Tax season is upon us, which means now is the time to kick your preparation into gear. The sooner you file, the sooner you get your refund—or the more time you have to collect the cash for an outstanding balance. The IRS will begin accepting returns later this month, and while the biggest deadline for most taxpayers is April 15, there are other important dates you need to know in 2025.
January 15: Estimated tax payment for Q4 2024
The first deadline in 2025 is actually the final estimated tax payment for 2024. Anyone who is self-employed—contractors and freelancers, for example—or who makes estimated tax payments throughout the year should plan to submit for any income earned in Q4 of last year (for tax purposes, this is Sept. 1–Dec. 31). Failure to make estimated payments, or paying too little, may result in penalties. Note that if you file your return and pay your tax bill by Jan. 31, you can skip the Jan. 15 payment.
January 27: Tax filing opens
The IRS just announced that it will begin accepting 2024 tax returns on Jan. 27. Many taxpayers are eligible for free filing either through IRS Free File—which can be prepared now and held until the filing period begins—or IRS Direct File, which was piloted last year and is now available in 25 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
While you can submit your tax return beginning on Jan. 27, business have until Jan. 31 to finalize and send out 1099 forms. Make sure you have all of your documents before filing.
March 17: Business filing deadline
March 17 is the filing deadline for businesses taxed as partnerships or S corporations. This is also the deadline for electing to be treated as an S corp for 2025.
April 15: Tax filing and retirement contribution deadline
The biggest date of the year is Tax Day. There are a handful of important deadlines that fall on April 15:
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Tax returns and payments are due for individuals and corporations. Unless you file for an extension, you must submit your return and pay any taxes owed to avoid penalties and interest. If you aren't able to cover your tax bill by the deadline, don't avoid the issue. Look into IRS payment plans.
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Request an extension. If you do need an extension (which gives you until Oct. 15 to submit your return), request it by the April filing deadline. Extensions do not apply to outstanding tax liability, which still must be paid by April 15.
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Make your estimated tax payment for Q1. Unfortunately, the first estimated tax payment for 2025 must also be paid on April 15. This covers income earned in January, February, and March.
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Finalize contributions to your IRA and/or HSA. You have until the tax filing deadline to make contributions to your IRA and HSA and apply them to the previous tax year. If you haven't hit the contribution limit for 2024 and have extra funds, you can consider paying into these tax-advantaged accounts.
There are a few exceptions to this filing deadline. Those in disaster areas are granted extensions, which vary depending on the location. For 2024 returns (and payments), the IRS has already extended the deadline to May 1 for residents of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, as well as those in parts of Alaska, New Mexico, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The IRS has not yet announced extensions for California residents affected by the wildfires, but you can find the most updated information on the agency's website.
June 16: Estimated tax payment for Q2
The second estimated tax payment for 2025 income falls on June 16 and covers income earned from April 1 to May 30.
September 15: Estimated tax payment for Q3
The third estimated tax payment for 2025 income falls on Sept. 15 and covers income earned from June 1 to Aug. 31.
October 15: Extended tax filing deadline
If you requested an extension for filing your return, it is due on Oct. 15.
January 15, 2026: Estimated tax payment for Q4
The final estimated tax payment for 2025 income falls on Jan. 15, 2026 and covers income earned from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31.
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