2026 Tax Season: Deadline To File Taxes and Other Must-Know Dates

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Tax Day for the 2026 tax season is April 15, 2026. That’s the deadline to file your 2025 federal income tax return and to pay any taxes you owe.

Tax deadlines can shift based on weekends, holidays, disasters or extensions, so knowing the full calendar matters.

Here’s a clear breakdown of the most important tax dates to know for 2026 and what happens if you miss them.

Tax Deadlines at a Glance For 2026

Item	Deadline	What It Means
File 2025 federal tax return	April 15, 2026	Deadline to submit Form 1040
Pay taxes owed	April 15, 2026	Same day as filing deadline
File extension (Form 4868)	April 15, 2026	Extends filing only, not payment
Extended filing deadline	October 15, 2026	Applies if extension filed
Estimated tax — Q1	April 15, 2026	First quarterly payment
Estimated tax — Q2	June 15, 2026	Second quarterly payment
Estimated tax — Q3	September 15, 2026	Third quarterly payment
Estimated tax — Q4	January 15, 2027	Fourth quarterly payment

When Is the Tax Filing Deadline Each Year?

Tax Day usually falls on April 15, but the IRS moves the deadline when that date lands on:

• A weekend
• A federal holiday
• Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C.
• Certain state holidays, like Patriots’ Day in Maine and Massachusetts

When this happens, the deadline shifts to the next business day. Taxpayers in federally declared disaster areas may also receive automatic filing and payment extensions.

Filing Deadline vs. Payment Deadline

It’s important to understand the difference between filing and paying.

Filing Your Return

• You file your tax return (Form 1040) by April 15
• Or request an extension to file

Paying Your Taxes

• Taxes owed are still due by April 15
• This applies even if you file for an extension

If April 15 is delayed due to a holiday or weekend, both the filing and payment deadlines move together.

What a Filing Extension Does — and Doesn’t Do

Filing Form 4868 gives you:

• An automatic extension to file until October 15, 2026

It doesn’t give you:

• Extra time to pay your tax bill

To avoid penalties, you must generally pay at least 90% of your total tax owed by April 15.

What Happens If You File Late but Pay on Time?

If you’ve paid your tax bill in full by the deadline but file your return late:

• You typically won’t owe penalties
• But you won’t receive refunds or credits until you file

If you’re owed money, filing late mostly delays your refund.

What Happens If You Pay Late?

Paying late can get expensive quickly. If you can’t pay in full, the IRS recommends paying as much as you can by April 15.

IRS Penalties Explained Simply

Failure to File

• 5% of unpaid tax per month
• Capped at 25%
• After 60 days, penalty becomes the lesser of:
  • 100% of tax owed, or
  • $510 for 2025 returns ($525 for 2026 returns)

Failure to Pay

• 0.5% per month of unpaid tax
• Capped at 25%
• Reduced to 0.25% if you’re on an IRS payment plan

Failure to File and Pay

• The failure-to-file penalty still applies
• Failure-to-pay penalty reduces the filing penalty slightly

Accuracy Penalties

• 20% of underpaid tax if errors are due to negligence or rule disregard

Bottom Line:Failing to file is far more expensive than failing to pay.

Estimated Tax Deadlines for Self-Employed Taxpayers

If you’re self-employed or don’t have enough tax withheld, you may need to make estimated payments.

2026 Estimated Tax Deadlines:

• April 15, 2026 – First payment or full payment
• June 15, 2026 – Second payment
• September 15, 2026 – Third payment
• January 15, 2027 – Fourth payment

You can skip the January payment if you file your return by February 2, 2027, and pay in full.

State Tax Deadlines

Most states follow April 15, but some don’t. Always check your state tax agency.

Examples for 2026 include:

• Delaware: April 30
• Hawaii: April 21
• Iowa: April 30
• Louisiana: May 15
• Virginia: May 1

Amended Return Deadlines

Amended returns don’t have a fixed due date, but refund claims are time-limited.

You generally have:

• Three years from the original filing deadline, or
• Two years from the date you paid the tax

Whichever is later applies.

How To Avoid Missing Tax Deadlines

A little planning goes a long way:

• Set calendar reminders
• Keep tax documents organized year-round
• Store digital backups
• Self-employed filers: save for taxes as you’re paid
• Review your W-4 annually to avoid under-withholding

Final Take to GO

Tax deadlines matter — and missing them can be costly.

Knowing when to file, when to pay, and how extensions work gives you flexibility and peace of mind. If you can’t meet a deadline, filing on time and paying what you can is almost always the best move. When needed, extensions and payment plans can help you stay compliant without unnecessary penalties.

Josephine Nesbit and Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting of this article.

Data is accurate as of Feb. 6, 2026, and is subject to change.

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