When you're an employee, taxes come out of every paycheck automatically. When you work for yourself, you become the payroll department — and the IRS expects you to pay as you go. That's where estimated taxes come in.
Generally, you should be making estimated payments if you expect to owe a meaningful amount at filing time and don't have enough withheld elsewhere. That commonly includes:
Estimated taxes are paid in four installments. For a calendar year they fall on:
| Quarter | Covers income from | Due (typically) |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Jan – Mar | April 15 |
| Q2 | Apr – May | June 15 |
| Q3 | Jun – Aug | September 15 |
| Q4 | Sep – Dec | January 15 (next year) |
If a date lands on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day.
The IRS won't penalize you for owing a little at year-end as long as you've prepaid enough during the year. You're generally safe if you pay the smaller of:
A common approach: set aside roughly 25–30% of every payment you receive into a separate "tax" savings account. When a due date arrives, the money is already there and the payment doesn't sting.
We'll calculate the right quarterly amount for your situation, send you friendly reminders before each due date, and adjust as your year unfolds — so there are no April surprises and no penalties. Let's set up your quarterly plan.
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