Pay your 4th estimated tax amount by Jan. 15

January 12, 2026

I’m getting nagged by the Internal Revenue Service, so I decided to do the same to you.

The reminder (the IRS uses the same term I do when I point things out to the hubby 😉) that my estimated tax payment is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 15, showed up in today’s email.

Uncle Sam wants to make sure I have enough in my bank account for its Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) system to automatically complete the transaction.

Good news for the IRS. I do.

Now to my reminder to y’all readers of the ol’ blog.

Final 2025 tax payment due: If you must make this January estimated tax payment, the last one for the 2025 tax year, and haven’t yet made arrangements to do so, get to it!

Okay, you can skip it if you plan to file your 2025 return and pay any tax due by Jan. 31. But if you’re like me, you’ll still be getting tax statements by then, essentially making it impossible to accurately fill out your Form 1040 that soon.

So don’t miss this week’s Jan. 15 estimated tax payment due date. If you do, and you end up owing more than $1,000 when you do eventually file your return, you could be hit with a tax penalty and interest.

Estimated tax added info: And for folks new to the estimated tax payment process, you might want to check out my post on tax moves to make this January as you get ready to write your 1040-ES check, or more likely, set up your e-payment.

January tax move #3 discusses estimated taxes, and has links to other posts with more information on the way the IRS collects as quickly as possibly the tax due on income that isn’t subject to withholding.

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The More Tax Posts tab at the top of this page will take you to, well, more tax posts. You also can search below for a tax topic. 

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Tax Season 2026 Continues!

We made it. Tax Day 2025 is finally over. For most of us. When the filing season started on Jan. 26, millions who were expecting refunds filed immediately. Most of us got our returns to the Internal Revenue Service by April 15. But plenty of taxpayers also got extensions. They are looking at an Oct. 15 filing deadline.

Those procrastinating filers aren’t a problem. In fact, the IRS appreciates taxpayers who take time to fill out their 1040 forms correctly. It also is grateful that tax submissions are spread out a bit, especially now that the IRS is a leaner agency. Processing returns is easier when they arrive throughout the year instead of in massive bunches.

But enough about Uncle Sam’s tax collection issues. The focus now is on all y’all who filed for extensions, giving you another six months to complete your return. Since your new mid-October due date will be here before you know it, let’s get started now on meeting it.

The ol’ blog is here to help you finish up your extended Form 1040. You can start with January’s tax tips page, which has links to the rest of the year’s tips by-month collections. You also can peruse various tax categories for more tailored advice by clicking on the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of this (and every) page.

And to make sure you don’t miss your new filing deadline, the count-down clock below will let you know just how much time you to file by Oct. 15. At the latest.e. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

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