Business Filing Deadlines & Annual Report Due Dates (2026)

Annual report due dates vary by state. Some states use a fixed calendar date (e.g., Florida: May 1, Georgia: April 1, Kansas: April 15), while others base the due date on your formation month anniversary (e.g., Colorado, Illinois, New York, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming). A few states don't require annual reports at all (Arizona, Idaho, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina). Check the tracker above for your specific state deadline. Late filing typically results in a $25-$200+ penalty and can lead to administrative dissolution of your LLC.

For 2026, the IRS quarterly estimated tax payment deadlines are: Q1 — April 15, 2026; Q2 — June 16, 2026 (June 15 falls on a Sunday); Q3 — September 15, 2026; Q4 — January 15, 2027. You must pay estimated taxes if you expect to owe $1,000 or more when you file your return. Most self-employed individuals and business owners (sole proprietors, LLC members, S-Corp shareholders) need to make quarterly payments. Underpayment results in an annualized penalty of approximately 8% on the amount owed.

S-Corp tax returns (Form 1120-S) are due March 15 for calendar-year S-Corps. This is one month before the individual return deadline because S-Corps must issue Schedule K-1s to shareholders before they can file their personal returns. If you need more time, file Form 7004 for an automatic 6-month extension, making the extended deadline September 15. Important: an extension to file is NOT an extension to pay — estimated tax payments are still due on time. Late filing penalty is $220 per shareholder per month (2026 rate), up to 12 months.

Consequences vary by state but typically include: (1) Late filing penalty of $25 to $200+, (2) Your business may be flagged as 'not in good standing,' preventing you from getting loans, signing contracts, or filing lawsuits, (3) After a grace period (usually 1-2 years), the state can administratively dissolve your LLC or revoke your corporate charter, (4) Reinstatement requires paying all back fees, penalties, plus a reinstatement fee ($50-$500). Some states also require you to file all missed annual reports. The best practice is to add these deadlines to your calendar and file early.

Employers have several recurring payroll tax deadlines: (1) Federal payroll tax deposits — due monthly (by the 15th of the following month) or semi-weekly (varies by pay date) depending on your total tax liability. (2) Form 941 — quarterly employer payroll return, due April 30, July 31, October 31, and January 31. (3) Form 940 — annual FUTA return, due January 31 (quarterly deposits required if liability exceeds $500). (4) W-2s to employees — due January 31. (5) W-2s/W-3 to SSA — due January 31 (if e-filing). (6) State unemployment tax — typically quarterly, 30 days after quarter end. (7) State payroll withholding — varies by state. Missing these deadlines carries penalties of 2-15% of the tax due, and willful failure can result in personal liability for responsible persons (the 'trust fund recovery penalty').

For the 2025 tax year (filed in early 2026): W-2s to employees are due January 31, 2026. 1099-NEC forms to contractors paid $600+ are due January 31, 2026. Copy A of W-2s to the SSA is also due January 31 if e-filing (February 28 if paper filing). 1099-MISC (for rents, royalties, etc.) is due February 28 if paper filing or March 31 if e-filing. The penalty for late filing is $60 per form if filed within 30 days of the deadline, increasing to $130 per form after 30 days, and $310 per form if filed after August 1 or not filed at all. Intentional disregard penalty is $630 per form with no cap.

It depends on your state. Nine states have no state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire (no wage income tax, but taxes interest/dividends), South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. In all other states, you'll generally need to file a state income tax return. For pass-through entities (sole proprietorships, LLCs, S-Corps), business income flows to your personal state tax return. Some states also require separate entity-level returns even for pass-through businesses. Most state returns follow the federal due date of April 15, though a few states use different dates. Check your state's Department of Revenue website for specific requirements.

The IRS underpayment penalty for 2026 is based on the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points (currently about 8% annualized). The penalty is calculated on the amount of underpayment for each quarter, from the payment due date to the date paid or April 15 of the following year. You can avoid the penalty by: (1) paying at least 90% of the current year's tax liability through estimated payments and withholding, OR (2) paying 100% of the prior year's tax liability (110% if your AGI was over $150,000). Most tax software calculates this automatically. The penalty is not deductible and can add up to several hundred dollars on a $10,000-$20,000 tax bill.

You must begin depositing payroll taxes with your very first payroll. There is no grace period. After each pay period, you must set aside the employee's federal income tax withholding plus both the employee and employer shares of FICA (Social Security + Medicare). New employers are typically classified as monthly depositors, meaning deposits are due by the 15th of the month following the pay date. Once your total tax liability exceeds $50,000 in a lookback period, you become a semi-weekly depositor with tighter deadlines (Wednesday or Friday, depending on payday). All deposits must be made electronically through EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System). Penalties for late deposits range from 2% (1-5 days late) to 15% (more than 10 days late or after IRS notice).

Sales tax filing frequency depends on your sales volume and your state's rules. Most states assign you a filing frequency when you register for a sales tax permit: Monthly filing — for businesses collecting more than $100-$500/month in sales tax (typically due by the 20th of the following month). Quarterly filing — for moderate-volume businesses (due ~30 days after quarter end). Annual filing — for low-volume businesses (due in January for the prior year). Some states allow semi-annual filing. Your assigned frequency can change if your sales volume increases or decreases. Late filing penalties typically range from 5-25% of the tax due, and most states charge interest on late payments. In many states, collected sales tax is considered trust fund money, and failure to remit it can result in personal liability and even criminal charges.