Quarterly Taxes
Made Simple
Know your federal and state quarterly estimated payments this quarter. Compare both official IRS methods, safe harbor and annualized income, computed on your real numbers.
Federal Quarterly Estimated Payments
Q3 2026 Estimate
Payment Method Comparison
Recommended Payment
Using Annualized Income method
Due: Sep 15, 2026
The IRS expects you to prepay your taxes four times a year, not just in April. Calculate your number for free today to avoid underpayment penalties.
Answer a few quick questions about your income
See if you owe quarterly payments, and roughly how much
Pay the right amount by each quarterly deadline, no more and no less
Do you need to pay quarterly taxes?
Find out in about a minute. Free, no signup to check.
What's your filing status?
Two ways to pay. The IRS lets you choose.
You can pay your quarterly payments based on last year's tax, or to what you're actually earning this year. Which one is lower depends on your situation, and most people never check.
Most calculators show you one number, usually a rough percentage of income. This one runs both IRS-published methods on your real numbers and tells you which is lower.
Safe Harbor
Pay a fixed share of last year's tax, split evenly. Fully predictable, and it protects you from underpayment penalties even if this year turns out bigger. Usually the lower payment when your income is growing.
Annualized Income
Pay based on what you've actually earned so far, period by period. Usually the lower payment when income is down from last year or arrives unevenly (slow start, big Q4, seasonal work).
One of these is the lower required payment for your situation. This site computes both on your real numbers, every quarter, and shows you which. Want the details first? Read the safe harbor rule or how to pick between the two.
Next IRS deadline
Sep 15: 13 days away
Miss it or underpay, and the IRS charges interest on the shortfall from that day forward. It compounds until you catch up.
Free tax calculators
Each one answers a single question fast. No signup.
Safe Harbor
Your penalty-proof quarterly payment from last year's tax.
Open calculator →Income Tax
Federal income tax and effective rate by bracket and filing status.
Open calculator →Self-Employment Tax
Your whole federal bill on 1099 and freelance income, and what to set aside.
Open calculator →RSU Tax
The tax your RSU vests really add, and the gap the flat 22% withholding leaves.
Open calculator →Capital Gains Tax
Tax on long-term capital gains at the 0/15/20% rates.
Open calculator →Retirement Withdrawal Tax
Federal tax on IRA withdrawals, pensions, and Social Security, and the quarterly payment.
Open calculator →RMD Tax
Your required minimum distribution, the tax it creates, and the withholding to request.
Open calculator →IRS Publication 505
Built on the official safe-harbor and annualized methods
Reviewed by licensed CPAs
Tax logic verified by Steven Wu, CPA, formerly of PwC. Meet the team
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Common questions
If you expect to owe the IRS $1,000 or more beyond what's withheld from any paychecks, generally yes. That covers most self-employed people, contractors, business owners, landlords, and investors. The quick check above tells you where you stand in about a minute.
The IRS charges interest on the shortfall starting the day the payment was due, and it compounds until you catch up. It is not a one-time fine. It grows every day you wait.
The personal calculator is free. You get one full calculation per quarter, federal and state, for one taxpayer. Paid plans add year-round tools like unlimited calculations, saved history, and year-end IRS forms, plus client management for accountants. The calculation engine is identical on every tier.
No. It does one job precisely, quarterly estimated payments using IRS Publication 505 methods. You can send your results to your accountant to double-check, and many users do exactly that.
Pay 100% of last year's tax (110% for higher earners) in equal on-time installments and you're protected from underpayment penalties even if your income jumps this year. The annualized method instead follows your actual income through the year, often a lower payment when income is uneven. The IRS allows either. This site computes both and shows the lower one.
Don't guess what you owe the IRS.
Your exact quarterly payment, computed under both official IRS methods.