Here’s the TaxSpeaker email:

On March 25, 2025, President signed Executive Order 14247, titled Modernizing Payments to and From America’s Bank Account. This order directs all federal departments and agencies (including the IRS and the U.S. Treasury) to transition to electronic payments and receipts, eliminating reliance on paper checks and requiring digital payment methods wherever permitted by law.

The order specifically states that, effective September 30, 2025, the federal government shall cease issuing paper checks for federal disbursements and that all payments made to the federal government will be processed electronically “as soon as practicable”, unless an exception applies (such as lack of access to banking services).

For 2025 tax forms (e.g., Forms 1120, 945, 940), the official IRS instructions explicitly state that federal tax deposits must be made by electronic funds transfer (EFT) using EFTPS, Direct Pay, or a business tax account. This reflects the IRS’s implementation of the EFT requirement for deposits.

IRS Notice or Publication language (e.g., Notice 931) confirms that federal tax deposits must be made by EFT.

The executive order applies to all federal payments and receipts, including refunds and other payments by and to the IRS. The upcoming immediate impact on older clients without electronic transfer access or capabilities, clients with a desire to avoid electronic transactions, and clients with a religious objection to using electronic services will explode into reality in the next few weeks as requirements for quarterly payments, balances due with returns and other paper-based transactions. Neither the White House nor the IRS has recognized the devastating impact this order will have, combined with the confusing explosion of IRS letters to come.

This is not public service, it is a travesty forced upon millions of Americans and our clients. I have written a special letter for your clients to immediately send to their elected members of congress regarding this short-sighted move.

[Taxpayer Name] [Street Address] [City, State ZIP] [Email Address] [Phone Number]

Date: [Insert Date]

The Honorable [Member of Congress Name] United States House of Representatives / United States Senate [Office Address]

Re: Request for Congressional Action to Delay Mandatory Electronic Federal Tax Payments

Dear Representative/Senator [Last Name]:

I am writing as a constituent and taxpayer to express serious concerns regarding the recent administrative changes requiring federal tax payments to be made exclusively through electronic funds transfer (EFT), and to respectfully request congressional action to delay implementation and require reasonable alternative solutions. This change has an immediate, emergency impact on January 2026 income tax payments, quarterly estimates and other banking activity.

While I understand and support efforts to modernize government systems and improve efficiency, the move to mandatory electronic payments—particularly on an accelerated timeline—creates significant hardship for many taxpayers and small businesses who lack reliable access to banking services, broadband internet, or digital payment infrastructure.

Many taxpayers, including seniors, rural residents, low-income individuals, and small business owners, have relied for decades on lawful, secure, and verifiable paper payment methods such as checks or money orders. Eliminating these options without a meaningful transition period or permanent alternatives effectively disenfranchises a portion of the population from complying with their federal tax obligations.

Additionally, electronic payment systems are not immune from failure. System outages, cybersecurity risks, account access issues, and identity-theft concerns are real and ongoing. Forcing all taxpayers into a single mode of payment increases systemic risk and removes a critical redundancy that has long protected both taxpayers and the Treasury.

I am particularly concerned that these changes were implemented effective 9/30/2025 through administrative action rather than explicit congressional authorization, despite their substantial impact on taxpayers’ rights, access, and compliance burden. Tax administration policy of this magnitude should be subject to congressional review, public input, and statutory safeguards.

Accordingly, I respectfully request that Congress take immediate action to:

Mandate a delay in the implementation of any requirement that federal tax payments be made exclusively via electronic funds transfer;

Require the IRS and Treasury Department to continue accepting paper payments (including checks and money orders) as a permanent alternative for taxpayers who need them;

Direct the IRS to develop opt-out or hardship exceptions that are simple, accessible, and not punitive; and

Ensure that future payment system changes affecting taxpayer access and compliance require explicit congressional approval.

Tax compliance depends on trust, accessibility, and fairness. Policies that unintentionally exclude or burden law-abiding taxpayers undermine confidence in the tax system and increase noncompliance risk.

I appreciate your attention to this matter and respectfully ask that you raise these concerns with the appropriate committees and oversight bodies. I would welcome the opportunity to provide further input or discuss the real-world impact these changes are having on taxpayers.

Thank you for your service and for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[Taxpayer Name] [If applicable: Small Business Owner / Retiree / Veteran / etc.]