MassTaxConnect.
•  
• Select the account type that you are making a payment on.  
• Select the Returns hyperlink to choose the period for the estimated payment.  
• Select the Make a Payment hyperlink in the upper right-hand corner of the period. 
• Select a payment method: 
  • EFT debit or
  • Credit card. (In order to be redirected to the third-party site you will need to make sure to allow pop-ups or redirects in the Settings of your Web browser)
• Enter the required payment information. 
• Under Payment Type – select Estimated payment
• Confirm the payment request information.
• Select Submit.

Keep the payment confirmation for your records.

Questions about estimated payments 

For more information, see DOR Estimated Tax Payment.

Payment management

How do I delete a payment?

Payments in MassTaxConnect can be deleted from the Submissions screen. The payments must have a status of Submitted to be deleted. Payments that have a status of In Process or Completed cannot be deleted.

To delete a payment, if the payment was made while logged into an MassTaxConnect account:

• Navigate to the Search Submissions hyperlink under the More…tab.  
• Select the Pending tab.  
• Select the Payment hyperlink to access the Payment Summary screen.  
• From this screen, select the Cancel hyperlink in the upper right-hand corner.

How will I know that my payment has been accepted?

• Log in to MassTaxConnect.
• Navigate to the Manage Payments and Returns hyperlink under the More…tab.  
• You can view the progress of all your payments by selecting the Payments drop-down in the Show panel and then All.  
• To see all pending payments, select the Pending drop-down.  
• To see all processed payments, select the Processed drop-down.  
• Your balance will reflect the amount of the payment after it is processed. 

You can also enter the word "payment" in the filter bar to only see submissions relating to payments.

I already made a payment. Why do I still have a balance?

You may still have a balance if:

• The payment was received late
• The tax reported was greater than the payment made
• The payment has yet to be processed or
• A payment made was applied to a different period.

Why does a particular period show as a credit balance?

A particular period may show as a credit balance if:

• The return has not been filed 
• The return has not posted
• A payment has posted to a different period or
• The payments made are greater than the tax reported.

Where can I view a history of all payments made on my account?

• From the More… page, you can view all payments by navigating to the Manage Payments and Returns hyperlink. 
• In the Show column, select Payments and All. 
• From the Accounts panel, you can view all payments for an Account Type by selecting the accounts hyperlink in the drop-down. 

To view payments for a specific period: 

• In the For Periods panel, select the Previous Period in the drop-down. 

Banking information

Can I store banking information on MassTaxConnect?

Yes. MassTaxConnect will allow you to store banking information using Payment Channels. This may eliminate the need to enter a routing and bank account number every time a payment is made.

A Payment Channel is a method for storing bank account information in MassTaxConnect for future payments. You can have multiple Payment Channels per logon. Select the Payment Channels sub-tab for additional FAQs related to Payment Channels.

Can I use different bank accounts for different account types?

You can use different bank accounts to pay different account types.

To manage your bank account(s) for a particular tax account:

• Log in to MassTaxConnect.
• Select the Manage My Profile hyperlink in the top right section of the Home panel. 
• Select the More… tab. 
• Select the Manage Payment Channels hyperlink in the Payment Channels panel. 
• If you want to use the same payment channel for all your accounts, don’t select an account. Select the Setup new payment channel hyperlink. 
• To create a payment channel for a specific account, select the Account Type hyperlink for the tax account in which you are adding banking information. 
• Select the Setup new payment channel hyperlink. 
• Enter the required information. 
• Select the Save button. 

Please note that updating your payment channel does not automatically update the banking information for your EFT payment agreement. 

Can I make a bill, estimated, or extension payment without logging in?

Individual taxpayers can make bill, estimated, extension, or return payments on MassTaxConnect without logging in.

• Go to the MassTaxConnect homepage.
• Select the Make a payment hyperlink in the Quick Links section.
• Select Individual payment hyperlink.
• Provide the required information.
  • Bill payments require a payment number for processing.

Business taxpayers can make bill payments on MassTaxConnect without logging in.

• Got to the MassTaxConnect homepage.
• Select the Make a payment hyperlink in the Quick Links section.
• Select Business payment hyperlink.
• Provide the required information.

Bill payments require a payment number for processing.

Business taxpayers and fiduciary taxpayers must log in to make:

• Estimated 
• Extension or
• Return payments.

DOR recommends that you log in to make all payments. This will be a more accurate way to pay and verify your payments.

What are the methods of payment available on MassTaxConnect?

DOR offers taxpayers three methods of electronic payment:

EFT Debit:

With EFT Debit, the taxpayer authorizes the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' financial institution to:

• Debit the taxpayer's bank account and
• Credit the Commonwealth's bank account for the purpose of making a tax payment.

This is the preferred method of payment.

Credit/Debit Card:

You may pay with your:

• Visa, MasterCard, Discover credit card, or
• Visa or MasterCard debit card.

There is a convenience fee of 2.35% of your payment amount charged by the third-party vendor that provides this service.

ACH Credit:

The Automated Clearing House (ACH) credit transaction option requires the taxpayer to instruct its bank to:

• Debit their bank account and
• Credit the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' bank account.

The taxpayer specifies the following:

• Dollar amount
• Payment effective date
• Tax type and
• Tax period being paid.

The taxpayer's bank originates an ACH transfer transaction that must adhere to the Cash Concentration of Disbursement as well as the Tax Payment Addendum (CCD+TXP) format defined by DOR in the detail record layout.

To access the ACH Credit Layout:

• Log in to MassTaxConnect.
• Locate the account type for the ACH Credit payment you are making and select the Make a Payment hyperlink. 
• Select the Print ACH credit layout hyperlink. 
• A PDF of the layout is downloaded. 
• Print copies of the credit specifications (Record 6 and Record 7). 
• You must give these record formats to your bank.

What happens if my payment bounces?

Payments may take 2–3 days to process. If your payment bounces or is not released (rejected) by your bank, you will receive a letter from DOR. The most common reasons for a bounced or rejected or failed payment are:

• Insufficient funds and 
• incorrect routing or account number.

How do I make a payment after receiving a bounced/rejected/failed payment letter?

MassTaxConnect makes it easy, convenient, and secure for you to make payments. MassTaxConnect gives you the option to pay by EFT debit. You may also pay with the following:

• Visa, MasterCard or Discover credit card or
• Visa or MasterCard debit card.

There is a convenience fee of 2.35% of your payment amount charged by the third-party vendor that provides this service. 

Can I file now, but make a payment later?

Yes. You can file now and pay later, but it is recommended that you file and pay at the same time.

If you do not pay with the return at the time of filing, DOR will send out a bill for the tax plus any interest and applicable penalties if it is considered late.

Which account types can be paid through MassTaxConnect?

All account types can be paid on MassTaxConnect.

Can we pay corporate estimated tax payment too?

Yes. Most corporate estimated tax payments can be made through MassTaxConnect.

What is a debit block or filter?

Debit blocks protect your bank account(s) from unauthorized electronic charges. If your bank account has a debit block, your bank will only process payments for parties that you have previously authorized. If you don't authorize DOR by providing DOR’s Company Identification Numbers, your bank will reject the payment.

In this case, you may receive a bill for the amount due, including any:

• Applicable penalty and
• Interest.

If you are unsure as to whether you have a debit block on your bank account, please contact your bank.

Will the state automatically go into my account and take the money?

No. You must authorize DOR to debit a specific amount for a specific date.

Certain delinquent accounts may be subject to collection actions.

I have a bill that I’m unable to pay in full. What should I do?

• Log in to MassTaxConnect.
• Select the Request a payment plan hyperlink under the More…tab in the Collection Notices section. 

You must have previously received a bill for the liability, be eligible and meet all the requirements to apply.

At what point in the billing process am I eligible to request a payment plan?

Before an official payment plan can be set up, you will need to have received a Notice of Assessment (NOA). You can make payments towards your liability prior to the billing, but the NOA must be issued before setting up the terms of the plan.

ACH payments

What is an ACH credit payment?

The Automated Clearing House (ACH) credit transaction option requires the taxpayer to instruct its bank to:

• Debit their bank account and
• Credit the Commonwealth of Massachusetts bank account.

The taxpayer specifies the:

• Dollar amount
• Payment effective date 
• Tax type and
• Tax period being paid.

The taxpayer's bank originates an ACH transfer transaction that must adhere to the

• Cash Concentration of Disbursement and the
• Tax Payment Addendum (CCD+TXP)

format defined by DOR in the detail record layout.

To find the ACH Credit Layout:

• Log in to MassTaxConnect.
• Select the Summary tab and locate the Account Type for the ACH Credit payment you are making. 
• Select the Make a Payment and then the Print ACH credit layout hyperlink. 
• Print copies of the credit specifications (Record 6 and Record 7). 

You must give these record formats to your bank.

We currently pay through ACH Credit. Do we have to change our method of payment?

No. You can continue to use ACH Credit but may have to change the setup with your bank. For instance:

• Before, the ACH Credit layout in record 6, field 7 referenced the taxpayer's FEIN;
• Now, the ACH Credit layout references the taxpayer's account ID number.

Since DOR is moving toward account IDs, we encourage you to use the account ID number. This will ensure your payment is routed properly.

How does ACH Debit work?

DOR's bank electronically sends a debit request to your bank through the National Automated Clearing House (ACH) system.

Assuming the funds are available in your bank account, your bank will electronically transfer the funds to the appropriate DOR bank account.

If you choose to add an additional bank account to your payment account, you must provide your financial institution's routing number, which is the first 9 digits located on the bottom left corner of a check from your bank.

You may want to contact your bank and confirm their routing number before entering it on the payment screen. You must also provide your account number, which can be up to 17 characters. Your account number cannot have:

• Hyphens 
• Spaces or
• Special symbols.

Enter the numbers from left to right onto the payment screen. Once you have entered your bank account information, it will be saved within your MassTaxConnect account. This debit transaction will occur on the payment effective date you request on the MassTaxConnect payment screen. If you choose a payment effective date several days or weeks into the future, DOR will:

• Store, or warehouse, your debit request, and
• Send it to your bank the day before the payment effective date.

Any business taxpayer registered with DOR is eligible to use this option.

If you have a debit block or filter on your bank account(s), you must provide your bank/financial institution with DOR's Company Identification Number: 4602285821.

We currently pay through ACH Debit and have a debit block or filter on our bank account. Do we need to contact our bank?

If you have a debit block or filters on your bank account(s) and use ACH Debit as the method of payment for your tax obligations, you must provide your bank/financial institution with DOR's Company Identification Number: 4602285821.

Payment channels

How do I add a Payment Channel?

• Log in to MassTaxConnect.
• Select the Manage My Profile hyperlink in the top right section of the Home panel. 
• Select the More… tab. 
• Select the Setup new payment channel hyperlink under the Payment Channels panel.  
• Enter the required information.
• A default name will automatically populate. 
• To create a unique name, click the No button under the Use default name 
• Delete the default name and enter the desired name in the Name field.
• Select Save button.

If you are a third party designee, you can setup a Payment Channel that can be shared across taxpayers and accounts.

Please note that adding a new Payment Channel while you have an active payment agreement will not cause your next payment to come from the Payment Channel automatically.

You will need to contact DOR if you would like to:

• Set up automatic withdrawals or
• Change your bank account information. 

How do I pay using a Payment Channel?

Once a Payment Channel is added, simply access the payment detail screen and select the desired Payment Channel from the drop-down list.

Do I have to pay using a Payment Channel once I have added one?

No. Once a Payment Channel is added, to make a payment using another method simply access the payment detail screen and select the New button. Enter the required information and submit.

 

Page updated: January 17, 2021