When are Estimated Taxes Due

Those who earn income that isn’t subject to withholding must pay estimated taxes for the most part but when are estimated taxes due? If your earnings are from self-employment, rents, interest, dividends, or alimony; you must make estimated tax payments.

The estimated tax payments are done quarterly. With that said, estimated tax payments are due four times a year. After the quarter ends, you will have approximately have 15 days to pay your taxes. Before you can pay, you must estimate taxes though.

To estimate taxes, you must file Form 1040-ES. It is similar to the Form 1040 you file by April 15 but it just for that quarter alone. Assuming you’ve already filed a tax return in the past, you shouldn’t have a problem with the 1040-ES.

Learn more about Form 1040-ES.

Once Form 1040-ES is filed, you submit it to the IRS by the following deadlines.

Update: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the IRS postponed the deadline to file and pay taxes. For the 2020, the deadline to file and pay estimated tax payments for the first and second quarter moved to July 15.

The quarterly payments aren’t exactly made from quarter to quarter though. If it were, the second quarter’s estimated taxes would be due on July 15. The “quarterly” estimated tax payments work a little bit differently. In order, you will pay taxes between the following dates and file for that quarter.

First payment of the year is for income earned between January 1st to March 31st. Deadline to file and pay: April 15

Second payment of the year is for income earned between April 1st to May 31th. Deadline to file and pay: June 15

Third payment of the year is for income earned between June 1st to August 31st. Deadline to file and pay: September 15

Fourth payment of the year is for income earned between September 1st to December 31st. Deadline to file and pay: January 15 of the following year.