Free Tool
When Is Your Return
Actually Due?
Pick what you are filing and we will show you every date that applies, including the extension deadline and the quarterly payments people forget. The dates are worked out from the federal rules, so they are right even in the years when the fifteenth is not the deadline.
Individual (Form 1040), tax year 2025
- 15Apr2026
Form 1040 due
Wednesday, 15 April 2026 passed
File, and pay anything you owe. Or file Form 4868 for an extension.
- 15Oct2026
Extended deadline
Thursday, 15 October 2026
Only if you filed for an extension by the date above. An extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay, so interest and late payment penalties run from the original date.
Quarterly estimated payments for 2026
These apply if you are self employed, or if business income reaches your personal return. They are paid during the year itself rather than after it, so these are always the current year regardless of which tax year you picked above.
- 15Apr2026
Q1 estimated tax payment
Wednesday, 15 April 2026 passed
Covers income earned January to March.
- 15Jun2026
Q2 estimated tax payment
Monday, 15 June 2026 passed
Covers income earned April and May.
- 15Sep2026
Q3 estimated tax payment
Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Covers income earned June to August.
- 15Jan2027
Q4 estimated tax payment
Friday, 15 January 2027
Covers income earned September to December.
Four things the dates do not tell you
An extension gives you more time to file, not to pay
The IRS is explicit about this. If you owe, the money is due on the original date, and interest and late payment penalties start running from then even with a valid extension in place.
These are federal dates
California deadlines usually match, but the state grants an automatic filing extension without a form and its payment rules differ. Ask us about your specific situation rather than assuming the two are identical.
Fiscal year filers are different
Every date here assumes a calendar tax year, which covers almost everyone. If your business year ends in any month other than December, your dates shift and this tool will not show them.
Disaster relief can move everything
The IRS regularly postpones deadlines for declared disaster areas, and parts of California have qualified in recent years. A postponement overrides the dates above.
Dates are calculated from the federal filing rules and checked against IRS guidance for tax year 2026, last verified 2026-08-27. This is general information, not tax advice, and it does not create a client relationship. Your own dates can differ. Ask us and we will confirm them for your situation.