Answer
When are quarterly estimated taxes due in 2026?
Short answer
The four federal quarterly estimated tax deadlines for the 2026 tax year are April 15, 2026, June 15, 2026, September 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027. None fall on a weekend or federal holiday in 2026, so all dates apply as listed. State estimated tax deadlines can differ and should be checked with your state department of revenue.
2026 federal estimated tax deadlines
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Jan 1
Dec 31
Q1
Wed, Apr 15, 2026
Covers
Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026
Q2
Mon, Jun 15, 2026
Covers
Apr 1 – May 31, 2026
Q3
Tue, Sep 15, 2026
Covers
Jun 1 – Aug 31, 2026
Q4
Fri, Jan 15, 2027
Covers
Sep 1 – Dec 31, 2026
No rollovers in 2026. None of the federal deadlines fall on a weekend or holiday this year, so all dates apply as published.
Q1 due date coincides with the annual return filing deadline. Q4 due date falls in the following calendar year (January 15, 2027) but applies to 2026 tax year income.
Q1 2026: due Wednesday, April 15, 2026. This payment covers income earned January 1 through March 31, 2026. It is the same date as your annual return filing deadline, which causes some confusion: many people are simultaneously filing last year's return and paying this year's first quarterly. Both happen on the same day.
Q2 2026: due Monday, June 15, 2026. This payment covers income earned April 1 through May 31, 2026. The IRS uses uneven quarterly periods: Q2 is only two months, while Q3 is three months and Q4 is four months. The payment dates are not actually three months apart.
Q3 2026: due Tuesday, September 15, 2026. This payment covers income earned June 1 through August 31, 2026. This is also the deadline for partnership and S-corp returns on extension (Form 1065 and 1120-S), which is unrelated but worth knowing if you also run a pass-through entity.
Q4 2026: due Friday, January 15, 2027. This payment covers income earned September 1 through December 31, 2026. The Q4 payment falls in the following calendar year but applies to the 2026 tax year. You can also skip Q4 by filing your full annual return by January 31, 2027, and paying the balance due in full at that time, which functions as the equivalent of a Q4 payment.
State deadlines. Most states with income tax align their quarterly deadlines with federal dates, but several do not. California, New York, and a few others have their own schedules. Some states also use different safe harbor percentages or thresholds. Check your state's Form 1040-ES equivalent each January for current-year specifics.
State deadlines and gotchas
Federal is one calendar. State is another.
Federal deadlines are uniform nationwide. State deadlines and safe harbor rules vary. Check your state department of revenue each January for current-year specifics, or pay state estimates on the same federal cadence as a default and reconcile at filing.
Most states
Align with federal dates. Check your state Form 1040-ES equivalent each January.
California
Different schedule: Apr 15, Jun 15, Sep 15, Jan 15. 30/40/0/30 percentage allocation.
New York
Aligns with federal dates but uses different safe harbor percentages above $150K AGI.
States with no income tax
FL, TX, WA, NV, TN, SD, WY, AK, NH, AK, NV, FL: no state estimated tax owed.
State safe harbor percentages, thresholds, and quarterly allocation methods change. Confirm with your state's tax authority before relying on a specific year's rule.
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