The second quarter federal estimated tax payment for 2026 is due Monday, June 15, 2026. It covers income you earned from April 1 through May 31 that did not have taxes withheld. June 15 is not a federal holiday and does not fall on a weekend in 2026, so no extension applies.1Internal Revenue Service. Publication 509 (2026), Tax Calendars
If you mail your payment, the postmark date is what the IRS uses to decide whether you paid on time. If you pay electronically, the transaction timestamp controls.2Internal Revenue Service. Estimated Taxes
Who Has to Pay by June 15
The deadline applies to you if you expect to owe $1,000 or more in federal tax for 2026 after subtracting withholding and refundable credits.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6654 – Failure by Individual to Pay Estimated Income Tax In practice, that usually means:
- Freelancers, independent contractors, and sole proprietors
- Partners in partnerships and shareholders in S-corporations
- People with dividends, interest, rental income, or capital gains not subject to withholding
- People receiving alimony, prizes, or unemployment compensation without withholding elected
Estimated tax covers income tax, self-employment tax, and alternative minimum tax if it applies to you.2Internal Revenue Service. Estimated Taxes
You are off the hook entirely if you had no tax liability on your 2025 return, that return covered a full 12 months, and you were a U.S. citizen or resident for the whole year. In that case you do not need to make 2026 estimated payments even if you expect to owe.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6654 – Failure by Individual to Pay Estimated Income Tax
How Much to Pay
The June 15 installment covers income from April 1 through May 31, an unusually short two-month window compared to other quarters.4Internal Revenue Service. Form 1040-ES – 2026 – Estimated Tax for Individuals Form 1040-ES contains a worksheet that walks you through estimating your income, deductions, credits, and self-employment tax for the year. You will need your 2025 return as a reference and your year-to-date income and expense records through May 31.
The Safe Harbor
You avoid an underpayment penalty by hitting either of these thresholds across your four payments, whichever is smaller:5Internal Revenue Service. Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals Penalty
- 90% of your total 2026 tax
- 100% of the total tax on your 2025 return
If your 2025 adjusted gross income was above $150,000 (or above $75,000 if you are married filing separately for 2026), the prior-year threshold climbs to 110%.4Internal Revenue Service. Form 1040-ES – 2026 – Estimated Tax for Individuals The simplest approach for most people is to take the total tax from the 2025 return, divide by four, and pay that each quarter.
If Your Income Is Uneven
Splitting the year into equal quarters can force you to overpay early if your income arrives in bunches, such as with a seasonal business or a late-year sale. The annualized income installment method lets you base each payment on what you actually earned through the end of that installment period. You use Schedule AI (part of Form 2210) at tax time to make the calculation. If you use it for one payment period, you have to use it for all four.6Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 2210 (2025)
How to Pay Before June 15
IRS Direct Pay is free and requires no registration. You enter your bank details, verify your identity, and submit; the confirmation number is your proof of payment. The single-payment cap sits just below $10 million.7Internal Revenue Service. Direct Pay Help
EFTPS is a free Treasury service that requires enrollment first. The IRS mails a PIN to your address on file, which takes five to seven business days, so this is not a last-minute option if you are not already signed up. Payments have to be scheduled by 8 p.m. Eastern the day before the due date to count as on time. Note the change in progress: as of late 2025, new individual taxpayers can no longer enroll in EFTPS, and the IRS plans to transition all individuals off the system by late 2026. Existing individual accounts still work for now, but Direct Pay or an IRS Online Account is the path forward for individuals.8EFTPS. Welcome to EFTPS Online
Check or money order works too. Make it payable to the United States Treasury and include the Form 1040-ES payment voucher so the IRS applies the money to the correct tax year and quarter. The Form 1040-ES instructions list the correct mailing address for your state.4Internal Revenue Service. Form 1040-ES – 2026 – Estimated Tax for Individuals Keep the canceled check or a copy of the money order.
What Happens if You Miss June 15
The IRS charges an underpayment penalty that behaves like daily interest on the amount you should have paid. It equals the underpayment multiplied by the IRS’s quarterly interest rate, applied each day until you pay.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6654 – Failure by Individual to Pay Estimated Income Tax The rate for the first quarter of 2026 is 7% annually.9Internal Revenue Service. Quarterly Interest Rates The IRS resets the rate each quarter, so check the current figure if you are calculating a late payment.
The clock runs from June 15 until you pay, or until April 15, 2027, whichever comes first.10Internal Revenue Service. 2025 Instructions for Form 2210 Skip June 15 entirely and pay only when you file your 2026 return, and you owe roughly 10 months of daily interest on that installment. Being owed a refund at filing does not erase the penalty for a quarter you underpaid. Paying late is still better than paying later, because the meter stops the moment the money reaches the IRS.
Waivers and the Under-$1,000 Exception
No penalty applies if the total you still owe on your return is under $1,000 after withholding and refundable credits.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6654 – Failure by Individual to Pay Estimated Income Tax And the prior-year zero-liability exception described earlier removes the penalty entirely regardless of what you owe for 2026.
Beyond those, the IRS can waive the penalty if the shortfall came from a casualty, disaster, or other unusual circumstance where charging the penalty would be unfair. You request the waiver in writing, signed under penalty of perjury, to the address on the IRS notice.5Internal Revenue Service. Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals Penalty
State Deadlines Are Separate
If your state has an income tax, you likely owe a state estimated payment as well. Most states use the same quarterly rhythm as the IRS, but some set different dates or require different percentages each quarter. Confirm with your state tax agency, because a missed state installment carries its own penalty on top of anything you owe the IRS.