On Tax Day, IRS' Online Filing Fails

The IRS is unsure whether a hardware or software issue is to blame, or if it was a cybersecurity issue — but indications are that the problem is internal, Kautter said.

Alert Message

An alert message pops up when users select "Bank Account (Direct Pay)" on the agency's website; it says the service is currently unavailable. The same message appears when choosing to apply for a payment plan or view account information.

Kautter added that taxpayers won't be punished for the IRS's issues. "If we can't solve it today, we'll figure out a solution," Kautter said. "Taxpayers would not be penalized because of a technical problem the IRS is having."

Tom Nemet, an accountant in Hamden, Connecticut, said that his software had shown the IRS system was down when he tried to send in client returns earlier Tuesday. Nemet said he thought those returns and six-month extensions would still be considered as filed on time.

"We understand that the IRS is experiencing technical difficulties today with the transmission of direct tax return payments," Representative Richard Neal, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement. "Given this news, I hope that the IRS will make accommodations so that every taxpayer attempting to file today has a fair shot to do so without penalty."

House lawmakers are scheduled to vote this week on a package of bipartisan bills to retool the agency — including modernizing its information technology systems. The package wouldn't require appropriators to provide additional money to the agency.