When Are Estimated Taxes Due? US Estimated Tax, Canada Instalments and India Advance Tax Compared

Estimated taxes are due on April 15, June 15 and September 15, 2026 and January 15, 2027 in the United States. Canada's instalments fall on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. India's advance tax falls on June 15, September 15, December 15 and March 15. Each country expects you to pay tax on income as you earn it.

How do the three systems compare?

United States: the rules for 2026

Under Form 1040-ES for 2026, you generally must pay if you expect to owe at least $1,000 after withholding and refundable credits, and your withholding will be less than the smaller of 90% of your 2026 tax or 100% of your 2025 tax. If your 2025 adjusted gross income was above $150,000 ($75,000 if married filing separately), 110% replaces the 100%. Farmers and fishers with two-thirds of gross income from that work use 66 2/3%.

You can pay everything by April 15, 2026 or in four equal amounts. The fourth date, January 15, 2027, is waived if you file your 2026 return by February 1, 2027 and pay the full balance. Pay through your IRS online account, IRS Direct Pay, EFTPS (enrollment required), a card or digital wallet (the processor charges a fee), or a mailed voucher.

Canada: three ways to calculate

The CRA offers three options. The no-calculation option uses the amounts on your reminder, set from your latest assessed return. The prior-year option bases payments on your 2025 return. The current-year option uses your estimated 2026 net tax owing, and suits a year in which income changes a lot. Late or short payments can bring instalment interest, and a penalty only if that interest is above $1,000. For a Canadian rental or self-employed return, see the T2125 guide.

India: cumulative percentages

Advance tax is not four equal payments. By June 15 you owe 15% of the year's tax, by September 15 a total of 45%, by December 15 a total of 75% and by March 15 all of it. Under the presumptive scheme, the whole amount is due by March 15. Interest rules are in our India advance tax guide.

Worked example

These figures are invented for illustration. Meera lives in Aurora, Illinois, and consults for several clients without withholding. She expects to owe $12,000 of US tax in 2026 and her 2025 return showed $9,000 of tax. Her 2025 adjusted gross income was under $150,000, so her safe amount is the smaller of 90% of $12,000 ($10,800) and 100% of $9,000. She pays about $2,250 on each of the four dates. Her brother, a Canadian resident, may use the prior-year option to pay a fixed amount on his reminder. Their uncle in Pune pays 15% by June 15 and 45% in total by September 15.

Common mistakes

• Treating the US dates as calendar quarters. There are four payments, and the last one falls in January.
• Assuming one country's dates apply in another.
• Ignoring withholding already taken from wages when you work out whether a US payment is needed.
• Forgetting that a US citizen or green card holder living in Canada or India still files with the IRS; see US-Canada treaty guide.

What we do

We are a US CPA firm. We calculate US estimated payments and coordinate with your Canadian accountant and Indian Chartered Accountant, who prepare the CRA and Indian filings. We do not prepare Canadian or Indian returns. See more tax questions.

Frequently asked questions

General information only. It is not tax, legal, accounting or immigration advice for your situation, and rules change; confirm the current rules with the official source or a licensed professional in the relevant country.