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Free tool · Informational federal dates for 2026

Key 2026 federal tax deadlines, filtered for your practice.

Most tax calendars hand you thirty dates and let you work out which six matter. Select how your practice is structured and the activities that apply. The calendar will display common federal deadlines that may apply based on your selections.

23 federal dates Filter by entity type One-click .ics export Nothing to sign up for
For information only. This calendar lists common federal due dates and does not cover every filing, state or local deadline, or extension that may apply to you. Dates can change, and which ones apply depends on your entity, elections and facts. Confirm your own deadlines with your tax adviser before relying on them.
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Two things to know before you start. When a deadline lands on a weekend or a federal holiday it moves to the next business day, that is already reflected in the dates below, which is why you will see March 16 instead of March 15 and November 2 instead of October 31. And every date here is federal. Your state sets its own deadlines, and they are often different.
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Showing 23 of 23 dates

Q1

January 2026

5 dates
  • Jan15

    Q4 2025 estimated tax payment

    The last installment on your 2025 income, pay it now, because the underpayment penalty runs on whatever is short.

    • Sole prop / SMLLC
    • Partnership / multi-member LLC
    • S corporation
    • Estimated tax
  • Feb2

    W-2s to your employees

    Everyone on payroll needs their W-2 in hand or in the mail today, including you, if your S corp pays you a salary.

    • Every entity
    • Payroll
  • Feb2

    1099-NEC to contractors and the IRS

    Anyone you paid $600 or more for services gets a copy today, and the IRS copy is due the same day. There is no extra month on this one.

    • Every entity
    • 1099-NEC
  • Feb2

    Q4 payroll return (Form 941)

    Your fourth-quarter payroll return, covering October through December wages and everything withheld from them.

    • Every entity
    • Payroll
  • Feb2

    Federal unemployment return (Form 940)

    The annual FUTA return. Small dollars for most practices, but a missed filing is still a notice in your mailbox.

    • Every entity
    • Payroll
Q1

February 2026

1 date
  • Feb2

    File and pay in full instead of the January installment

    Skip the January 15 payment entirely if you file your 2025 return and pay the balance by this date, the rule says January 31, which is a Saturday this year.

    • Sole prop / SMLLC
    • Partnership / multi-member LLC
    • S corporation
    • Estimated tax
Q1

March 2026

2 dates
  • Mar16

    S corporation return (Form 1120-S)

    Your 1120-S and the K-1s that flow onto your personal return, or Form 7004, which buys six months to file and none to pay. March 15 is a Sunday.

    • S corporation
  • Mar16

    Partnership return (Form 1065)

    Same date, same K-1 obligation to your partners, same Form 7004 if you need the extension.

    • Partnership / multi-member LLC
Q2

April 2026

5 dates
  • Apr15

    Individual return (Form 1040)

    You file a personal return however the practice is structured, Schedule C profit, a K-1, or a salary. Form 4868 extends the filing, never the payment.

    • Every entity
  • Apr15

    C corporation return (Form 1120)

    The corporation files its own return and pays its own tax. Form 7004 moves the filing date; the money is still due today.

    • C corporation
  • Apr15

    Q1 2026 estimated tax payment

    The first installment on this year's income, due the same day you settle up for last year. Budget for both.

    • Sole prop / SMLLC
    • Partnership / multi-member LLC
    • S corporation
    • Estimated tax
  • Apr15

    Last call for 2025 IRA and HSA contributions

    You can still fund a 2025 IRA or HSA today, one of the few moves that reaches back into a tax year that has already closed.

    • Every entity
  • Apr30

    Q1 payroll return (Form 941)

    First-quarter payroll return, covering January through March wages. Your payroll provider usually files it. Check that it went.

    • Every entity
    • Payroll
Q2

June 2026

1 date
  • Jun15

    Q2 2026 estimated tax payment

    Two months after Q1, not three. The estimated tax schedule is uneven, and this is the installment people miss.

    • Sole prop / SMLLC
    • Partnership / multi-member LLC
    • S corporation
    • Estimated tax
Q3

July 2026

1 date
  • Jul31

    Q2 payroll return (Form 941)

    Second-quarter payroll return, covering April through June wages.

    • Every entity
    • Payroll
Q3

September 2026

3 dates
  • Sep15

    Q3 2026 estimated tax payment

    Third installment, and a good moment to re-run the math if your caseload or fees have moved since spring.

    • Sole prop / SMLLC
    • Partnership / multi-member LLC
    • S corporation
    • Estimated tax
  • Sep15

    Extended S corporation return (Form 1120-S)

    The end of the road for an extended 1120-S, and your K-1s need to go out so owners can file by October 15.

    • S corporation
  • Sep15

    Extended partnership return (Form 1065)

    Last date for an extended 1065, and your partners are waiting on the same K-1s.

    • Partnership / multi-member LLC
Q4

October 2026

2 dates
  • Oct15

    Extended individual return (Form 1040)

    The end of the line for personal returns. There is no second extension, so whatever you have on this date is what gets filed.

    • Every entity
  • Oct15

    Extended C corporation return (Form 1120)

    Final date for a corporate return filed on extension.

    • C corporation
Q4

November 2026

1 date
  • Nov2

    Q3 payroll return (Form 941)

    Third-quarter payroll return, covering July through September wages. October 31 is a Saturday, so you get until Monday.

    • Every entity
    • Payroll
Q4

December 2026

1 date
  • Dec31

    Last day for year-end tax moves

    Certain year-end tax actions, such as placing eligible equipment in service or making charitable contributions, may need to be completed by December 31. Retirement plan deadlines vary by plan and contribution type.

    • Every entity
Next year

January 2027

1 date
  • Jan152027

    Q4 2026 estimated tax payment

    The final installment on 2026 income, and the first date of next year's cycle.

    • Sole prop / SMLLC
    • Partnership / multi-member LLC
    • S corporation
    • Estimated tax
Federal dates for the 2026 calendar year, provided for general planning. State and local deadlines differ, and individual circumstances can change what applies to you, confirm anything load-bearing with your CPA.
While you are here

Work out the numbers behind the dates

A deadline is only half the problem. These take you from "when" to "how much".

Total Tax Liability EstimatorSize up the quarterly payment before the date arrives Quarterly estimated taxes, explainedHow the installments are calculated and what the safe harbours are Tax Preparation & PlanningLet someone else hold the calendar for your practice
Questions, answered

About the 2026 tax calendar

What happens when a tax deadline falls on a weekend or holiday?
It moves to the next business day. That is why the partnership and S corporation returns show as March 16 rather than March 15, which is a Sunday in 2026, and why the third-quarter payroll return shows as November 2 rather than October 31, which is a Saturday. Federal holidays shift dates the same way, including Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia, which is the reason the April deadline occasionally lands on the 17th or 18th.
Does this calendar cover my state deadlines?
No, every date here is federal. States set their own filing and payment deadlines, and some differ from the federal date by weeks. Pass-through entity taxes, franchise taxes, annual report fees and local business taxes add dates that appear nowhere on this page. Check your state revenue department, or ask us to build the full list for your practice.
Does filing an extension give me more time to pay?
No, and this is the most expensive misunderstanding on the whole calendar. Form 4868 for individuals and Form 7004 for businesses extend the deadline to file the paperwork by six months. The tax itself is still due on the original date. Extend and pay late, and interest plus a late-payment penalty run from the original deadline on whatever is unpaid.
What should I do if I have already missed one?
File and pay as soon as you can. The late-filing penalty is roughly ten times the late-payment penalty, so filing a return you cannot fully pay is almost always better than filing nothing at all. If it is a first slip and your prior three years are clean, first-time penalty abatement often wipes the penalty out entirely, but you have to ask for it, and it is worth asking.
Which dates matter most if I just elected S corporation status?
Three groups. The payroll dates, because an S corporation owner has to be on payroll, Form 941 each quarter, Form 940 in January, W-2s by January 31. The March 16 deadline for the 1120-S and the K-1s it produces. And your personal estimated payments, which now cover tax on K-1 income rather than on self-employment profit. Filter this calendar to S corporation with payroll switched on and you will see the full set.
How do I get these dates into Google Calendar or Outlook?
Every deadline has an Add button that downloads a standard .ics file, and the button at the top of the list downloads one file containing every date currently shown. In Google Calendar, open Settings, then "Import & export", and choose the file. In Outlook or Apple Calendar, open the downloaded file and confirm the import. Each deadline arrives as an all-day event, so it sits at the top of the day instead of at an invented time.
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Request a consultation and we will map the dates that actually apply to your practice (federal, state and payroll) and tell you which ones we would carry for you.

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