Estimating Taxes

Laura8624 — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 07:02:14 GMT

Are you penalized for not making the same amount of estimated payment every quarter? For example, If I'm hired as a W2 employee for the last two months of the year, they withhold taxes for me, I wouldn't owe any money for those two months. My estimates would've been based on income from June-December. I would have a lower payment for Q4.

Re: Estimating Taxes

JBedford — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 22:09:52 GMT

Thanks for your question, @Laura8624 ! It is generally considered a best practice to make equal payments, but you will not necessarily be penalized for it if your income is earned unevenly. Also, withholding counts as a payment just the same as estimated payments are, which is why you generally don't have to make any estimated payments at all if all of your income has withholding.

Hope this helps, please let me know if not!

topic Re: Estimating Taxes in Self employed

Estimating Taxes

Re: Estimating Taxes