2026 Quarterly Calendar
The four quarters of 2026 are Q1: January 1 – March 31 (90 days), Q2: April 1 – June 30 (91 days), Q3: July 1 – September 30 (92 days) and Q4: October 1 – December 31 (92 days). For the US federal government, October–December 2026 is Q1 of fiscal year 2027.
Updated · By the YearlyCalendar.org team
As of November 5, 2026, the current quarter is Q4 2026 (October 1 – December 31). It ends in 56 days. For the US federal government this is Q1 of FY2027.
2026 quarter dates
Start and end dates, length and working days of each quarter. Working days are Monday to Friday minus federal days off — the dates federal offices close, using the observed date when a holiday falls on a weekend.
| Quarter | Dates | Days | Weeks | Working days | Federal days off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | – | 90 | 12 weeks, 6 days | 61 | New Year's Day (Jan 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan 19), Presidents' Day (Feb 16) |
| Q2 2026 | – | 91 | 13 weeks | 63 | Memorial Day (May 25), Juneteenth (Jun 19) |
| Q3 2026 | – | 92 | 13 weeks, 1 day | 64 | Independence Day (observed Jul 3), Labor Day (Sep 7) |
| Q4 2026 | – | 92 | 13 weeks, 1 day | 62 | Columbus Day (Oct 12), Veterans Day (Nov 11), Thanksgiving Day (Nov 26), Christmas Day (Dec 25) |
| Full year 2026 | – | 365 | 52 weeks, 1 day | 250 | 11 federal days off |
Half-years. The first half of 2026 (H1 = Q1 + Q2) runs from Thursday, January 1, 2026 to Tuesday, June 30, 2026: 181 days and 124 working days. The second half (H2 = Q3 + Q4) runs from Wednesday, July 1, 2026 to Thursday, December 31, 2026: 184 days and 126 working days.
- Federal holiday / day off
- Weekend
2026 calendar by quarter
Q1 2026 Jan 1 – Mar 31
Q2 2026 Apr 1 – Jun 30
Q3 2026 Jul 1 – Sep 30
Fiscal quarters in 2026
Calendar quarters follow January–December. Governments that start their fiscal year in another month number the same months differently. The US federal fiscal year starts on October 1, so October–December 2026 is Q1 of FY2027. Most US states start on July 1, the UK government, Canada, India and Japan on April 1, and Australia on July 1.
| Quarter | US federal (Oct–Sep) | US states (Jul–Jun) | Australia (Jul–Jun) | UK, Canada, India (Apr–Mar) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 (Jan–Mar) | Q2 FY2026 | Q3 FY2026 | Q3 2025–26 | Q4 2025–26 |
| Q2 2026 (Apr–Jun) | Q3 FY2026 | Q4 FY2026 | Q4 2025–26 | Q1 2026–27 |
| Q3 2026 (Jul–Sep) | Q4 FY2026 | Q1 FY2027 | Q1 2026–27 | Q2 2026–27 |
| Q4 2026 (Oct–Dec) | Q1 FY2027 | Q2 FY2027 | Q2 2026–27 | Q3 2026–27 |
Fiscal years are named differently: the US government and US states use the year in which the fiscal year ends (FY2027 = October 2026 – September 2027 for the federal government), Japan uses the starting year (FY2026 = April 2026 – March 2027), and the UK, Canada, India and Australia write both years (2026–27).
Fiscal years that overlap 2026
| Fiscal year | Used by | Starts | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | US federal government | 365 | ||
| FY2027 | US federal government | 365 | ||
| FY2026 | 46 US states | 365 | ||
| FY2027 | 46 US states | 365 | ||
| 2025–26 | UK government, Canada, India | 365 | ||
| 2026–27 | UK government, Canada, India | 365 | ||
| FY2025 | Japan | 365 | ||
| FY2026 | Japan | 365 | ||
| 2025–26 | Australia | 365 | ||
| 2026–27 | Australia | 365 | ||
| 2025 to 2026 | UK personal tax year | 365 | ||
| 2026 to 2027 | UK personal tax year | 365 |
Among US states, 46 start the fiscal year on July 1; New York starts on April 1, Texas on September 1, and Alabama and Michigan on October 1.
UK tax year 2026 to 2027 quarters
The UK personal tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April. Small employers who pay PAYE to HMRC quarterly use these tax quarters and pay by the 22nd after each quarter ends (a cheque sent by post must arrive by the 19th).
| Tax quarter | Starts | Ends | Days | Quarterly PAYE deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 91 | |||
| Q2 | 92 | |||
| Q3 | 92 | |||
| Q4 | 90 |
2026 quarterly estimated tax due dates
Federal estimated tax (Form 1040-ES) for tax year 2026 is due on the dates below. When a due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, a payment made on the next business day is on time; the April date follows the same rule as Tax Day, including Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C.
| Payment | Income received | Due date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jan 1 – Mar 31 | — | |
| 2nd | Apr 1 – May 31 | — | |
| 3rd | Jun 1 – Aug 31 | — | |
| 4th | Sep 1 – Dec 31 | — |
You do not have to make the January payment if you file your 2026 return by Monday, February 1, 2027 and pay the full balance with it. Fiscal-year taxpayers pay on the 15th day of the 4th, 6th and 9th months of their fiscal year and of the 1st month of the next one. A mailed payment counts as paid on its US postmark date. IRS disaster relief can postpone these dates in affected areas, and state estimated-tax deadlines can differ.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to pay quarterly estimated tax?
Under the IRS general rule, you must pay estimated tax if you expect to owe at least $1,000 for the year after withholding and refundable credits, and your withholding and credits will be less than the smaller of 90%% of this year's tax or 100%% of last year's. Different percentages apply to farmers, fishermen and higher-income taxpayers.
Why don't the estimated tax periods match calendar quarters?
The IRS payment periods are 3, 2, 3 and 4 months long, so the June payment covers only April and May and the January payment covers September to December. If your income is uneven, the annualized income installment method (Form 2210, Schedule AI) can reduce a required payment.
What is a 4-4-5 quarter?
Some companies use a 4-4-5 accounting calendar: each quarter is split into periods of 4, 4 and 5 weeks, so every quarter has exactly 13 weeks (91 days) and ends on the same weekday. Such a year has 52 weeks, and a 53rd week is added every five or six years to stay aligned with the calendar. Variants use 4-5-4 or 5-4-4 weeks.
Why is Q1 shorter than the other quarters?
February has 28 days in common years and 29 in leap years, so Q1 has 90 days in 2026 (91 in a leap year), while Q2 always has 91 days and Q3 and Q4 always have 92.