Best Guide to Calculating Quarterly Estimated Taxes in 2025

The form preview also includes a set of tools that you can use to review, save, and print the form. And, as you scroll to the bottom of the form, filing instructions appear. If the due date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, payment is due the following business day. If you need to calculate other types of taxes, you can calculate them in TurboTax. QuickBooks Self-Employed offers useful information to assist with tax preparation.

In this post, how to calculate quarterly taxes in quickbooks online you’ll learn step-by-step how to properly calculate, collect, and report sales tax in QuickBooks Online or Desktop. From setting up tax rates and codes to fixing common errors, you’ll have all the information needed to get sales tax right. The automation and integration QuickBooks provides is invaluable for streamlining payroll tax processes efficiently and accurately.

Step 1: Get your federal quarterly tax estimates

  • It lets you deduct up to 20% of your income after subtracting business write-offs.
  • It calculates your federal estimated quarterly taxes so you know how much to pay each quarter.
  • This is calculated by applying income tax rates to your total self-employment taxable profit from your business plus any personal income you entered from outside your business.
  • An important step to doing quarterly taxes is finding your “net income.” This forces you to review your business’s financial health beyond just your bank balance.

When you’re ready, QuickBooks can help you make estimated quarterly tax payments. To see how much you need to pay each quarter, here’s how to get your tax info from QuickBooks Self-Employed. When you’re ready, here’s how to make estimated quarterly tax payments. Your estimated tax payments may seem high for the first quarter. QuickBooks assumes your current profits will be similar for the next three quarters.

If you are not able to adjust your quarterly tax estimates, the good news is that you can sort it all out when you file your annual tax return. If you have an overpayment, you may get a tax refund when you file your taxes. If you underpaid your estimated taxes, you can make a supplemental payment of your estimated taxes after discovery. This will allow you to make up the shortfall in the shortest time possible. If you haven’t yet started a QuickBooks Payroll account, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial.

What Are Sales Taxes, and Why Do They Matter?

To complete these forms, QuickBooks Self-Employed keeps track of and arranges all the necessary data. The penalty for underpayment of estimated tax is calculated as a percentage of the unpaid amount. This percentage is based on the federal short-term interest rate plus three percentage points. If you don’t pay in throughout the year, you’ll likely get hit with an underpayment penalty. We’ll keep your financial records accurate and IRS-ready, so you never have to second-guess your tax calculations.

Tax deduction

At the end of each quarter set by the IRS, you need to calculate your self-employed income and deductions. This gives you an estimated amount of taxes you need to pay to the IRS. At the end of the fiscal year when you know how much profit you actually made, you’ll pay any remaining taxes or get money back for overpayments. For S Corporation owners, this includes both salary income (reported on Form W-2) and business income passed through to your personal tax return (reported on a K-1).

When following our guide to calculating Quarterly Estimated Taxes, it’s essential to understand how tax brackets impact your estimated payments. The US follows a progressive tax system, meaning different portions of your income are taxed at different rates. Your state probably has a state unemployment form you need to prepare and submit as well. For example, if the state unemployment rate is 2.7%, QuickBooks will calculate 2.7% of gross wages up to the taxable wage base as state unemployment tax per check. This ensures full compliance with state and city payroll taxes.

Taxable income is the portion of your income that is subject to federal income tax after accounting for deductions and exemptions. It includes wages, salaries, bonuses, and other forms of income, minus any allowable deductions like the standard deduction or itemized deductions. Mortgage interest is the interest you pay on a loan secured by your home, which can include a mortgage on your primary residence or a second home. This interest is often deductible on your federal income tax return, potentially lowering your taxable income if you itemize deductions.

W-4 Withholding Calculator

You should also update tax codes if necessary to sync them with the new rates. Review existing product tax code assignments as well in case they need to be adjusted. So if you ship products to customers, be sure to always obtain valid shipping addresses. QBO will then determine the right tax rate to apply automatically. Running this report provides visibility into the accuracy of your sales tax workflows in QuickBooks. QuickBooks makes rate updates easy, but you need to know when a change is required.

Step 1: Complete your tax checklist

This guide to calculating quarterly estimated taxes will break down everything you need to know to stay compliant and avoid IRS penalties. So in summary, QuickBooks Self-Employed removes the burden of manually tracking business finances and estimated quarterly taxes. By automatically tracking income/expenses and calculating taxes owed, it simplifies tax compliance for independent contractors and self-employed individuals. There’s no way to amend a previously filed and paid quarterly estimated tax payment. There are, however, different ways that you can adjust future payments to reflect changes in your tax liability. QuickBooks Self-Employed allows you to keep track of your self-employment income and spending.

Let’s look at what quarterly estimated taxes are, who pays them, how to calculate them, and payment strategies. The IRS sets deadlines for estimated tax payments on a quarterly basis. Gross taxes refer to the total amount of tax liability before accounting for any tax credits or payments made throughout the year. It represents the initial calculation of taxes owed based on your taxable income and applicable tax rates. Learn what federal self-employment taxes are and how QuickBooks Self-Employed estimates your federal quarterly tax payments. Any state or local payroll taxes like SUTA are also factored in when running payroll in QuickBooks.

  • A sole proprietor is an individual who runs a business solo, without any formal legal structure.
  • Any state or local payroll taxes like SUTA are also factored in when running payroll in QuickBooks.
  • Running this report provides visibility into the accuracy of your sales tax workflows in QuickBooks.

If the account you paid from is connected to online banking, you don’t need to enter anything manually. All you need to do is categorize it as a tax payment when it downloads. If you’re concerned about making those payments during your slow season, you even have the option of using the annualized income installment method.

Be sure to enter the accurate adjustment details including date, account, vendor, and memo. Track any documentation that supports the adjustment reason for your records. The Tax Amount column in the report will show you the total sales tax collected and owed for the selected period and tax authority.