First year freelancing: your tax calendar

By FreelanceCFO. Reviewed 24 September 2026.

Short answer

Federal estimated tax for 2026 is due on April 15, June 15 and September 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027, and your return is due in April 2027. In your first year, the simplest way to avoid a penalty is to pay in at least what your total tax was last year, split across the dates still ahead of you.

A salaried job took tax out of every paycheck. Freelance income does not, so the IRS expects you to send it yourself during the year. The dates below are federal; most states with an income tax use similar dates for their own estimates.

The dates

2026 federal tax dates for freelancers
DateWhat happensWhat to do
April 15, 2026Q1 estimated payment, for income from January to March.Pay through IRS payments or your IRS online account.
June 15, 2026Q2 estimated payment, for April and May.Only two months in this period, so it is often smaller.
September 15, 2026Q3 estimated payment, for June to August.If you missed it, pay now: see what to do.
January 15, 2027Q4 estimated payment, for September to December.Optional if you file your 2026 return by February 1, 2027 and pay everything due with it.
January and February 2027Clients send Form 1099-NEC for 2026.Match each form against your own records. You owe tax on all income, form or no form.
April 20272026 return due, with Schedule C and Schedule SE.File, pay any balance, and make the Q1 2027 estimate.

Dates from the 2026 Form 1040-ES. If a date falls on a weekend or legal holiday, the IRS treats the next business day as on time.

How much to pay in year one

The IRS will not charge an underpayment penalty if you paid in, through withholding and estimates, at least the smaller of 90% of this year's tax or 100% of last year's total tax. If last year's adjusted gross income was over $150,000, the second figure becomes 110%. These are the safe harbor rules.

That second option is a gift in your first year. Your total tax from last year's return is a number you already know, even though this year's income is a guess. Pay a quarter of it by each of the four payment dates, and the penalty cannot apply, however much you end up owing in April. If your freelance income only started partway through the year, the IRS annualized income method (Form 2210, Schedule AI) can lower or remove the penalty for the dates before it began.

You will still owe the difference when you file. So also set money aside from each payment as it arrives: this guide shows how much.

Things first year freelancers miss

  • Self-employment tax. 15.3% on 92.35% of your net profit, on top of income tax, because you now pay both halves of Social Security and Medicare. IRS
  • You may owe estimated tax even with a job. Estimates are generally required if you expect to owe $1,000 or more when you file. If you still have a W-2 job, raising your withholding on a new Form W-4 can cover it instead. IRS
  • Keep every receipt from day one. Business expenses on Schedule C reduce both income tax and self-employment tax.
  • A 1099 is not the trigger. Some clients will not send a Form 1099-NEC. The income is taxable either way.

For an estimate of what each quarter should be, use the free quarterly tax calculator.

FreelanceCFO tracks this for you: runway, quarterly tax set-aside and who owes you money, on one screen. Free to start, no credit card.

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Sources

Checked on 24 September 2026. Prices and features change, so follow the link before you rely on any of them.

Questions answered.

When are quarterly taxes due in 2026?

Federal estimated tax payments for the 2026 tax year are due 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 full balance with it.

Do I have to pay quarterly taxes in my first year freelancing?

Generally yes, if you expect to owe $1,000 or more when you file. The exception is if you had no tax liability at all last year and were a US citizen or resident for the whole year.

How do I avoid an underpayment penalty in my first year?

Pay in at least 100% of last year's total tax, or 110% if last year's adjusted gross income was over $150,000, spread across the quarterly dates. That meets the safe harbor even if this year's bill ends up much larger.

What if a client does not send me a 1099?

You still report the income. A Form 1099-NEC is an information return from the client to the IRS; your obligation to pay tax on what you earned does not depend on receiving one.