How Long Will the IRS Give You to Pay? 

The IRS gives you between 180 days and 10 years to pay your taxes, depending on the payment option you choose and your eligibility.

Whatever your situation is or how you’ve incurred your tax debt, the IRS offers several payment options to let you pay your taxes over time.

Key Takeaways

• The IRS offers many monthly payment plans for back taxes. 
• You can get up to 10 years to make payments – but some repayment options require you to pay off the debt in a shorter time frame.
• Time to repay depends on the type of taxes, how much you owe, and the age of the tax debt.
• Exploring your options early gives you more time to find the best payment option for you.

2026 Update: IRS Time to Pay Rules

As of 2026, the IRS gives individuals up to 10 years to pay back taxes – or until the collection expiration date if sooner. The agency gives in-operation businesses two years to pay up to $25,000 in payroll taxes, up to six years to repay up to $25,000 in non-payroll taxes debt, and more time on any taxes on a case-by-case basis. 

In 2025, the IRS rolled out the Simple Payment Plan. According to the IRS, 90% of individual taxpayers qualify for this payment option. You can set up the plan online and take up to 10 years to repay up to $50,000 in tax debt.

New for tax season 2026, the IRS is offering automatic penalty abatement to qualifying taxpayers. If you incur a failure to file or failure to pay penalty on your 2025 tax return, the IRS will automatically waive the penalties if you qualify for first-time abatement. Although this doesn’t give you extra time to pay, it helps you get out of tax debt faster. 

What to Do If You Need Extra Time to Pay Your Taxes

Try to pay as much of the tax bill as you can upfront. This is to reduce any penalties and/or interest the IRS might charge you. It can also help show good faith on your end if you are trying to negotiate a payment plan in the future.

After paying as much as possible to the IRS, it’s time to create a plan to pay the rest of your taxes over time. Generally speaking, there are two types of monthly payment plans: 

• Short-term payment plans
• Long-term installment agreements.

Short-Term Payment Plans

These are payment plans that last 180 days or less and are open to individuals who owe less than $100,000 in taxes, penalties, and interest. There is no fee to utilize this payment option, but you will need to pay any penalties and interest that accrue while you pay off your tax balance.

Long-Term Payment Plans: An Overview

Often referred to as installment agreements, these are payment plans open to individuals and businesses, and they provide taxpayers with several years to pay off a tax obligation. Here’s a breakdown based on how long you get to pay:

Up to 120 Months for Individuals

Individuals who have a balance of up to $50,000 in assessed tax, interest, and penalties are eligible to set up payments online. Payments can be spread out over up to 120 months – or until the collection expiration date if sooner. You can make payments with an automatic bank withdrawal, manually online, or by mail.

If you’re an individual who owes over $50,000, the IRS may give you a payment plan, but you can’t apply online. You must contact the IRS directly. You will need to complete a collection information statement if:

• You owe over $250,000.
• You’ve recently defaulted on a payment arrangement.
• A revenue officer requests one. 

Option 1 for Businesses: Up to 24 Months

Businesses can set up installment agreements, but only if they owe $25,000 or less in assessed tax, penalties, and interest and have filed all required tax returns. Businesses will make monthly payments and have up to 24 months to pay off their tax bill. An automatic bank withdrawal payment method is required for balances between $10,000 and $25,000.

Option 2 for Businesses: Up to 72 months for Businesses

Businesses that owe non-payroll tax debt can set up a streamlined installment agreement and take up to six years to pay. If the business is no longer operating, it can use this payment plan on up to $25,000 on payroll or other tax debt, and the threshold increases to $50,000 for sole props that are no longer in business.

Cost to Set Up Payment Plans

Besides paying the required interest and penalties, there is a fee for having a long-term payment plan. If using an automatic bank withdrawal, the online setup fee is $22 (this fee can be waived for low-income taxpayers). Without an automatic bank withdrawal payment method, the online setup fee is $69 (this fee can be reduced to $43 in certain cases for low-income taxpayers). 

Note that applying over the phone, by mail, or in person costs more.

Different Types of Installment Agreements

One of the advantages of an installment agreement over a short-term payment plan (besides having more time to pay) is that there are several different options that may better meet your specific needs. Below are some of the more common types used by the majority of taxpayers. 

Up to 120 Months With a Simple Payment Plan

The simple payment plan gives you up to 120 months to pay off your tax balance. However, you might have less time if the Collection Statute Expiration Date (CSED) comes earlier. To be eligible, you must owe $50,000 or less and be up to date on filing requirements.

Up to 10 Years With a Non-Streamlined Installment Agreement 

With a non-streamlined installment agreement, you can get up to 10 years to pay your tax debt or until the CSED. But the IRS may file a tax lien and require you to provide financial information. 

Three-Year Guaranteed Installment Agreement

This is an option if you owe $10,000 or less and you meet all of the following conditions:

• You have filed all required tax returns for the past five years, paid all required income taxes, and haven’t entered into another installment agreement for income taxes.
• You agree to pay your entire tax bill within 36 months.
• You don’t have the money to pay your entire tax balance on its original due date.

While you’re not technically guaranteed to get this payment plan from the IRS just by asking, it’s usually the quickest and easiest installment agreement plan available. As long as you’re compliant with past filing obligations, the IRS usually approves these agreements.

Up to the CSED With a Partial Payment Installment Agreement

To be eligible for a partial payment installment agreement (PPIA), you’ll need to provide extensive financial records to prove you can’t afford to pay your entire tax balance. 

The way the PPIA works is by allowing you to make a payment each month until the CSED. At that point, whatever you still owe gets wiped away by the IRS. Note that the IRS may review your financial situation at any point and return you to a standard payment plan.

Financial Consequences of Taking Longer to Pay

Keep in mind that the longer you take to pay, the more interest and penalties you will incur on your account. The faster you pay, the less you will pay in total.

The interest charged while paying off your tax bill over time will be 3% + the federal short-term interest rate. As of the first quarter of 2026, the interest rate for underpayment is 7%. The late payment penalty is 0.25% for each month (up to a maximum of 25%) you are on a payment plan.

What Happens If You Still Can’t Pay Your Taxes?

If you can’t afford your payment plan and are worried about missing payments, you may be able to negotiate with the IRS for lower monthly payments. If that doesn’t work, you have a few more options.

• Currently not collectible – Your tax debt remains, and penalties and interest continue to accrue. However, the IRS will stop trying to collect the tax debt via enforced collection actions like a tax levy.
• Offer in compromise – An OIC is an agreement between you and the IRS where they agree to settle your tax liability for an amount that’s less than what you owe. 
• Bankruptcy – Chapter 7 bankruptcy can sometimes wipe away tax debts if the debt is unpaid income taxes (plus interest and penalties), at least three years old, from a return filed at least two years ago, and assessed within the last eight months (240 days). 

FAQs About How Long You Have to Pay

If you owe taxes, how long do you have to pay?

If you owe taxes, they are due on their due date or sooner. The IRS will start adding interest and penalties right away, but the agency may take several months (or even years) to come after you. Once the IRS decides to collect the taxes forcibly, you may face wage garnishment, bank levies, or seizures. However, you can get a 180-day payment extension if you contact the IRS by the due date. 

How long can you make payments to the IRS?

You can make payments on back taxes for up to 10 years – but you must get approved for the payment plan, and often, the IRS requires taxpayers to repay taxes in a much shorter time frame. In all cases, you must pay back taxes by the Collection Statute Expiration Date – unless you prove you can’t afford to pay. 

What if I can’t pay my taxes?

Then, contact the IRS to set up monthly payments or apply for a hardship option, such as currently not collectible status or an offer in compromise. Consult with a tax attorney to find the best option for your situation. 

How long do I have to pay after filing?

Tax payments are due on the return due date without extensions. For example, if you’re filing an individual tax return due on April 15th, the tax is due on April 15th. If you get an extension, you don’t have to file your tax return until October 15th, but your taxes are still due on April 15th.

The W Tax Group Can Help You With Unpaid Taxes

Dealing with unpaid taxes can be stressful. Luckily, there are several options available to help you pay off your tax bill over time–you may even be able to pay less than what you owe. The IRS might also be willing to give you an extension if paying your taxes by the original deadline would create an undue hardship. But taking advantage of these programs can sometimes be complicated or confusing, especially when it comes to meeting financial eligibility requirements. 

The W Tax Group offers free consultations to help you determine what your next steps should be. To get help dealing with your unpaid taxes, contact us online today or call us at 877-500-4930.

Lead Tax Attorney at The W Tax Group

Stephen A Weisberg