When are quarterly estimated taxes due for freelancers?

Typically April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the following year. Q2 is only two months (April–May). Dates shift if they fall on a weekend or holiday.

How much should I pay each quarter?

Two common safe harbors: pay 100% of last year’s tax (110% if your AGI was over $150,000) or 90% of this year’s tax. Many new freelancers start by setting aside 25–30% of net income, then true-up against a real return. This is not tax advice.

Does a tax reserve in Notwen pay the IRS?

No. Notwen’s tax reserve is a percentage you hold on your ledger so the cash is still there when a quarter comes due. You still pay the IRS yourself (EFTPS, Direct Pay, or your accountant). Notwen does not e-file estimated payments.

Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments for Freelancers

The payment is the event. The scramble is the missing reserve.

Quarterly estimated tax is how the IRS collects income and self-employment tax from people who are not on a W-2 withholding schedule. Miss a quarter and the penalty is calculated from the missed due date, not from when you catch up in April.

This guide is about when cash has to leave and how to have it ready. For deductions and the 25–30% starting rule, see 1099 tax prep for freelancers. This is educational, not tax or legal advice.

The four dates (they are not calendar quarters)

| Quarter | Period covered | Typical due date | | --- | --- | --- | | Q1 | Jan 1 – Mar 31 | April 15 | | Q2 | Apr 1 – May 31 | June 15 | | Q3 | Jun 1 – Aug 31 | September 15 | | Q4 | Sep 1 – Dec 31 | January 15 (next year) |

Q2 is two months. Q4 is four. If you “set aside 25% each calendar quarter” you will be short in June.

Two ways to size the check

Safe harbor on last year: pay 100% of last year’s total tax (110% above the AGI threshold). Protects you from underpayment penalties even if this year is much larger — you still owe the difference when you file.
90% of this year: better if income dropped. Worse if you guess low.

Until you have a filed return, 25–30% of net income (invoices minus deductible expenses) is a starting reserve, not a filed estimate. Higher brackets and high-tax states run hotter.

What Notwen’s tax reserve actually is

On the books, tax set-aside is a percentage of what landed — so cashflow still shows money you should not spend. It is not an IRS payment button, Direct Pay, or e-file. You (or your CPA) still send the quarterly payment.

That split is the product: one ledger for cashflow, reserve, and real rate, without a second “tax only” bank account. The cash-flow forecast template has a tax set-aside column for the same idea in a spreadsheet.

Request early access if you want that reserve to update from the ledger instead of from a quarterly panic. For rate math that already includes self-employment tax, use the US freelance rate calculator.