Estimated Tax Payments - Farmers and Fisherman When to Pay
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COVID-19 Update:

The IRS and the U.S. Treasury department have extended the federal filing and tax payment deadlines to July 15, 2020.

1st and 2nd quarter estimated payments are also extended to July 15th. Follow our COVID-19 and your Taxes page for updates.

For more information:


For estimated tax information specific to farmers and fisherman, see the Farmers and Fisherman section below. General information regarding estimated taxes can be found under When to Pay Estimated Tax.

Per IRS Publication 505  Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, page 25:

Farmers and Fisherman

If at least two-thirds of your gross income for 2018 or 2019 is from farming or fishing, you have only one payment due date for your 2019 estimated tax, January 15, 2020. The due dates for the first three payment periods, discussed under When To Pay Estimated Tax, earlier, don’t apply to you. If you file your 2019 Form 1040 by March 2, 2020, and pay all the tax you owe at that time, you don’t need to make an estimated tax payment.

Fiscal year farmers and fisherman. If you are a farmer or fisherman, but your tax year does not start on January 1, you can either:

  • Pay all your estimated tax by the 15th day after the end of your tax year, or
  • File your return and pay all the tax you owe by the 1st day of the 3rd month after the end of your tax year.

When to Pay Estimated Tax

For estimated tax purposes, the year is divided into four payment periods. Each period has a specific payment due date. If you don’t pay enough tax by the due date of each of the payment periods, you may be charged a penalty even if you are due a refund when you file your income tax return.

If a payment is mailed, the date of the U.S. postmark is considered the date of payment. The general payment periods and due dates for estimated tax payments are shown next. For exceptions to the dates listed, see Saturday, Sunday, holiday rule.

  • For the period: Jan. 1 - March 31
    Due date: April 15
    *If your tax year does not begin on Jan. 1, see the information under Fiscal year taxpayers.
  • For the period: April 1 - May 31
    Due Date: June 17
  • For the period: June 1 - August 31
    Due Date: September 16
  • For the period: Sept. 1 - Dec. 31
    Due Date: January 15 (Next Year), see January Payment.

Saturday, Sunday, holiday rule. If the due date for an estimated tax payment falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the payment will be on time if you make it on the next day that isn’t a Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday. See Pub. 509 for a list of all legal holidays.

January payment. If you file your 2019 Form 1040 by January 31, 2020, and pay the rest of the tax you owe, you don’t need to make the payment due on January 15, 2020.

Fiscal year taxpayers. If your tax year does not start on January 1, your payment due dates are:

  1. The 15th day of the 4th month of your fiscal year,
  2. The 15th day of the 6th month of your fiscal year,
  3. The 15th day of the 9th month of your fiscal year, and
  4. The 15th day of the 1st month after the end of your fiscal year.

You don’t have to make the last payment listed above if you file your income tax return by the last day of the first month after the end of your fiscal year and pay all the tax you owe with your return.