Here’s my take: If your only objective is to earn 1 or 2 points per dollar (or whatever the basic earning rate is on your card), the roughly 2% fee you’ll incur by paying with a card may or may not be worth it. (Pro tip: Use our monthly valuations to crunch those numbers.)
But if you’re working toward a juicy welcome bonus or some other spending threshold that will earn you important perks, putting your tax bill on that card can be a great option.
For instance, if you’re one of the thousands of TPG readers who have recently jumped on this underrated offer on the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card — new cardholders receive a $250 Capital One Travel credit good for their first cardholder year, plus can earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening — you’d almost surely be coming out on top.
At face value alone, that offer is worth at least $1,000 in travel. But based on our April 2026 valuations (when you factor in opportunities with Capital One’s transfer partners), we see $1,638 in total value from those bonus miles and travel credit combined.
Side note: This offerends April 13, so act fast on this opportunity or you’ll miss it!
Or, take our beloved Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. These days, new cardholders can earn a generous 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
We value that bonus at about $1,538 — which would likely be a pretty healthy return on whatever fee you might incur from the tax payment.
Be warned: If you have one of the new Bilt cards, they will not earn rewards on tax payments. So don’t try.
Personally, I’m using my World of Hyatt Credit Card for tax payments this year, which will earn me an extra free night award and several qualifying nights to help me keep Globalist status next year.
But if you’re looking to score a great bonus quickly, check out these cards that you can start using instantly after approval. You could get approved, instantly settle your tab with Uncle Sam and score a big pile of points for a well-deserved vacation.
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Photo Credit: MARCO BOTTIGELLI/GETTY IMAGES.
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