There's More Than One Tax Deadline for April 15

April 15 on a table marker — (Image credit: Getty Images)

The April 15 federal income tax filing deadline is just around the corner, but it’s not the only one. Several other tax deadlines also fall on Tax Day. Missing some of these deadlines might cause you to lose out on tax savings, and not meeting others can result in financial penalties.

Here is what you need to know about other tax deadlines for April 15, 2026.

(Note: If you live in an affected area of a state with an IRS tax deadline extension due to severe storms and natural disasters, you may have a different federal tax filing due date.)

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1. Tax filing deadline

The word TAX DAY written on a yellow note on form 1040

The 2025 federal income tax return filing deadline is April 15 this year. Failing to file your tax return by midnight on Tax Day could cost you a failure-to-file penalty, which is 5% of unpaid taxes for each month (or partial month) the tax return is late.

If you’ve missed your deadline and have a balance due, the IRS will send you a notice or a letter indicating you must pay the penalty fee.

That being said, if you are owed a tax refund, you don’t have to worry about this penalty. The IRS may also remove or reduce your penalties if you acted in good faith and can prove reasonable cause for being unable to meet your tax obligations on time. Some examples of valid reasons for failing to pay or file on time include:

Inability to access records
A natural disaster or civil disturbance
Death, serious illness, or unavoidable absence of the taxpayer or immediate family
System issues that delayed electronic filing or payment

2. Deadline to file for a federal tax extension

Words DEADLINE EXTENDED on a desk with a pen and plant

If you don’t think you will make the April 15 filing deadline, make sure you file for a federal tax extension before Tax Day. Requesting an extension before the due date will save you from the failure-to-file penalty and give you until Oct. 15 to file. There are two ways to request a tax extension.

File Form 4868
Submit an electronic payment and select Form 4868 as your payment type. (The IRS will automatically recognize this as a tax extension request.)

Regardless of which option you choose, your tax bill is still due by April 15 (more on that below).

3. Deadline to pay taxes

bundles of dollar bills against a bright yellow backdrop

April 15 is also the deadline to pay the IRS federal taxes due, whether or not you requested a tax extension. If you haven’t filed yet, you might not know the exact amount you owe. However, the IRS won’t impose a late payment penalty if you pay at least 90% of your tax bill, so you can estimate to some degree. Just remember that your unpaid taxes will continue to accrue interest and penalties until your bill is paid in full.

IRS payment plans: The IRS has several options for taxpayers who can’t pay their taxes in full, including payment plans. It’s important to pay the IRS or make arrangements to pay as soon as possible. Ignoring a tax bill can result in financial penalties, and in severe cases, the IRS could place a federal tax lien on your property, possibly seize certain assets, and garnish your wages.

Note: If you have a household employee, April 15 is also the deadline to pay employment taxes.

4. 2025 HSA contributions deadline

Although 2025 has ended, eligible taxpayers still have time to contribute to their health savings accounts (HSAs). That means you have until April 15, 2026, to make HSA contributions that apply to the prior tax year. Before you do, you might want to check your past contributions. Exceeding the HSA contribution limit comes with financial penalties.

For 2025, you can contribute up to $4,300 for self-only coverage
If you had family coverage, the contribution limit is $8,550
People 55 and older can contribute an additional $1,000

Employer contributions also count toward contribution limits. So don’t forget to check those too.

5. 2025 IRA contribution deadline

As with the HSA deadline, taxpayers have until Tax Day to contribute to their traditional or Roth IRAs (individual retirement accounts) for 2025 tax purposes. While Roth IRA contributions are considered taxable income, making contributions could qualify some taxpayers for the Saver’s Credit. The credit is nonrefundable and is worth up to 50% of the first $2,000 ($4,000 for joint filers) you contribute to retirement accounts.

Traditional and Roth IRAs also come with contribution limits.

You can contribute up to $7,000 to your 2025 traditional or Roth IRA
Taxpayers age 50 and older can contribute up to $8,000
The total contributions between all your IRAs count toward the annual contribution limit

You also have until April 15 to contribute to your employees’ SEP IRA accounts. Making contributions to this type of IRA may lower your tax liability. You can deduct up to 25% of employee compensation or the amount of your contributions, whichever is less.

6. Correct excess IRA contributions

The wooden cubes with the word oops on a yellow background.

If you accidentally contributed too much to your 2025 IRA (known as ineligible contributions), you still have time to correct the mistake. Withdrawing the excess contributions by April 15 will spare you from a 6% penalty. Thankfully, IRA contribution limits are higher for 2025 than they were last year. So it might make sense to apply the excess amount to this tax year instead.

7. Contribute to your solo 401(k) plan

blue piggy bank with coins and a yellow background

Self-employed taxpayers have until April 15 to contribute to solo 401(k) accounts. Just make sure you don’t exceed these 2025 contribution limits if you choose to make additional contributions:

$70,000 or 25% of your net adjusted self-employment income, whichever is less
If you are making catch-up contributions and are 50 or older, you can contribute up to $77,500 or 25% of your net adjusted self-employment income, whichever is less

8. Make your first 2026 estimated tax payment

Clock and dollar sign for tax payment deadline

If you have taxable income but don’t have income taxes withheld from your paycheck, your first estimated tax payment for the 2026 tax year is due on April 15. Underpaying or failing to make the payment altogether could result in financial penalties. You can use Form 1040-ES to calculate your estimated tax payment.

Remember, there are two other estimated tax payments due in 2026. However, you can skip those if you pay all your 2026 estimated taxes by the April 15 deadline.

9. State tax deadlines

rendering of yellow US map on blue background

Most state income taxes are also due on April 15 this year. However, some states have later filing dates.

Additionally, some states granted tax extensions to eligible residents following natural disasters. For example, residents of impacted areas from Tennessee storms are eligible for an extended tax deadline of May 22, 2026.

If you’ve lost your tax records during a natural disaster, you must recover your tax documents as soon as possible to be able to claim relief. Taxpayers should also check with their state's revenue department to see when taxes are due, since states can impose late filing and payment penalties.

For more information, see Kiplinger's report on states with IRS tax deadline extensions.

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Katelyn has more than 7 years of experience working in tax and finance. While she specialized in tax content while working at Kiplinger from 2023 to 2024, Katelyn has also written for digital publications on topics including insurance, retirement, and financial planning and had financial advice commissioned by national print publications. She believes knowledge is the key to success and enjoys providing content that educates and informs.