Form 941, the Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return, must be filed four times a year. Missing a deadline can result in penalties ranging from 5% to 25% of the unpaid tax. Here's your complete 2026 deadline calendar.
2026 Quarterly Deadlines
Q1 (January–March): Due April 30, 2026. Q2 (April–June): Due July 31, 2026. Q3 (July–September): Due October 31, 2026 (falls on a Saturday, so the effective deadline is November 2, 2026). Q4 (October–December): Due January 31, 2027.
If you deposit all taxes on time and in full, you get an automatic 10-day extension for filing (not paying). But relying on this extension is risky — it's better to file on time.
What Gets Reported on Form 941
Each quarterly 941 reports: total wages paid, federal income tax withheld, employer and employee shares of Social Security and Medicare taxes, and any adjustments for sick pay, tips, or group-term life insurance.
The form also reconciles your total tax liability against deposits made during the quarter. Any underpayment results in penalties and interest.
Common Filing Mistakes
Using the wrong quarter's form version, mismatching EIN between deposits and the return, arithmetic errors in tax calculations, and forgetting to include Schedule B (for semi-weekly depositors) are the most common mistakes we see.
Electronic filing through an authorized e-file provider like Payrollix eliminates most of these errors since the system validates data before submission.
Automate Your 941 Filing
With Payrollix, 941 filing is automatic. At the end of each quarter, the system compiles all payroll data, generates the XML return, and e-files directly to the IRS via the MeF system. You receive an acknowledgment confirmation in your dashboard within 24-48 hours.
For clients with auto-filing enabled, no manual intervention is needed at all. The system handles everything from calculation to transmission to archival.
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