Not tax advice. Federal dates only, checked against IRS sources on Oct 31, 2026. Dates marked expected are not in a 2027 IRS publication yet.
If you freelance or run a sole proprietorship, no employer withholds tax from your pay, so you send it to the IRS yourself through quarterly estimated payments. Here's every federal date that matters in 2027, and where each one comes from.
Open the free 2027 tax deadlines calendar (.ics)
| Date | Deadline | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 4th 2026 estimated tax payment Final installment for 2026 (Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2026 income). You can skip it if you file your 2026 return by Feb. 1, 2027 and pay the full balance. | Official |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | File 2026 return to skip the Jan. 15 payment Optional: if you file your 2026 Form 1040 by this date and pay everything due, the Jan. 15, 2027 payment isn't required. | Official |
| Thu, Apr 15, 2027 | 2026 tax return due + 1st 2027 estimated payment Calendar-year Form 1040 due (15th day of the 4th month), or file Form 4868 for an automatic 6-month extension to file (not to pay). Also the 1st 2027 estimated payment (Jan. 1 to Mar. 31 income). April 15, 2027 is a Thursday. | Expected |
| Tue, Jun 15, 2027 | 2nd 2027 estimated tax payment Covers Apr. 1 to May 31, 2027 income. June 15, 2027 is a Tuesday. | Expected |
| Wed, Sep 15, 2027 | 3rd 2027 estimated tax payment Covers June 1 to Aug. 31, 2027 income. Sept. 15, 2027 is a Wednesday. | Expected |
| Fri, Oct 15, 2027 | Extended 2026 return due If you filed Form 4868 by April 15, 2027, the 6-month extension runs to Oct. 15, 2027 (a Friday). Tax was still due in April. | Expected |
| Tue, Jan 18, 2028 | 4th 2027 estimated tax payment Covers Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2027 income. Jan. 15, 2028 is a Saturday and Monday, Jan. 17, 2028 is the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, so the payment moves to the next business day, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2028. | Expected |
Your 4th 2026 payment covers September through December 2026 income and is due Friday, January 15, 2027. The 2026 Form 1040-ES lists one exception: if you file your 2026 return by February 1, 2027 and pay everything you owe, you can skip that January payment.
April 15, 2027 is a Thursday. That day your 2026 Form 1040 is due (or Form 4868 for an extension), and so is your first 2027 estimated payment. An extension moves the filing deadline to October 15, 2027. It doesn't give you more time to pay, so pay what you expect to owe by April 15.
The 2nd and 3rd 2027 payments. The periods aren't equal: the June payment covers only April and May, and the September payment covers June through August. Both fall on weekdays in 2027 (a Tuesday and a Wednesday).
The usual January 15 date lands on a Saturday in 2028, and Monday, January 17 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day (OPM federal holiday list). Under the IRS weekend-and-holiday rule, a payment made on Tuesday, January 18, 2028 is on time.
The dates are half the job. For a rough per-quarter amount, including self-employment tax and the safe-harbor rule, try the Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator or read how to estimate quarterly taxes.
Expected dates are April 15, 2027, June 15, 2027, September 15, 2027 and January 18, 2028. They follow the IRS rule (April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15, moved to the next business day after a weekend or holiday). The 2027 Form 1040-ES was not published as of Oct 31, 2026, so check irs.gov before paying.
January 15, 2028 is a Saturday and Monday, January 17, 2028 is the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, so the next business day is Tuesday, January 18, 2028.
January 15, 2027, per the 2026 Form 1040-ES. You don't have to make it if you file your 2026 return by February 1, 2027 and pay the whole balance due.
April 15, 2027 for calendar-year filers (expected; it's a Thursday). Form 4868 gives an automatic 6-month extension to file, to October 15, 2027, but not more time to pay.
No. These are federal dates only. States set their own estimated-tax schedules, and IRS disaster relief can postpone federal dates in affected areas.