Estimated Quarterly Tax Dates in 2026

Filing requirements depend on more than just how much you earned. Your filing status, age, and income type all determine whether you need to file and whether you’ll owe federal or state income taxes.

If you’re an employee with a W-2, your employer withholds taxes from each paycheck. But if you’re self-employed, a gig worker, or a business owner, you’re responsible for paying income taxes yourself. For most, this means making estimated quarterly tax payments at specific times throughout the year. 

If this all sounds complicated, don’t worry. Read more to learn more about estimated taxes, quarterly tax payment due dates, and how to pay.

Who pays estimated taxes?

In the United States, we have a “pay-as-you-go” tax system. That means the government expects to receive your tax payments as you earn your income throughout the year. When working for an employer, employees have a certain amount of taxes automatically withheld from their paychecks as they earn their wages. 

If you’re a W-2 worker, the amount your employer withholds is based on your total earnings and the information you provided on your W-4 (employee’s withholding certificate). The IRS has a tool available for taxpayers to estimate federal income tax withholding. 

You may need to make quarterly estimated tax payments if you expect: 

• To owe at least $1,000 in federal income taxes after subtracting withholdings and refundable tax credits, and 
• Your total withholding and refundable tax credits  cover less than the smaller of:
  • 90% of this year’s tax liability, or 
  • 100% of the previous year’s total tax liability (or 110% if your AGI exceeded $150,000 on a joint return, or $75,000 for other filers)

What that means is you’ll commonly have to pay estimated taxes if you’re: 

• Self-employed: Those who receive a 1099 rather than a W-2 (like freelancers, independent contractors, and gig workers) typically don’t have taxes withheld from their pay throughout the year. As a result, they may need to pay quarterly taxes if they expect to owe at least $1,000 when they file. 
• Business owner: Any corporation expecting to owe at least $500 may need to pay estimated income tax. 
• Others: S corporation shareholders and partners may be subject to estimated tax if they expect to owe $1,000 or more when filing. 

You will not be required to make estimated tax payments if you meet all three of the following conditions:

• You had no tax liability last year
• You were a US citizen or resident for the full year, and 
• Your prior tax year covered a full 12-month period

When are estimated taxes due?

Quarterly estimated tax payment dates usually fall on the 15th of April, June, September, and January (of the following year). 

However, quarterly tax dates can vary slightly. If the 15th falls on a weekend or federal holiday, your tax payment will be due the following business day. Generally, the IRS doesn’t offer any extensions to its quarterly tax payment due dates. If you skip making a quarterly payment or pay late, you may be subject to a penalty. To avoid paying more than you need to, mark your calendar with the  quarterly tax due dates ahead of time — just in case. 

It’s possible to avoid a penalty by: 

• Using the annualized installment method. If you earn your self-employment income unevenly during the year, you may be able to use the annualized installment method at tax time. This allows you to calculate each quarter’s tax payment based on what you actually earned, rather than a flat estimate. This can reduce or eliminate penalties if you have fluctuating income. 
• Pre-pay or pay more estimated taxes. If you expect to earn more later in the year, consider paying more than required in earlier quarters. Getting ahead of your liability early on means you are less likely to underpay as income increases. 

Note: If you’re a victim of a recent federally declared disaster, IRS tax filing and payment deadline extensions are available to you. You can check for additional relief information on the IRS disaster relief page.

Due dates for estimated taxes in 2026

These are the self-employment quarterly tax dates for 2026. These dates apply to anyone subject to estimated quarterly taxes.

Period in which you earned income	Quarterly tax deadlines for 2026
January 1 to March 31	April 15, 2026
April 1 to May 31	June 15, 2026
June 1 to August 31	September 15, 2026
September 1 to December 31	January 15, 2027

Note: These deadlines come directly from the IRS quarterly estimated tax payment dates page. The IRS official website provides up-to-date information on these deadlines throughout the year.

How do I calculate my estimated taxes?

When calculating your estimated tax payments, you’ve got a few options: 

• Use last year’s info: One common method is to calculate your payments based on the previous year’s tax liability. Say you owed $15,000 in total income taxes in 2025. Take that number and divide it by four — the number of required quarterly tax payments — to get $3,750. Assuming your income doesn’t fluctuate much, you’ll owe roughly that amount on each upcoming quarterly tax deadline. 
• Annualize: Another option is to annualize. With this method, you estimate your taxes based on what you’ve earned so far in the year, projected out over 12 months. This method usually works best for those whose income fluctuates significantly every year or quarter.

The IRS has forms you can use to calculate your estimated tax payments. If you’re an individual taxpayer (including partners, sole proprietors, and S-Corp shareholders), you’ll typically use Form 1040-ES to calculate your estimated payments. Nonresident aliens can use Form 1040-ES(NR). If you’re filing as a corporation, you can use Publication 542 (formerly called Form 1120-W). 

Be sure to factor in any tax deductions and credits when determining your estimated tax amount. If you overpay, you can either get a refund or use the excess payment and apply it to next year when filing your tax return. 

There are special rules and exclusions, so if you’d rather not figure your estimated tax payments yourself, you can always use QuickBooks Self-Employed. This tax software tracks your income, expenses, and more to determine your estimated taxes and ensure you don’t miss a quarterly estimated tax payment date. QuickBooks Self-Employed can also automatically export your Schedule C info to TurboTax Premium for easier annual tax filing. 

If you use TurboTax to file, we’ll also automatically figure your estimated quarterly tax payments and print out quarterly payment vouchers you can send to the IRS. You can also use TurboTax TaxCaster to estimate your overall tax picture and help you determine if you should make any estimated tax payments.

How do I pay estimated taxes?

Knowing what you owe is half the battle. You’ll still need to get those quarterly tax payments in by the deadlines. Here are a few ways to pay: 

• Pay estimated taxes through your online IRS account, the IRS2Go mobile app, or IRS Direct Pay (which lets you pay using your bank account). If you pay using your online account, you can also check your payment history and other tax records. 
• Use the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System  (EFTPS) to pay your estimated taxes. It facilitates instant payments and is free to use. 
• Pay via debit card, credit card, and even certain digital wallets (like Click to Pay and PayPal). Payments go through a secured third-party processor — either Pay1040 or ACI Payments, Inc. Each processor has its own fees, accepted payment methods, and payment limits. Note that credit card and debit card payments can incur processing fees.
• Mail in your payment. The IRS has specific mailing addresses based on the state where you live. Your payments should be postmarked by the due date to avoid penalties. 
• If you owe a smaller amount, you can pay estimated taxes with cash, prepaid card, money order, or cashier’s check at a retail partner. 
• QuickBooks Self-Employed allows you to electronically file your quarterly estimated tax payments to the IRS. E-filing is fast and results in fewer errors because you won’t have to re-enter information into your checkbook or the IRS computer system.

Get help with paying your estimated taxes

If you’re a business owner, self-employed individual, or W-2 employee who hasn’t had enough tax withheld from your paycheck, you may have to pay estimated taxes. But don’t fret — you don’t have to go it alone. 

TurboTax can help you with your quarterly taxes by determining your estimated payments and generating payment vouchers for you. With a few simple questions, you’ll also find out which tax credits and deductions you’re eligible for. Just be sure to meet those quarterly tax dates so you don’t get penalized. 

You can also use QuickBooks to automatically calculate your tax liability so you don’t have to. It will also track your mileage, income, and expenses, as well as capture your receipts and estimate your quarterly taxes year-round. Your information can then be easily exported to TurboTax Premium at tax time for an easier filing experience.