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You request an IRS payment plan by mail by completing Form 9465, the Installment Agreement Request, and mailing it to the address in its instructions. Mailing takes longer than the online tool, but it is the better route when you cannot get into your IRS online account, need payment terms the online tool will not offer, or want a paper record of exactly what you proposed.
This is general information, not tax advice.
Form 9465 is short on purpose. You enter your name, address, Social Security number, and the tax periods you owe for, then propose your monthly payment amount and the date each month you want to pay. It also asks how you want to pay: direct debit from a bank account, payroll deduction, or another method. Fill in the bank details only if you choose direct debit. Sign and date it, and keep a complete copy of everything you mail, because the IRS will not send you back a copy of your own filing.
| Method | Best when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Online payment agreement tool | You qualify for its preset terms and want an answer fast | Limited to the terms the tool offers; you need an IRS online account |
| Form 9465 by mail | You cannot access the online account, or need nonstandard terms | Slower: allow several weeks for processing |
| Form 433-F with Form 9465 | You owe a large balance or need terms outside the streamlined rules | Requires full financial disclosure of income, assets, and expenses |
Three situations. First, access: the online tool requires an IRS online account with identity verification, and people with thin credit files or no US phone number often cannot pass it. Second, terms: the online tool offers preset payment schedules, while the paper form lets you propose your own monthly amount and payment date, which matters if your income arrives unevenly. Third, records: a mailed request gives you a dated paper copy of exactly what you proposed, plus proof of mailing, which is useful if the IRS later misstates your terms.
Use the mailing address printed in the current Form 9465 instructions, not an address you remember from a past year: IRS processing centers change assignments over time. Do not include a payment with the request unless you want to; the request itself is not a payment. If you owe a balance above the streamlined threshold, attach Form 433-F, the Collection Information Statement, because without it the IRS will send your request back and the clock restarts. Send the whole package by certified mail and keep the receipt with your copy.
The IRS keeps charging interest and penalties on the unpaid balance while the request is pending, so waiting is not free. Keep making payments on the amount you owe during the wait, even before the agreement is approved; those payments reduce what the final agreement has to cover. Once approved, you get a written notice with your terms. If the notice differs from what you proposed, you have a short window to respond, which is another reason to have kept your dated copy.
People who owe larger balances or cannot make the standard monthly minimum need to attach the financial statement and ask for terms the streamlined program would reject. This is slower and the IRS can counter-propose, but the mail route handles it fine because a human reviews the file. Be honest on the financial statement: understating income or hiding assets on a federal form creates a bigger problem than the tax debt you started with.
LetterAgent prints and mails single-sided 8.5x11 letters to US addresses with the price quoted up front, which covers the cover letter and copies of your forms as printed pages. The forms themselves must come from you, completed and signed; LetterAgent cannot sign for you or prepare the tax forms. The service mails to US and Canadian addresses and is currently in private testing.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
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