How to Pay the PCORI Fee to the IRS

There is no special PCORI payment system. You pay the fee the same ways you can pay any Form 720 balance, and you pay it by the return's due date. The Form 720 instructions list IRS Direct Pay, EFTPS, a debit or credit card, a digital wallet, electronic funds withdrawal when you e-file, a same-day wire, or a check or money order. Payment is due at the time the Form 720 is due, and the next due date is Monday, August 2, 2027.

Your amount is average covered lives times your plan year's rate. If you don't have that figure yet, run it through the PCORI fee calculator, or read how the PCORI fee is figured.

Your PCORI IRS payment options compared

The IRS recommends paying electronically whenever possible. Here is what the instructions say about each route:

Links to start each one: IRS Direct Pay, card or digital wallet, electronic funds withdrawal, and cash. The IRS also keeps a full list at IRS.gov/Payments.

For a first-time payer with a bank account, Direct Pay fits well: the instructions show no cost and don't mention an enrollment step, while EFTPS requires you to be enrolled either online or by a mailed form. Leave time for that if you pick EFTPS.

When is payment due, and why are there no deposits?

IRS Q&A 8 says "Payment is due at the time the Form 720 is due. Deposits are not required for the PCORI fee." Most Part I excise taxes follow a semimonthly deposit schedule. This fee doesn't.

That means two things for you:

• You make one payment, not installments through the year.
• You are not required to use EFTPS. The electronic deposit requirement covers depository taxes, and the instructions say plainly that issuers and plan sponsors "aren't required to pay the fee using EFTPS."

Due date reminders: the fee is due July 31 of the year after the plan year ends. When that date falls on a weekend, you may file on the next business day. That is why plan years ending in 2026 point to August 2, 2027. Our late PCORI filing guide covers what happens if a payment or return is late.

Apply it to the right quarter, and time a withdrawal correctly

Both the instructions and the IRS PCORI page say that an EFTPS payment should be applied to the second quarter. In EFTPS, you select Q2 for the Quarter under Tax Period on the "Business Tax Payment" page. It's the same quarter no matter when your plan year ended. A plan year that ended in September still points to Q2.

If you pay by check, Form 720-V has a box for this too: darken only the 2nd quarter circle. On the check itself, the instructions ask for your EIN, "Form 720," and the tax period, and it must be payable to "United States Treasury." Don't send cash through the mail.

The IRS sources spell out the Q2 choice only for EFTPS and the voucher. If another payment screen asks for a tax period, it makes sense to follow the same logic, because the fee is reported on the second-quarter return.

A timing rule for electronic funds withdrawal

EFW is the one option tied to e-filing. IRS rules for e-filed returns limit how you set it up:

• Amount (FPYMT-031-01). The payment amount can't be more than the balance due on Form 720, Part III, line 10.
• Date (FPYMT-032-01). The requested payment date can't be later than the date the IRS receives the return, and can't be more than five days before it.

On that wording, you can't file in June and schedule the debit for a later date. If you want to file early but pay near the deadline, a method separate from the return, such as Direct Pay, may suit you better. Line 10 of the form's instructions also says that if you pay by Direct Pay, EFTPS, or direct debit, you don't file Form 720-V.

What if you can't pay the full amount?

The instructions point to an installment agreement. You can apply online through the Online Payment Agreement at IRS.gov/OPA if the total you owe in combined tax, penalties, and interest is $25,000 or less ($50,000 for individuals), and you have filed all required returns. Since that last condition counts your filed returns, you would still file the return.

Keeping proof of payment

The instructions say to keep copies of your tax return, records, and accounts of all transactions to show that the correct tax has been paid. They don't list specific payment documents, so a practical file would hold whichever applies:

• The confirmation from Direct Pay, EFTPS, or the card processor.
• The bank statement line showing the money left the account.
• A copy of the check and of the Form 720-V you sent, plus proof of the mail date. A designated private delivery service can tell you how to get written proof of that date.
• The return itself, with line 10 matching the amount paid.

Your next step: file the return that goes with the payment

A payment doesn't replace the return. The fee is reported on Form 720, so that return still has to be filed. You can complete your PCORI fee filing with EasyFile720. The rate and math are handled once you enter your lives, so you can see the amount to pay using one of the methods above. The account is free to create, with no credit card needed to start. The $39.95 per filing is for the filing service, and you pay it when you file. It doesn't include the fee you owe the IRS.

FAQ

Sources: Instructions for Form 720 (Rev. June 2026); Form 720 (Rev. June 2026); IRS PCORI Questions and Answers; IRS Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute fee page; 720 Business Rules Publication 2026Q4v1.0. General information, not tax advice. Confirm how the rules apply to you with a qualified advisor or the IRS.