IRS Publication 509: Tax Calendars

What Is IRS Publication 509: Tax Calendars?

IRS Publication 509: Tax Calendars is an annual document published by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that provides the dates on which various tax forms and tax payments are due. IRS Publication 509 covers due dates for both individual taxpayers and employers, as well as which other IRS documents should be examined for further information.

Understanding Publication 509: Tax Calendars

IRS Publication 509: Tax Calendars is primarily of use to business owners, self-employed people, and workers who earn tips as part of their compensation. All file tax documents at least quarterly during the year as well as on Tax Day.

Regular wage earners whose taxes are withheld by their employer have little need to consult the tax calendar. They would be better off checking the IRS page called "Tax Relief in Disaster Situations," which is updated to include national and regional filing and payment delays permitted after natural disasters and other unforeseen events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to Hurricane Ida, some residents and business owners in Louisiana and parts of Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey have been granted extensions on their deadlines for filings and payments to the IRS. Most relate to upcoming due dates for quarterly filings and payments. For details, go to the IRS "Tax Relief in Disaster Situations" page and click on "2021."

Publication 509 provides timely reminders of due dates for other periodic payments. The IRS divides the 12-month calendar into quarters and requires some tax payments, such as estimated individual taxes, to be made each quarter.

The usual dates for quarterly tax payments are April 15, June 15, Sept. 15, and Jan. 15. All of those dates move forward to the next business day if they fall on a weekend or holiday. This is often an issue in January because the 15th of that month sometimes falls on Martin Luther King Day; and in April, when the 15th can fall on Emancipation Day, a Washington D.C. holiday during which the IRS is closed.

The payment for the final quarter of the year is held off until January to give taxpayers a break during the busy December holiday period. Residents of some states also get an extra day when certain state holidays fall on the 15th. Publication 509 lists all of these dates and exceptions for every year.

Important Dates for Individuals

Other important dates on the tax calendar for individuals include the 10th of every month, when tipped employees must file Form 4070 to their employers, detailing their tipped income for the previous month.

And, Oct. 15 is the date that anyone who has requested a six-month extension on their annual tax return must file their Form 1040 or 1040-SR.

Important Dates for Businesses

For businesses, important dates include January 31, when businesses must send Form 1099 statements to contractors and freelancers who have been paid nonemployee compensation during the previous year.

In addition, March 15 is the date when partnerships must provide partners with Schedule K-1 detailing losses or gains for the previous year.

While most important tax dates are covered in the document, due dates for certain tax types, such as estate, gift, and trust taxes, are not included.