Failure-to-File vs. Failure-to-Pay: Why Filing Late Costs Ten Times What Paying Late Costs
The IRS failure-to-file penalty runs 5% a month — ten times the failure-to-pay rate. Filing on time when you cannot pay is the cheapest move.
#tax-deadlines
Tax Deadlines
Important tax filing deadlines and compliance dates to remember
Year-End Bookkeeping Closing Checklist: What to Reconcile, Review, and Lock Before Your CPA Starts in January
Reconcile every account, assemble the CPA tax package, and lock the year before January — with IRS 1099 deadlines and the W-9s filed first.
Year-End Financial Close Checklist: Reconcile Every Balance Sheet Account and Prep for 1099 Season
Reconcile every balance sheet account, book year-end accruals, and file Forms 1099 on time — a six-phase IRS-ready close checklist for small businesses.
Form 945 Explained: How Small Businesses Report Backup Withholding and Nonpayroll Withholding Once a Year
Form 945 reports all backup withholding and nonpayroll withholding once a year — due January 31, with EFT deposits once the year's tax reaches $2,500.
Year-End Closing Checklist for Small Businesses: What to Reconcile Before December 31
Reconcile bank accounts, receivables, payables, payroll, and inventory before December 31 — plus the W-9s, 1099s, and IRS deadlines that close with the year.
Reconciling Forms 941, W-2, and W-3: The Year-End Payroll Checklist That Prevents IRS and SSA Mismatch Notices
Your four Forms 941 must agree with your W-2 and W-3 totals or the SSA sends a reconciliation notice — run this 10-step tie-out before January 31.
Belize Gave 806 Small Businesses a Tax Amnesty — Is Yours One of Them, and What Happens When the Year Runs Out?
806 Belize MSMEs won a one-year business-tax holiday; the first certificates expire now. Check your status, dodge the fake Amnesty 2.0, and plan the landing.
IRS Notice CP136: How the Lookback Period Sets Your 2027 Payroll Deposit Schedule
IRS Notice CP136 sets your 2027 payroll deposit schedule: over $50,000 of Form 941 tax from July 2025–June 2026 makes you a semiweekly depositor.
Oregon's $1,000-Per-Job Hiring Credit: How Small Employers Apply for the QJCTC Before October 31
Oregon's QJCTC pays $1,000 per net new job, up to $10,000, in seven industries — but 2026 applications close October 31 and certification comes first.
Illinois' Remote-Retailer Tax Amnesty Closes October 31: How Out-of-State Sellers Come Clean on 2021–2026 Sales Tax
Illinois waives all penalties and interest on 2021–2026 remote-seller sales tax paid at a flat 9% by October 31, 2026; after that, IDOR may assess 15%.
Overfunded Your HSA? How to Pull the Excess Back Out Before the 6% Penalty Starts Compounding
An HSA excess pulled with its earnings by April 15 (October 15 on extension) owes no 6% IRS penalty — just income tax on the earnings.
Don't Wait Until January: Start Your Year-End Tax Prep This October
Start year-end tax prep in October: collect W-9s under the IRS $2,000 1099 rule, clean up vendors, reconcile Q3, and calendar every deadline.