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Quarterly Estimated Tax Deadlines for 2026

Federal estimated payments for tax year 2026 are due April 15, June 15, and September 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027. All four land on weekdays this year, so there are no weekend shifts. Here is the full schedule, what each payment covers, what a missed date actually costs, and the four states that march to their own calendar.

Next up: the Q3 2026 payment is due Tuesday, September 15, 2026.

The 2026 federal schedule

PaymentFor income earnedDue date
Q1 2026January 1 to March 31, 2026Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Q2 2026April 1 to May 31, 2026Monday, June 15, 2026
Q3 2026June 1 to August 31, 2026Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Q4 2026September 1 to December 31, 2026Friday, January 15, 2027

Note the uneven quarters: they are an IRS quirk, not a typo. The second "quarter" covers only two months (April and May) and the fourth covers four. If your income is seasonal, that mismatch is exactly what the annualized income method on Form 2210 exists to fix.

What missing a date actually costs

There is no flat late fee. Instead, the IRS charges an underpayment penalty that behaves like interest: it accrues daily on the amount you should have paid, from the missed due date until the day you pay. The rate is set quarterly (the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points), so the real cost depends on how long you wait, not just how much you missed.

Two practical consequences. First, pay the moment you notice, not at the next quarterly date; every day matters. Second, the safe-harbor rules can make the penalty disappear entirely: pay at least 90% of this year's tax or 100% of last year's (110% if you earned over $150,000) and you are protected even if you end up owing more in April.

Four states use different dates

Most states copy the federal schedule. These four do not:

Virginia
First payment is due May 1, not April 15. The other three dates match federal.
Delaware
First state payment is due April 30. June, September, and January match federal.
Hawaii
Payments are due on the 20th: April 20, June 20, September 20, and January 20.
California
Front-loaded schedule: 30% by April 15, 40% by June 15, nothing in September, and the final 30% by January 15.

Know the dates? Now get the amounts

The quarterly estimated tax calculator turns your expected income into a per-quarter payment, including self-employment tax and your safe-harbor target. Pick your state for a version with your state's rules and payment portal:

AlabamaAL AlaskaAK ArizonaAZ ArkansasAR CaliforniaCA ColoradoCO ConnecticutCT DelawareDE District of ColumbiaDC FloridaFL GeorgiaGA HawaiiHI IdahoID IllinoisIL IndianaIN IowaIA KansasKS KentuckyKY LouisianaLA MaineME MarylandMD MassachusettsMA MichiganMI MinnesotaMN MississippiMS MissouriMO MontanaMT NebraskaNE NevadaNV New HampshireNH New JerseyNJ New MexicoNM New YorkNY North CarolinaNC North DakotaND OhioOH OklahomaOK OregonOR PennsylvaniaPA Rhode IslandRI South CarolinaSC South DakotaSD TennesseeTN TexasTX UtahUT VermontVT VirginiaVA WashingtonWA West VirginiaWV WisconsinWI WyomingWY

Deadline FAQ

When are quarterly estimated taxes due in 2026?
Federal estimated payments for tax year 2026 are due April 15, 2026 (Q1), June 15, 2026 (Q2), September 15, 2026 (Q3), and January 15, 2027 (Q4). All four fall on weekdays, so no weekend shifts apply this year.
When is the Q3 2026 estimated tax deadline?
Tuesday, September 15, 2026. It covers income you earned from June 1 through August 31, 2026.
What happens if I miss a quarterly deadline?
The IRS charges an underpayment penalty that works like interest on the amount you should have paid. It accrues from the missed due date until you pay, so paying as soon as you can beats waiting for the next quarterly date. The rate is set each quarter using the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points.
What if a due date falls on a weekend or holiday?
The deadline moves to the next business day. None of the 2026 tax-year dates need this shift, but the rule matters in other years.
Are state estimated tax deadlines the same as federal?
Usually. Most states copy the federal schedule. The main exceptions: Virginia's first payment is due May 1, Delaware's first payment is due April 30, Hawaii uses the 20th of each deadline month, and California front-loads payments (30% in April, 40% in June, 30% in January) with no September payment at all.
Do I have to pay in four equal installments?
No. Equal quarters are the default, but if your income arrives unevenly you can use the annualized income installment method (IRS Form 2210, Schedule AI) to pay in proportion to when you actually earned it. Safe-harbor totals still apply.
When is the first estimated payment for tax year 2027?
April 15, 2027, covering income earned January 1 through March 31, 2027.

For educational purposes only, not tax advice. Confirm dates with the IRS and your state's tax agency before relying on them.