The 2027 Tax Calendar for the Self-Employed: Every Date in One List
The next tax date that matters is January 15, 2027, when the last estimated payment for 2026 is due. After that comes February 1 for 1099 forms, and then April 15 for your return.
A self-employed tax year has about eleven dates in it. None of them is hard. What catches people out is that nobody sends a reminder, and two of them fall in the busy weeks right after the holidays.
Here's the whole year in order, with what each date is for. Put them in your calendar today and the hardest part is done.
Each date is easier when the figures behind it are already in one place. Example data.
The short version
January 15, 2027: the last estimated payment for 2026.
February 1, 2027: 1099-NEC forms due to contractors and the IRS.
April 15, 2027: your 2026 return is due, the first 2027 estimated payment is due, and it's the last day for 2026 IRA and HSA contributions.
June 15 and September 15, 2027: the second and third estimated payments.
January 18, 2028: the last estimated payment for 2027.
The full calendar
Date | Day | What's due |
|---|---|---|
December 31, 2026 | Thursday | The last day for 2026 income and expenses if you use the cash method. Some retirement plans must be set up by now. |
January 15, 2027 | Friday | The fourth estimated payment for 2026, covering September to December |
February 1, 2027 | Monday | Form 1099-NEC to each contractor you paid $2,000 or more in 2026, and to the IRS |
March 15, 2027 | Monday | Returns for partnerships and S corporations |
April 15, 2027 | Thursday | Your 2026 individual return, with Schedule C |
April 15, 2027 | Thursday | The first estimated payment for 2027 |
April 15, 2027 | Thursday | The last day to contribute to an IRA or HSA for 2026 |
June 15, 2027 | Tuesday | The second estimated payment for 2027 |
September 15, 2027 | Wednesday | The third estimated payment for 2027 |
October 15, 2027 | Friday | Your 2026 return, if you filed for an extension |
January 18, 2028 | Tuesday | The fourth estimated payment for 2027 |
Two of those dates have shifted. January 31, 2027 is a Sunday, so the 1099 deadline moves to Monday, February 1. January 15, 2028 is a Saturday and the following Monday is a federal holiday, so that payment is due on Tuesday the 18th. Whenever a due date lands on a weekend or a federal holiday, it moves to the next working day.
Three things share April 15
April 15 is the heaviest tax day of the year, because three separate things land on it.
Your 2026 return. Any tax you still owe for 2026 is due with it.
Your first estimated payment for 2027. A new year's payments start on the same day the old year is settled.
Your last chance to fund 2026. You can generally make IRA and HSA contributions for 2026 up to this date.
So in a single week, you might be paying last year's balance, this year's first payment and a retirement contribution. Knowing that in October is the difference between a plan and a scramble, and it's why January to March is the time to keep your tax savings well stocked.
An extension gives you more time to file, not to pay
You can ask for more time to send in your return, which moves the filing date to October 15. It doesn't move the payment date. Tax owed for 2026 is still due on April 15, and interest builds on whatever's unpaid from then on.
An extension helps when your records aren't ready. It isn't a way to delay the bill.
The estimated payment periods aren't even
Payment | Covers income earned in | Due |
|---|---|---|
First | January to March | April 15, 2027 |
Second | April and May | June 15, 2027 |
Third | June to August | September 15, 2027 |
Fourth | September to December | January 18, 2028 |
Three months, then two, then three, then four. The last payment covers a third of the year, which is why it's so often the one that hurts. Our post on quarterly estimated tax due dates explains who has to pay and how to work out each amount.
Each payment starts from what you earned in that period. Example data.
Dates that depend on your situation
If you paid contractors. The $2,000 threshold for a 1099-NEC is new for payments made in 2026. Below it, you don't need to send a form.
If you have a SEP IRA. You can generally make 2026 contributions up to your return's due date, including an extension.
If you have a solo 401(k). Some of the timing is tied to December 31. Ask your preparer now, not in March.
If your state has an income tax. Most states have their own estimated payment dates, usually close to the federal ones but not always the same.
Five reminders worth setting
Two weeks before each estimated payment, to check what you've set aside.
January 2, to start gathering what you paid contractors.
March 1, to send your preparer everything, so April is their busy month and not yours.
April 1, to decide on IRA and HSA contributions for 2026 while there's still time.
The first working day of each month, to close out the month before.
Tax as a line in your net worth
Tax you owe but haven't paid yet is a debt, and it belongs in your picture. In the free Net Worth Tracker, add one line for it and update it as each date passes.
Date | Tax owed | What changed |
|---|---|---|
December 31, 2026 | $5,000 | The fourth payment for 2026 has been building |
January 15, 2027 | $0 | Paid |
March 31, 2027 | $3,000 | The first quarter of 2027 has been earned |
April 15, 2027 | $0 | Paid |
These figures are an example. The habit is what matters: a net worth that includes what you owe the IRS can't take you by surprise.
See it in your picture, free
La Soglia, the free membership of the Money Mastery System, holds everything you own and owe in one place, personal and business together, with no bank connection and no card. For the figures behind these dates, see our list of 2026 tax numbers for the self-employed.
Bring it to the Collective
Which date do you always forget? Say it in the Money Mastery Collective, and someone may remind you in January. The discussion feed is open on the free membership.
Questions we hear
When are estimated taxes due in 2027?
April 15, June 15 and September 15, 2027, and January 18, 2028. The last 2026 payment is due January 15, 2027.
When is the tax filing deadline in 2027?
Thursday, April 15, 2027 for 2026 individual returns. With an extension, October 15, 2027.
When are 1099-NEC forms due in 2027?
Monday, February 1, 2027, because January 31 falls on a Sunday.
Does a filing extension give me more time to pay?
No. An extension moves the filing date. Tax owed is still due on April 15.
References
Estimated tax periods, due dates and the weekend and holiday rule are from the IRS estimated tax questions and answers. The 1099-NEC threshold and filing date are from the Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC. Days of the week are worked out from the 2027 calendar. The tracker table is our own worked example.
Start free with La Soglia
La Soglia is the free membership of the Money Mastery System. It gives you the Net Worth Tracker, where everything you own and everything you owe sits in one place, and the Money Mastery Collective. There is no card to enter and no bank connection.
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A note on what this is
This article is educational. The Money Mastery System is an educational tool, not financial software, and nothing here is legal, tax, investment or financial advice. Deadlines can be changed by the IRS, differ by state, and depend on how your business is set up. Confirm each one before relying on it. For guidance on your own circumstances, please speak with a qualified professional who knows them.
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