TRUTH.
Since 2016, the IRS has partnered with a payment service called PayNearMe to allow Americans to pay their federal taxes in cash at participating retail locations — including 7-Eleven stores across the country. The option exists in all 50 states, requires no bank account or credit card, and costs $1.50 per transaction. It is completely legitimate, confirmed on theofficial IRS.gov payments page.
The process is not as simple as walking in and handing over cash. It requires starting at the IRS website, initiating a payment request, receiving a confirmation email from Official Payments, and then receiving a separate email from PayNearMe with a unique payment code. You bring that code to the store, hand over the cash, and receive a receipt. The payment posts to your tax account within two business days. There is a $1,000 daily payment limit — so if you owe significantly more than that, plan accordingly and start early.
The IRS rolled out the option specifically to serve taxpayers without bank accounts or credit cards, who previously had to travel to an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center to pay in cash.7-Eleven is open 24 hours a day in most locations, which makes it considerably more convenient than a government office. The program has since expanded to include other retail partners including Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Dollar General, and Family Dollar.
Time magazine covered the launch in 2016, noting that IRS Commissioner John Koskinen called it a way to help "people who can only pay their taxes in cash." The CBS headline at the time was more to the point: "IRS Lets You Pay Your Taxes in Cash at 7-Eleven."
You can also get a Slurpee while you're there. The IRS has not yet partnered with the Slurpee machine, but give it time.
The process is not as simple as walking in and handing over cash. It requires starting at the IRS website, initiating a payment request, receiving a confirmation email from Official Payments, and then receiving a separate email from PayNearMe with a unique payment code. You bring that code to the store, hand over the cash, and receive a receipt. The payment posts to your tax account within two business days. There is a $1,000 daily payment limit — so if you owe significantly more than that, plan accordingly and start early.
The IRS rolled out the option specifically to serve taxpayers without bank accounts or credit cards, who previously had to travel to an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center to pay in cash.7-Eleven is open 24 hours a day in most locations, which makes it considerably more convenient than a government office. The program has since expanded to include other retail partners including Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Dollar General, and Family Dollar.
Time magazine covered the launch in 2016, noting that IRS Commissioner John Koskinen called it a way to help "people who can only pay their taxes in cash." The CBS headline at the time was more to the point: "IRS Lets You Pay Your Taxes in Cash at 7-Eleven."
You can also get a Slurpee while you're there. The IRS has not yet partnered with the Slurpee machine, but give it time.
