Quarterly Tax Estimator 2026

Quarterly estimated taxes are payments you make to the IRS four times a year to cover income tax and self-employment tax on income that isn't subject to withholding. If you're self-employed, a freelancer, or have significant non-wage income, the IRS expects you to pay as you earn throughout the year rather than waiting until April. Failing to do so can result in an underpayment penalty.

The four 2026 quarterly payment deadlines are: April 15 (for Q1 income), June 16 (Q2), September 15 (Q3), and January 15, 2027 (Q4). Note that Q2 and Q4 don't follow a strict three-month pattern — the IRS sets these dates by statute, not by calendar quarter length.

You can divide your expected annual tax liability by four and pay that amount each quarter. Alternatively, use the safe harbor method: pay 25% of your prior year's total tax bill each quarter. If your 2025 AGI exceeded $150,000, you must pay 110% of your prior year tax to be safe. The estimator above calculates both approaches.

Missing a quarterly payment triggers an IRS underpayment penalty, currently calculated at roughly 8% annually on the amount underpaid for each quarter it's late. This penalty applies even if you pay everything owed by April 15. You can avoid it by meeting safe harbor thresholds — paying 90% of this year's liability or 100% (110% for high earners) of last year's tax.

Yes — if your side hustle income causes you to owe $1,000 or more in tax for the year after subtracting withholding and credits, the IRS expects quarterly payments. A common strategy is to increase withholding at your day job to cover side income, which avoids the quarterly filing requirement entirely. Use the estimator above to see if you're on track.