What Are the Quarterly Estimated Tax Payment Dates

Use the free tool — Side-Income Tax Planner

What are these four dates?

If nobody withholds tax from your side income — driving, delivering, cleaning, cutting hair, freelancing — the IRS expects you to pay tax on it yourself, spread across the year in four estimated payments. The IRS calls this system "estimated tax," and Form 1040-ES is the form that explains it and helps you figure the amount.

Why side income triggers this

A regular W-2 job has tax taken out of every paycheck. Side income usually does not. If you drive for a platform, run a cleaning route, cut hair on Saturdays, or freelance, that money generally has no withholding attached to it. That's what makes the four quarterly dates matter — they're the IRS's way of collecting tax across the year instead of all at once in April.

How the four dates work

The dates come from IRS guidance tied to Form 1040-ES.
The amount you owe each quarter depends on what you made and what you spent doing the work, figured using Schedule C and Schedule SE rules.
The material available here does not list the specific calendar dates or dollar thresholds — those change and are set by the IRS.

Confirm the exact four dates and amounts directly with the IRS or a tax professional before you pay. Don't guess at a date from memory — get it confirmed.

Deductions gig workers often miss

Side-Income Tax Planner is built to surface deductions tied to Schedule C and Schedule SE — the kind of costs that come with driving, delivering, cleaning, cutting hair, or freelancing. It's an estimate based on the numbers you enter, not a full review of your finances. A tax professional can confirm what actually applies to your situation.

What to keep track of

What you make from the side work.
What it costs you to do it (mileage is a big one for drivers and delivery workers).
Whether you also have a W-2 job, since that changes the picture.

Keeping these records through the year turns April into filling out a form — not a surprise.

A caution before you rely on any number

Side-Income Tax Planner gives an estimate from the numbers you typed, using current IRS rates; it is not tax advice and does not know your full return. Confirm with a tax professional or the IRS before relying on it.

It is an educational estimating tool based on publicly available IRS guidance (Schedule C, Schedule SE, Form 1040-ES). It is not tax, legal or financial advice, does not prepare or file returns, and cannot account for your complete tax situation; rates and thresholds change every year. Consult a qualified tax professional. It is not affiliated with the IRS or any gig platform.

What to do next

The free tool reads your own numbers — what you make and what you spend on your side work — and turns them into a plan: a percentage to set aside each week, your quarterly estimated-payment amount, the four dates tied to it, and the deductions most gig workers miss. Your first plan is free. Confirm the results with a tax professional or the IRS before you rely on them.

Use the free tool

Side-Income Tax Planner is an educational estimating tool based on publicly available IRS guidance (Schedule C, Schedule SE, Form 1040-ES). It is not tax, legal or financial advice, does not prepare or file returns, and cannot account for your complete tax situation; rates and thresholds change each year. Consult a qualified tax professional. It is not affiliated with the IRS or any gig platform.