Key Federal Tax Deadlines for 2026
Individuals
Federal income tax return filing and payment deadline (Form 1040)
- Request a six-month filing extension by filing Form 4868 (payment of tax owed is still due by this date).
- Make 2025 contributions to an IRA or HSA.
- First-quarter 2026 estimated tax payment due. This first payment applies to income earned from January 1 through March 31, 2026.
Second-quarter 2026 estimated tax payment due.
- This payment applies to income earned from April 1 through May 31, 2026.
Third-quarter 2026 estimated tax payment due.
- This payment is for income earned from June 1 through August 31, 2026.
Extended federal income tax return filing deadline.
- You'll still need to estimate your 2026 tax liability and pay it by the April 15 deadline.
Deadline to take the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD).
- The required minimum distribution age is 73 for most people who turned 72 after December 31, 2022.
Key Ages & Rules
- Born 1951–1959: Your RMD age is 73.
- Born 1960 or later: Your RMD age is 75.
- Born 1950 or earlier: Your RMD age was 72 (or 70.5 for earlier cohorts) and you're already taking them.
Deadlines falling on weekends or legal holidays are pushed to the next business day.
Businesses
Deadline to provide Form W-2 to employees and file with the IRS.
- If your business had employees in 2026, you'll need to file your W-2 forms to the IRS and submit them to your employees.
Filing deadline for S corporations and partnerships.
- S corporations (Form 1120-S) and partnerships (Form 1065).
Filing deadline for C corporations and sole proprietorships.
- C corporations (Form 1120) and sole proprietorships (Schedule C with Form 1040).
- SEP IRA Contributions: This is the grace period deadline for SEP IRA contributions. While the standard deadline is April 15, you can effectively extend this to October 15 by filing an extension for your tax.
S corporations and partnerships that received an extension.
- This is the last day for S-corporations and partnerships to file their business return with an extension.
Corporations that received a tax extension.
- Corporations that received a tax extension must file their 2025 tax return by this date.
How to Prepare for Tax Season
Tips to make tax season a little easier.
Filing your taxes is not something you want to leave for the last minute. Here are some simple tips to make tax season less stressful.
Begin organizing your documents early.
Be sure to gather all relevant tax documents, which may include: W-2s from employers, 1099s from clients if you're self-employed, 1099-INT from your bank for earned interest, documents related to contributions to tax-deferred retirement accounts, brokerage statements, mortgage and student loan interest documents, property tax statements, and receipts for business expenses.
Look for ways to maximize deductions.
Tax deductions reduce your taxable income, which can indirectly reduce how much you owe in taxes.
Look for ways to maximize credits.
Tax credits offer a dollar-for-dollar reduction on your tax bill. The more deductions and credits you qualify for, the more you can save. They could even lead to a larger tax refund.
Consider using digital tools.
QuickBooks® helps small and medium-sized businesses track income and expenses, send invoices, process payroll, manage bills, and generate financial reports. We also provide QuickBooks setup services to customize your system, connect accounts, and ensure everything is configured correctly from the start.
Stay ahead of deadlines.
Putting important tax dates on your calendar and planning ahead can keep you in the good graces of the IRS — and prevent financial penalties.