How to Pay US Taxes From Abroad Without a US Bank Account

You can pay US taxes from abroad in four main ways: IRS Direct Pay or the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System from a US bank account, a debit or credit card through an IRS-approved processor, or an international wire transfer from a foreign bank. Payment is due on 15 April, even though Americans abroad have until 15 June to file, and interest runs from April.

Most Americans in the UK owe the IRS nothing, because UK tax paid covers the US liability. However, some do owe: on US-source income, on gains the UK does not tax, or on the Net Investment Income Tax. Then a practical problem appears. The IRS payment system is built around US bank accounts, and many long-term expats no longer have one. This guide sets out how to pay US taxes from abroad, what each method costs, and the timing traps.

The ways to pay US taxes from abroad

The IRS lists every option on its payments page. The table compares the ones that matter outside the United States.

Direct Pay and EFTPS

IRS Direct Pay takes a payment straight from a US current or savings account. It is free and needs no enrolment. You can also schedule the payment in advance. The Electronic Federal Tax Payment System does the same job but requires enrolment first, so it suits people who make estimated payments each quarter. Both need a US routing number and account number.

Card payments

The IRS does not take cards directly. It uses approved payment processors, which charge a fee. A debit card usually attracts a flat fee and a credit card a percentage of the payment. Many processors accept cards issued outside the United States, although your card issuer may add its own foreign transaction charge. Therefore, a card works well for a few hundred dollars and poorly for a five-figure balance.

International wire transfer

If you have no US account, you can instruct your UK or UAE bank to send an international wire to the US Treasury. The IRS publishes the routing details and the five-digit tax type codes on its foreign electronic payments page. The code tells the IRS which form and year the money is for. Consequently, a wire sent with the wrong code, or without your taxpayer identification number, can sit unallocated while penalties build.

Cheques

A cheque must be in US dollars and drawn on a US bank, payable to the United States Treasury, so a sterling cheque from a UK bank is not accepted. In addition, Executive Order 14247, signed in March 2025, directs federal agencies to move away from paper cheques for payments to and from the government from 30 September 2025. The IRS explains the change on its page about modernising payments. You should plan on an electronic method.

When payment is due

The filing date and the payment date are different for Americans abroad, and confusing them is the most common cause of avoidable interest.

15 April for payment, 15 June for filing

A US citizen whose home and main place of work are outside the United States on 15 April has an automatic two-month extension to 15 June to file. That extension also delays the late payment penalty until 15 June. It does not stop interest, which runs on any unpaid tax from 15 April. A further extension to 15 October on Form 4868 extends the filing date only. Our guide to US expat tax deadlines for 2026 lists each date.

Estimated payments

If you expect to owe $1,000 or more for the year after credits and withholding, the IRS generally expects quarterly estimated payments, due on 15 April, 15 June, 15 September and 15 January. The same payment methods apply. Our guide to estimated tax payments for US expats explains the safe harbour rules.

Allow for processing time

A payment counts when the IRS receives it, not when you instruct it. An international wire can take several working days and may pass through an intermediary bank. Card and Direct Pay payments are dated the day you make them. Therefore, you should send a wire at least a week before the deadline and keep the confirmation.

Getting a refund while living abroad

Refunds have the same constraint in reverse. The IRS pays refunds by direct deposit to US accounts and does not deposit into foreign bank accounts. With paper cheques being phased out under Executive Order 14247, a US-dollar account with a US routing number, held in your own name, is now close to essential for anyone expecting a refund. The name on the account should match the name on the return.

If you cannot pay in full

You should still file on time. The failure-to-file penalty is far larger than the failure-to-pay penalty, which is 0.5% of the unpaid tax per month under section 6651 of the Internal Revenue Code. You can then pay what you can and apply for a payment plan. Our guide to the IRS instalment agreement explains how the plans work.

Check that tax is really due

Before you pay, check the credit position. A balance on a UK resident's return often comes from an unclaimed or miscalculated foreign tax credit, not from real US tax. Our foreign tax credit and double taxation page explains how UK tax offsets the US liability.

An illustrative case

Consider an illustrative US citizen in Cardiff who sells her UK home in 2026. The figures are illustrative. The UK charges no tax because of Private Residence Relief, but the gain exceeds the US exclusion and leaves $9,000 of US tax. She closed her US bank account years ago. She files by 15 June 2027, but the tax was due on 15 April 2027. Her adviser estimates the liability in March, and she sends an international wire from her UK bank on 6 April with the correct tax type code. It arrives before the deadline, so no interest accrues. A card would have cost her a percentage fee on the full amount.

If you have a US balance to settle, book a consultation with our team. We confirm the amount, check your credits and help you pay US taxes from abroad by the cheapest route.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pay the IRS without a US bank account?

Yes. You can pay by debit or credit card through an IRS-approved payment processor, or by international wire transfer from a foreign bank to the US Treasury. IRS Direct Pay and the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System both require a US bank account.

When is US tax due if I live abroad?

Payment is due on 15 April. Americans whose home and main place of work are outside the United States get an automatic extension to 15 June to file, and the late payment penalty does not start until then, but interest runs on unpaid tax from 15 April.

Can I pay the IRS from a UK bank account in pounds?

Not in pounds directly. The IRS only accepts US dollars. You can ask your UK bank to send an international wire, which it converts to dollars, or pay by card through an approved processor, in which case your card issuer converts the amount.

Can the IRS send my refund to a foreign bank account?

No. The IRS makes direct deposits only to accounts at US financial institutions. With the federal government moving away from paper cheques from 30 September 2025 under Executive Order 14247, a US-dollar account with a US routing number in your own name is the practical way to receive a refund.

How do I pay US tax from the UAE?

The options are the same as from the UK. You can use IRS Direct Pay if you have kept a US bank account, pay by card through an approved processor, or instruct your UAE bank to send an international wire in US dollars using the tax type code the IRS publishes for the form and year.

What happens if I pay US tax late from abroad?

Interest runs from 15 April on the unpaid amount. The failure-to-pay penalty is 0.5% of the unpaid tax for each month or part of a month under section 6651 of the Internal Revenue Code, and for qualifying Americans abroad it starts from 15 June.