Quarterly Tax Payments for Freelancers: Deadlines and Amounts

Quarterly estimated tax is how US freelancers pay income tax and self-employment tax during the year, because no employer withholds it from client payments. The IRS wants tax paid as income comes in; if you wait until April, you can owe an underpayment penalty even when you pay in full on filing day, and even if you are due a refund. This guide gives the official 2026 deadlines and safe-harbor rules, works through the numbers for one freelancer, shows what a late payment costs, and explains how to link your invoices to the money you set aside.

Scope: US federal estimated tax for individuals filing Form 1040 for 2026, plus the UK equivalent in brief. State estimated taxes are only flagged. This is general information, not tax advice; check IRS.gov or a tax professional for your situation. Last reviewed: October 27, 2026.

When are 2026 quarterly estimated taxes due?

Sources: 2026 Form 1040-ES and the IRS estimated tax FAQ (page updated October 2, 2026), both accessed October 27, 2026.

The periods aren't equal quarters, which catches people out: the second covers two months and the fourth covers four. If a due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, a payment on the next business day is on time. If you mail a payment, the postmark date counts as the payment date. If at least two-thirds of your gross income comes from farming or fishing, different dates apply: either pay everything by January 15, 2027, or file and pay in full by March 1, 2027.

Do you have to pay estimated tax?

The 2026 Form 1040-ES says you generally must pay estimated tax if both of these apply:

1. You expect to owe at least $1,000 in tax for 2026 after subtracting withholding and refundable credits.
2. You expect your withholding and refundable credits to be less than the smaller of 90% of your 2026 tax or 100% of the tax on your 2025 return (which must cover all 12 months).

There is an exception if you were a US citizen or resident alien for all of 2025 and had no tax liability for that full year. If you also have a job, you can avoid estimates by filing a new Form W-4 to have more tax withheld from your wages.

How much should each quarterly payment be?

Pay at least the smaller of the two safe-harbor amounts, split into four equal installments:

Self-employment tax is 15.3% (12.4% Social Security and 2.9% Medicare) on 92.35% of your net profit. For 2026, the Social Security part stops once wages plus net self-employment earnings reach $184,500 (2026 Form 1040-ES; IRS self-employment tax, both accessed October 27, 2026). You can deduct the employer-equivalent half of it when figuring adjusted gross income, which lowers your income tax, not the self-employment tax itself.

If your income arrives unevenly, such as a large project paid in the autumn, the annualized income installment method on Form 2210 can let you pay less in earlier periods. It takes more work, but it avoids paying tax in April on money you won't earn until October.

Worked example: a freelancer with $90,000 profit

Worked example (illustrative, not a real client): Dana is a single graphic designer in the US. She expects $110,000 in client payments in 2026 and $20,000 of business expenses, so $90,000 net profit. She has no other income and no withholding. Her 2025 return showed $15,000 total tax and AGI under $150,000. Figures use the 2026 rates in Form 1040-ES.

Now apply the safe harbors:

• 90% of 2026 tax: $19,316 × 0.90 = $17,384, or $4,346 a quarter.
• 100% of 2025 tax: $15,000, or $3,750 a quarter.

The smaller figure is $15,000, so four payments of $3,750 protect Dana from the underpayment penalty even though her 2026 tax is higher. She still owes the remaining $4,316 ($19,316 − $15,000) when she files in April 2027, so she should keep saving it. Her full 2026 tax is $19,316 ÷ $110,000 = about 17.6% of what clients pay her, so setting aside 18% of every payment received covers federal tax with a small margin. State income tax is extra.

The QBI deduction is up to 20% of qualified business income, limited to 20% of taxable income less net capital gain (IRS: Qualified business income deduction, accessed October 27, 2026). Other limits apply at higher incomes; Form 8995 or 8995-A applies them.

What happens if you miss a quarterly payment?

You owe a penalty that works like interest on the amount underpaid, for the number of days it is late. The rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points, set every quarter. For individuals it was 7% for January to March, 6% for April to June, and 7% for July to September and October to December 2026 (IRS quarterly interest rates; IR-2026-98, both accessed October 27, 2026).

Worked example: if Dana skips her September 15 payment of $3,750 and pays it on December 15, it is 91 days late. At 7%, the penalty is roughly $3,750 × 7% × 91 ÷ 365 = $65. Missing a payment is not a disaster, but the cost grows each day, and it applies to each installment separately. You can owe the penalty even if you are due a refund. Form 2210 calculates it, and the IRS can waive it in some cases.

How do you pay estimated tax?

The 2026 Form 1040-ES lists these online methods:

• IRS Online Account (IRS.gov/Account), which also shows your payment history.
• IRS Direct Pay, a free transfer from a checking or savings account.
• Debit card, credit card or digital wallet, through a third-party processor that charges a fee.
• EFTPS, the Treasury's free payment system, which needs enrolment first.

You can also pay by phone, or mail a check or money order with the 1040-ES payment voucher for that due date. Payments must be in US dollars, and the IRS does not accept digital assets. Keep each confirmation number with your records.

Most states with an income tax also expect estimated payments, often with their own forms, thresholds and dates. Check your state's revenue department before the first federal deadline.

How do UK payments on account work?

UK sole traders don't pay quarterly. Under Self Assessment, they make payments on account: two advance payments, each half of the previous year's tax bill (including Class 4 National Insurance), due by midnight on January 31 and July 31. If this year's bill is higher, a balancing payment is due the following January 31. You don't have to make payments on account if your last bill was under £1,000, or if more than 80% of it was already deducted at source, for example through your tax code (GOV.UK: Payments on account, accessed October 27, 2026).

Worked example: a designer's 2025 to 2026 Self Assessment bill is £6,000 and the payments on account already made for that year totalled £4,000. By January 31, 2027 they pay the £2,000 balancing payment plus the first 2026 to 2027 payment on account of £3,000 (half of £6,000), £5,000 in total, then £3,000 by July 31, 2027.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax adds quarterly updates, not quarterly payments. Since April 6, 2026, sole traders and landlords whose qualifying income for 2024 to 2025 was over £50,000 must send digital summaries each quarter; the threshold falls to £30,000 from April 6, 2027 and £20,000 from April 6, 2028 (GOV.UK: Check if you're eligible). HMRC says you won't pay four tax bills a year, and the deadline for paying stays January 31 (HMRC: How Making Tax Digital works). Both accessed October 27, 2026.

How can invoicing make quarterly tax easier?

The tax is due on a fixed calendar, but your money arrives when clients pay. Three habits keep the two lined up:

1. Set aside a fixed percentage of each client payment. Use your own rate from last year's return (Dana's is 18%), not a rule of thumb, and move it to a separate account on the day the payment lands.
2. Watch receivables before each deadline. Payment terms decide when cash arrives. On Net 60 terms, work done in April isn't paid until June, the same month as the second installment. Shorter payment terms or a deposit on large projects narrows that gap.
3. Total what you were paid each period. If you use the annualized method, income counts in the period you actually received it if you use the cash method of accounting, so an invoice sent on March 25 and paid on April 20 belongs to the second period.

In InvoiceQuickly you record full or partial payments against each invoice on every plan, and the dashboard shows all-time totals for revenue received and amounts outstanding. It doesn't produce quarterly reports or estimate tax. Pro ($9 a month) adds a CSV export with each invoice's issue date, due date, total and paid date, which you or your accountant can filter by quarter. The export has no amount-paid column, so check partially paid invoices and credit notes (CN- rows) by hand, and leave estimate (EST-) rows out. Pro also sends scheduled payment reminders before and after the due date, which helps get money in before a tax deadline.

When is the simple approach the wrong one?

• Your income dropped sharply. The 100% safe harbor based on a big 2025 bill can mean overpaying all year. Estimating 90% of a smaller 2026 bill is cheaper, as long as your estimate holds up.
• Most of your income lands late in the year. Equal installments mean paying tax early on income you haven't earned yet; the annualized method on Form 2210 may suit you better.
• You had a large one-off gain, such as selling property. The worked example above doesn't cover capital gains, the net investment income tax or the Additional Medicare Tax; get professional help.
• You've moved between states or countries this year. Part-year residence rules for state and foreign tax are beyond this guide.

Frequently asked questions

What are the four due dates for 2026 quarterly estimated tax payments?

April 15, 2026, June 15, 2026, September 15, 2026 and January 15, 2027. You can skip the January payment if you file your 2026 return by February 1, 2027 and pay the whole balance with it.

What happens if you miss a quarterly estimated tax payment?

The IRS charges an underpayment penalty, calculated like interest on the shortfall for each day it is late. The rate was 7% a year for the last quarter of 2026. Pay the missed amount as soon as you can to stop the penalty growing.

How can I pay 2026 estimated taxes online?

Use your IRS Online Account, IRS Direct Pay (free, from a bank account), EFTPS, or a debit card, credit card or digital wallet through an IRS-approved processor that charges a fee.

How much should I set aside for taxes as a freelancer?

Work it out from your own numbers. Divide last year's total federal tax by your total client payments for the same year, then add your state rate. In the worked example above, that is about 18% of every payment for federal tax.

Do I need to pay estimated tax if I also have a W-2 job?

Not if your withholding covers the safe harbor. You can file a new Form W-4 with your employer to withhold extra and skip estimated payments on your freelance income.

Can I pay all my estimated tax at once?

Yes. Form 1040-ES says you can pay all of your 2026 estimated tax by April 15, 2026 instead of in four installments.

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Related reading: self-employment tax guide, freelance tax deductions, how to handle unpaid invoices, Net 30 and alternatives and freelance retirement planning. More on the InvoiceQuickly blog, or start free.