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Quarterly tax payments are due to the IRS and state agencies on four different dates throughout the year. These tax payments are estimated tax payments used to help pay taxes towards taxable income that lacks automatic withholding. Through a W-2 job, taxes are automatically withheld from your paycheck. Taxpayers who expect to make more than $1,000 and do not have automatic withholding will need to make payments.
Who Has to Pay Quarterly Taxes?
Anyone who makes taxable income that is not automatically withheld from their paycheck will need to make estimated quarterly tax payments. This includes independent contractors, freelancers, self-employed individuals, business owners, sole proprietors, and investors or landlords who receive income from dividends, capital gains, or rent.
Taxpayers must pay quarterly taxes if they expect to owe more than $1,000 at filing time after accounting for withholding credits. This may apply even to those who have some taxes withheld from their paycheck. Take a taxpayer who has a W-2 job full-time but also does freelance side gigs as an example. The W-2 job takes out some taxes, but only enough as if that were their only stream of income. The taxpayer then makes more money throughout the year doing several freelance gigs. Even with the taxes taken out of the W-2 job, they expect to owe close to $3k in taxes. In this scenario, the taxpayer should make estimated quarterly tax payments to help compensate for what they could owe from the freelance gigs at tax time.
When Are Quarterly Taxes Due?
Quarterly taxes are due four times a year. Federal quarterly taxes are typically due in April, June, September, then January of the following year. State taxes may be due within different months than the federal.
The federal quarterly tax due dates for 2026 are as follows:
- April 15, 2026 for the payment period of Jan. 1–March 31
- June 15, 2026 for the payment period of April 1–May 31
- September 15, 2026 for the payment period of June 1–Aug. 31
- January 15, 2027 for the payment period of Sep. 1–Dec. 31
Because quarterly tax due dates depend on the state, it’s best to check with the Department of Revenue for your state.
Here is an example of Maryland state’s quarterly tax due dates for 2026:
- Quarter 1 due on April 30th
- Quarter 2 due on July 31st
- Quarter 3 due on November 2nd
- Quarter 4 due on January 31st
If you are required to make quarterly payments and fail to make them on time, penalties could accrue. For example, if you missed the Quarter 1 due date in Maryland state and end up paying on June 2nd instead of April 30th, you could face a penalty of 19%.
How to Pay Quarterly Taxes
Federal quarterly tax payments can be made through the mail, phone, or online. Paying online can be done using the IRS Direct Pay portal, the EFTPS system, or their IRS online account. Online options allow taxpayers to pay directly from their synced checking or savings account. Using a credit or debit card may incur a payment processing fee. If a taxpayer opts to pay the IRS through the mail, the date of the U.S. postmark is the date of payment. If a taxpayer opts to pay via their phone, they can use the IRS2Go app.
State quarterly tax payments are typically made through the state’s own online portal or through the mail. However, each state varies in how they accept quarterly tax payments. For example, tax payments for California can be made online through Web Pay, credit card, payment plan, check or money order, or electronic funds withdrawal. Alternatively, tax payments can be made via mail to the Franchise Tax Board. In Massachusetts, state taxes are paid through MassTaxConnect.
How to Estimate Quarterly Taxes
Taxpayers who must pay federal quarterly taxes can use Form 1040-ES to calculate how much they owe the IRS. This worksheet uses the following information to calculate your estimated quarterly payments:
- Current year expected income and profits subject to self-employment tax
- Social Security tax maximum income
- Expected wages
- Deductible business expenses
- Standard or itemized deductions
- Tax credits that the taxpayer expects to claim
- Current withholdings (if any) from a W-2 job or other sources throughout the year
- Filing status
Having a previous year’s tax return on hand when calculating quarterly taxes can be a helpful baseline for your income and deductions if earnings are relatively stable.
Penalty for Not Paying Quarterly Taxes
If you do not pay your estimated taxes quarterly, you could end up with significant tax liability come tax season. Skipping quarterly payments could also result in penalties or interest on the unpaid amounts.
Penalties for not paying taxes occur at both the state and federal level. If you continue to leave taxes unpaid after annual tax time, you could put yourself at risk of potential wage garnishments or asset seizure.
Get Help Filing Quarterly Tax Payments
Our team of CPAs, enrolled agents, and tax attorneys at Priority Tax Relief are here to help you make quarterly tax payments on both the state and federal level. Our tax services help taxpayers navigate the complexities of filing and avoid penalties that could accrue from missed deadlines or providing the wrong information on your returns. Contact us online or call us at 888-708-2872 to get started today.
