do you have any reluctancy

do you have any reluctancy telling clients to pay their tax bills
or notices from IRS website where give out your checking acct #?

No I don't. It's probably safer than mailing a check.

Reluctance?
No, I advise doing so.

That's how I make my own tax payments.

good to know - thank you both

You do realize that if the user is utilizing https there's an encrypted tunnel between the user's browser and the destination server? Everything the user receives and sends, with the exception of the domain/destination server's IP address, is encrypted (read: scrambled) before being transmitted, and is unreadable by anyone in the middle.

Look next to the url in your browser. If you see a lock the browser is using https for that domain.

Using IRS Direct Pay is indeed more secure than mailing a check. Faster and more reliable too. You really have to send a USPS letter with a prayer these days.

Heck no, I advise everyone to pay online as long as they are using the correct link/sites. I firmly believe electronic is far more secure than snail mail, but you cannot convince conspiracy theorists and old school people of it. I ditch those clients quickly. One of my first questions for a prospective client is "just how tech savvy are you, and do you hesitate to pay invoices electronically?" If they say "not very, and yes" then I do not accept them.

Paying electronically is the way to go! I lost count of the number of clients that received IRS notices due to the IRS not processing the mail that contained their payment checks - months after they were mailed. I don't want to go through that again.

I have only had two clients that have had their bank accounts compromised in the last 7 years. Both were from "stolen" photo-deposited paper checks that the perpetrator used to create new checks and forge against the account.

Ultimately they got all of their money back, but it was hassle.

Between lost or stolen checks, or mail delays with the IRS, I pay and recommend my clients pay all of their taxes through either EFTPS or Direct Pay. Many still don't of course.

We've had problems in my area with mail being stolen out of those blue USPS drop boxes, even the ones that sit right outside post offices. It's made the local news more than a few times. They're ultimately looking for cash, or checks that they can modify and cash. The response from local and national post office representatives has been along the lines of "there's nothing we can do about it."

I tell my friends and family that if you must mail a check, don't use the blue boxes, rather walk it into the PO and drop it down the chute. (and make sure it goes down too)

It's so stupid for anyone to believe physical checks are more secure. As soon as anyone sees it, they have everything needed to duplicate them on valid check stock.

When I was in private accounting, the office did not initially have a locking mailbox. We had a lot of checks stolen in the course of a month or so and they were modified and deposited to other accounts. We installed a locking mailbox. That was then stolen off the post. So, the post office agreed that all mail would be brought INSIDE the office and no weekend deliveries.