Business Tax Deadlines for the 2024 Tax Year: A Complete Guide

Greg O'Brien CPA

Published December 21, 2024

Have you missed a tax deadline you didn't even know about? You're not alone. Even experienced founders get tripped up by the maze of tax filing requirements — especially since different business structures follow completely different schedules.

And unfortunately, failure to follow these deadlines can lead to stiff penalties even if you haven’t earned your first $1 of revenue yet.

To help you get ahead of your business tax filings, we've mapped out every critical deadline for the 2024 tax year (most of which you'll tackle in 2025), from federal to state requirements. Whether you're running a bustling startup or still getting off the ground, this guide will help you stay compliant, avoid penalties from the IRS, and keep your focus where it belongs: on growing your business.

2024 federal tax deadlines by entity type

Sole proprietorship and single-member LLC tax deadlines

Sole proprietors or single-member LLC owners don't file a separate business tax return. All your business activity goes directly on your personal tax return — that's why they're called "disregarded entities."

There are no separate deadlines to track and no extra forms to file. Just maintain clear business records and report everything on your regular 1040.

Here are the dates you’ll need to know about:

• April 15, 2025: File your 2024 individual income tax return (Form 1040) and report business income on Schedule C. You must pay any remaining balance due at this time (even if you are opting for an extension).
• April 15, 2025: First-quarter estimated tax payment due.
• June 16, 2025: Second-quarter estimated tax payment due.
• September 15, 2025: Third-quarter estimated tax payment due.
• October 15, 2025: Final deadline to file your 2024 return if you filed for an extension by April 15. If there is a remaining balance, it must be paid at this time, with interest.

Partnership and multi-member LLC tax deadlines

Partnerships or multi-member LLCs need to file separate business tax returns. These returns are necessary because they generate key documents — including Schedule K1, K2, and K3 forms — that you'll need to complete your personal tax return.

Here are the important dates you’ll need to track:

• March 17, 2025: File your 2024 partnership tax return (Form 1065) and provide Schedule K-1s to partners. If necessary, you can request a filing extension at this time.
• September 15, 2025: Extended deadline for 2024 partnership returns.
• April 15, 2025, or October 15, 2025: Partners report their share of income on their individual returns.

S corporation tax deadlines

• March 17, 2025: File your 2024 partnership tax return (Form 1065) and provide Schedule K-1s to partners. If you need it, you can request a filing extension at this time.
• September 15, 2025: Extended deadline for 2024 S corporation returns.
• April 15, 2025, or October 15, 2025: Shareholders report their share of income on their individual returns.

C corporation tax deadlines

• April 15, 2025: File your 2024 corporate income tax return (Form 1120) and pay any taxes owed. If necessary, an extension to file can be made at this time.
• October 15, 2025: Extended deadline for 2024 corporate returns. Any remaining balance must be paid, with interest, at this time.

The IRS requires all registered corporations to file annual returns — even if you had zero activity or profit in 2024. For C corps, that's Form 1120. For S corps, it's Form 1120S.

While some states offer exemptions or simplified filing for inactive companies, federal returns aren't generally optional. This is especially critical if you have any foreign connections (like overseas owners or subsidiaries) — penalties for missing these filings can be quite hefty, even for inactive companies.

Understanding tax extensions

A tax extension gives you some additional time to file your business return but not extra time to pay any taxes owed. Quite often, business owners are under the impression that they can “kick the can” 6 months to make any payments. However, this comes at a cost. Extensions are only additional time to file the tax return, and any payment not made will be subject to penalties and interest.

For example, filing Form 7004 gives your business an additional six months to file, pushing deadlines from March 17 or April 15 to September 15 or October 15, 2025.

However, any owed taxes are still due on April 15, 2025. If you owe taxes and don’t pay by this date, you’ll face interest and penalties. It’s crucial to estimate and pay any taxes due when you request an extension.

Example: If your C corporation cannot file its 2024 return by April 15, 2025, you can request an extension, but you must still pay any estimated taxes owed by April 15 to avoid penalties.  If you cannot calculate how much you owe, you’ll need to estimate and pay to the best of your ability. Even if you’re wrong, paying something will reduce any interest and penalties on the remaining balance.

Quarterly estimated tax payments

You'll need to make quarterly estimated tax payments if you are going to owe more than $1,000 in taxes. This is especially important for sole proprietors, partnerships, and S corp owners — your business profits flow to your personal tax return without any automatic tax withholding.

Missing these quarterly payments means you'll face penalties, so plan ahead and set aside funds regularly.

For 2025, the deadlines are:

• April 15, 2025: First-quarter payment.
• June 16, 2025: Second-quarter payment.
• September 15, 2025: Third-quarter payment.
• January 15, 2026: Fourth-quarter payment.

Timely payments are essential to avoid underpayment penalties, which are essentially interest that the IRS will add on.

Payroll tax deadlines

If you have employees, you’re responsible for payroll taxes in addition to income taxes.  For the most part, your payroll company will handle these filings, but as a business owner, you and you alone are liable for any penalties or failures to pay the proper payroll taxes.

Key deadlines include:

• Monthly deposits: Due by the 15th of the following month if your total payroll taxes are less than $50,000 annually.
• Semi-weekly deposits: Due on Wednesdays and Fridays for businesses with more than $50,000 in payroll taxes.
• January 31, 2025: File Form 941 for the fourth quarter of 2024 and issue W-2 forms to employees.

It is a good idea to spot-check the payroll company's filings, as errors aren’t uncommon.

State tax deadlines

State tax deadlines don't always match federal ones — you'll need to check your specific location. While most states follow federal guidelines, there are key differences. For example, some states let partnerships and S-corps file by April 15th instead of the federal March 15th deadline.

• State Income Tax: Generally due by April 15, 2025, but check your state’s requirements.
• State Franchise Tax: Deadlines vary, with some states requiring quarterly payments and others an annual payment. As an example, Texas is a franchise tax state, so tax returns are due in May of each year.

Other important filing deadlines you should know

Form 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC

If you paid contractors $600 or more in 2024, file forms 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC with the IRS and send copies to your contractors by January 31, 2025.

As a best practice, get your contractor's full tax information before sending their first payment. Don't wait until January — some contractors become hard to reach when you need their details for 1099 forms.

A simple up-front process saves you from a last-minute scramble and potential reporting headaches.

Form 5500

If you offer employees a 401(k) or some other retirement plan, you'll need Form 5500 filed by July 31, 2025 — though you can extend this to October 15, 2025. While your plan administrator typically handles this filing, don't assume it's covered.

Touch base with your administrator early in the year to confirm they're handling Form 5500. We've seen this deadline slip through the cracks even with experienced providers.

Make sure your taxes are being filed correctly

The tax code is 80,000 pages and growing — with penalties lurking around every missed deadline. Even experienced business owners struggle to track all their filing requirements, and it's easy to see why.

Don't leave your tax compliance to chance. Schedule a call with Digits today to map out your 2024-2025 tax strategy and keep your business penalty-free. Our team of tax experts will help you navigate deadlines, maximize deductions, and stay ahead of filing requirements.