Curious about the business tax deadlines that you should mark on your calendar this tax season? Here’s what small business owners need to know.

Deadlines for filing small business tax returns

There are different filing deadlines to be aware of depending on what type of business you have. Below are the key tax calendar dates to watch for in 2022.

Jan. 31, 2022: Deadline for any employees or independent contractors you hired last year to receive their W-2, 1099-NEC, or 1099-MISC tax forms.

March 15, 2022:

• Deadline to file business tax returns for partnerships, S corporations, or LLCs that are taxed as partnerships (Note that this is the deadline for calendar year filers. While most taxpayers fall under this category, there are special exceptions for fiscal-year taxpayers. If your tax year doesn’t start on Jan. 1, you will instead follow the IRS fiscal year due date
• Deadline to file Form 2553 to switch your business election to an S corporation (S corp) for tax year 2022. If you miss this deadline, your business will not be treated as an S corp until calendar year 2023.

April 18, 2022:

• Deadline for C corporations, sole proprietorships (Schedule C), single-member LLCs or LLCs taxed as corporations, and individuals to file their tax returns
• Last day for you to make 2021 contributions to traditional and Roth IRAs

Note: If you are a taxpayer of Maine or Massachusetts, your tax deadline is April 19, 2022, due to the Patriots Day state holiday.

Oct. 17, 2022: If you received a filing extension on your 2021 income tax return, your extended individual return is due on this date.

2022 quarterly estimated tax payment deadlines

If you are self-employed or receive any form of income that requires you to pay estimated taxes, here are the estimated tax due dates for 2022:

• April 18, 2022 – Deadline for 2022 Q1 estimated tax payments
• June 15, 2022 – Deadline for 2022 Q2 estimated tax payments
• 15, 2022 – Deadline for 2022 Q3 estimated tax payments
• 17, 2023 – Deadline for 2022 Q4 estimated tax payments

Note: This deadline would usually fall on Jan. 15, but if the date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, the payment deadline falls on the next business day instead.

How to file a tax extension as a small business owner

Not quite ready to file your taxes yet? That’s okay — if you need more time, you have until your tax-filing deadline (March 15 or April 18, 2022, depending on your business structure) to apply for a tax-filing extension. An extension will give you an extra six months to file your return.

• Sole proprietors can request a tax extension using IRS Form 4868
• Partnerships, S corps, and C corps can request an extension using IRS Form 7004

Just remember, a tax extension only extends your filing deadline, meaning you still need to pay any estimated tax payments on your business’s tax deadline. Make sure to pay your estimated taxes on time to avoid any late fees!