Never miss a quarterly estimated tax deadline — 2026 IRS schedule with email reminders
IRS Form 1040-ES quarterly estimates
Tax estimates use progressive federal and state brackets where available. Your actual tax depends on deductions, credits, business expenses, and other factors. The safe harbor rule protects against underpayment penalties. This is not tax advice — consult a CPA.
Workers with W-2 jobs pay income tax throughout the year via withholding, but the self-employed must do it themselves on Form 1040-ES. You estimate your full-year tax — self-employment tax (15.3% on 92.35% of net profit), federal income tax, and state income tax — then pay it in four equal installments due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15. The IRS safe harbor protects you from underpayment penalties: pay at least 90% of this year's tax, or 100% of last year's tax (110% if your prior-year adjusted gross income exceeded $150,000). As long as you hit that floor, the IRS forgives the rest of the gap.
Sample: a single freelancer in Oregon expecting $80,000 of net profit in 2026. Estimated tax ≈ $20,842, split into four equal payments of ≈ $5,211.
Derek left his W-2 job to freelance full-time in Portland, Oregon. He expects $80,000 of net profit in 2026 and files single. This is his first year — he has no prior-year tax to match.
Never miss a quarterly tax deadline. 2026 IRS schedule plus reminders. Free, no signup.
The Quarterly Tax Reminder calculates the four estimated tax payments freelancers owe each year and tracks what you have actually paid against them. You enter expected annual income, filing status, state, and any quarterly payments already made, and the tool computes self-employment tax at 15.3% of 92.35% of net earnings, subtracts half of it plus the standard deduction and a QBI deduction of up to 20% of income, then runs federal and state income tax on the remainder. The result is a suggested payment per quarter (total divided by four), a tracker for the 2026 deadlines of April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15, 2027, and a downloadable calendar file.
Freelancers, consultants, and gig workers with 1099 income who owe self-employment tax use it to size payments instead of guessing. First-year business owners leaving W-2 withholding learn the quarterly rhythm, since the IRS expects estimated payments when withholding covers less than 90% of liability. Landlords with material participation, drivers on delivery platforms, and creators with sponsorship income check whether they owe at all this year. Bookkeepers running mid-year check-ins for self-employed clients use the payment tracker's colored statuses (ahead, on track, underpaid, not paid) to flag trouble early. If your income is mostly salary with modest side income, or you live in one of the states with no income tax, the state-tax line simply drops out of the estimate.
(1) Enter expected annual income, filing status (single or married filing jointly), your state, and dollar amounts already paid per quarter; the state dropdown labels each option with its top income-tax rate or no-income-tax status. (2) The engine computes SE tax as income times 92.35% times 15.3%, deducts half of SE tax and the standard deduction, applies a QBI deduction capped at 20% of income, then taxes the remainder through federal brackets and your state's schedule, dividing the total by four. (3) Read the schedule: each quarter shows its period (Q2 covers only April and May), due date, paid-versus-expected amounts and a status color, plus a safe-harbor verdict and payment channel list including IRS Direct Pay and EFTPS.
A penalty shield that protects you if you pay enough during the year, even if your final bill is higher. You meet safe harbor by paying at least 90% of the current year's tax or 100% of last year's tax, whichever is smaller, through withholding and timely estimated payments; if your adjusted gross income exceeded $150,000, the prior-year figure rises to 110%. The tool applies the 90% test to your estimate and flips its summary panel between on-track and underpaying verdicts, showing total paid versus total tax and the remainder. Missing a quarterly date triggers the penalty per quarter, not annually, which is why the downloadable .ics reminders place all four deadlines on your calendar with the computed payment amounts.
The 2026 IRS schedule: Q1 due April 15, Q2 due June 15, Q3 due September 15, Q4 due January 15, 2027. Missing a deadline triggers a penalty of 8% annualized on the underpayment. This tool displays the full schedule and lets you set browser reminders for each date.
The IRS requires quarterly payments if you expect to owe $1,000 or more in tax beyond withholding—common for freelancers, sole proprietors, and investors. Use the safe-harbor rule: pay 100% of last year's tax (110% if AGI exceeded $150,000) split across four payments to avoid penalties.
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