As Benjamin Franklin famously said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” And if you own your own business or earn income from a partnership, those taxes can be a bit more complicated. The IRS makes you pay taxes as you earn, rather than waiting until April 15th each year. If you are a traditional salaried employee, this is accomplished through regular tax withholding from your paycheck.
On the other hand, if your income is irregular, you need to plan on paying “estimated taxes.”
In simple terms, if you are earning enough money that you expect to pay at least $1,000 to the IRS–regardless of if you are an entrepreneur, retiree, partner in a law firm, or an Uber driver–you need to make estimated tax payments.
As the IRS tells us, the failure to make estimated tax payments on a quarterly basis can result in a penalty–even if you’re due a refund at the end of the year. The penalty will depend on how much you owe and how long you have owed it to the IRS.
How do estimated tax payments work?
First off, it might be possible you don’t have to pay estimated taxes. But you need to meet all three of these criteria:- You had no tax liability for the prior year.
- You were a U.S. citizen or resident for the whole year.
- Your prior tax year covered a full 12-month period.