You can pay Maryland taxes with a credit card through the Comptroller of Maryland’s online payment portal or by phone. A third-party processor handles the transaction and charges a 2.49% convenience fee on every payment, which does not go to the state and is not refundable.1Maryland Comptroller. Personal Tax Tip 57 – Filing Your Maryland Return Electronically2Comptroller of Maryland. Make a Payment as a Guest – Maryland Tax Connect Whether that fee is worth paying depends on your card’s rewards and whether you can clear the balance before interest kicks in.
Which Maryland Taxes You Can Charge
For individuals, the Comptroller’s online payment page accepts credit cards for a balance due on your annual return, quarterly estimated income tax, and extension payments. Estimated and extension payments both use Form PV as the voucher.3Comptroller of Maryland. Online Payment4Comptroller of Maryland. Maryland Form PV – Personal Tax Payment Voucher
Businesses can pay obligations like sales and use tax and withholding tax by credit card through the Maryland Tax Connect portal.2Comptroller of Maryland. Make a Payment as a Guest – Maryland Tax Connect
County and municipal property taxes are not part of the Comptroller’s system. Those payments run through your local jurisdiction, each with its own portal and rules.
The 2.49% Fee and Accepted Cards
NICUSA, Inc. is the authorized processor for online payments and charges a flat 2.49% convenience fee on every credit card transaction. On a $5,000 tax bill, that comes to $124.50, so your card is charged $5,124.50. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express all work, and the rate is the same across networks.1Maryland Comptroller. Personal Tax Tip 57 – Filing Your Maryland Return Electronically
The fee is separate from the tax. Do not add it to the amount you enter on the payment screen; the system calculates it and shows the total before you confirm. Only the tax portion reaches the state.1Maryland Comptroller. Personal Tax Tip 57 – Filing Your Maryland Return Electronically
You can also pay by phone at 1-800-2PAY-TAX (1-800-272-9829). That line is handled by a separate processor, Official Payments, but the fee is still 2.49% and the same four card networks are accepted.1Maryland Comptroller. Personal Tax Tip 57 – Filing Your Maryland Return Electronically
How to Submit the Payment
Go to the Comptroller’s online payment page and pick your tax type, such as Personal Income Tax or the relevant business category. Enter your Social Security Number (for individual taxes) or business Tax ID, then the payment amount.3Comptroller of Maryland. Online Payment The next screen shows the total including the convenience fee. Enter your card details, review, and confirm.
You’ll get a confirmation number from the processor right away. Keep it. That number is your proof of on-time payment even if the credit takes a few business days to appear on your Maryland account. The processor’s transaction date is what counts for the deadline. For tax year 2025, the individual income tax deadline is April 15, 2026.
Is Paying by Credit Card Worth It?
The Comptroller’s website also accepts electronic funds withdrawal from a U.S. bank account, and no service charge applies to that method.3Comptroller of Maryland. Online Payment On a $5,000 payment, choosing direct debit over a credit card saves $124.50. On $10,000, it’s $249. A mailed check with Form PV works for estimated or extension payments, but adds mailing time and the risk of arriving late.
A credit card can still come out ahead in specific situations. A 2% cash-back card brings your effective cost down to about 0.49%. A sign-up bonus tied to a spending threshold can more than cover the fee if a large tax payment helps you hit it. Some travel programs value points above 2 cents each.
The math breaks the moment you carry a balance. Credit card rates above 20% wipe out any rewards benefit within a month or two on a large payment. If you can’t pay the statement in full, direct debit or a state payment plan will almost always cost less. Check your available credit before submitting, too. A declined charge doesn’t trigger a state penalty, but if you’re paying near the deadline you may not have time to try something else.
If Your Payment Is Late or Fails
Maryland charges a 5% penalty on unpaid tax when payment is 1 to 30 days late, and 10% when it’s more than 30 days late. Failing to both file and pay by the deadline can push the penalty to 25% of the assessed tax.5Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax – General 13-708
Interest also accrues on the unpaid balance. Maryland’s annual interest rate was 11.4825% for calendar year 2025.6Maryland Comptroller. Maryland Tax Alert – Sales and Use Tax Updates 2025 – 2026 The current year’s rate is posted on the Comptroller’s website.
If the credit card charge is reversed, the state adds a $30 service fee on top of the penalties and interest.7New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Code Tax – General 13-713 – Assessment for Dishonored Checks A reversed payment also means the tax was never paid, so late-payment penalties run from the original due date.
When You Can’t Pay in Full
If the balance is more than you can cover, Maryland offers installment plans through the Central Collection Unit. You make an initial down payment on each debt, then monthly payments until it’s cleared. Call 410-767-1220 or 1-888-248-0345 to set one up.8Department of Budget and Management. Payment Plan Options
A payment plan does not stop penalties and interest, so the balance grows while you pay it down. Even so, it’s usually cheaper than charging the tax to a card at 20%-plus interest and paying the minimum each month. If the choice is between a credit card payment you can’t clear right away and a state installment plan, the installment plan wins in nearly every scenario.