When Are Taxes Due for an LLC? (All You Need To Know)
When you miss a tax deadline as an LLC owner, you risk penalties, interest, and even administrative dissolution — mistakes I've helped over 50 LLC clients correct in the past 6 years as a corporate attorney.
I've seen 3 recurring errors that cost owners the most: misidentifying their tax classification, ignoring quarterly estimated payments, and overlooking state-level deadline changes.
This guide covers every LLC tax due date based on how your LLC is taxed, so you file correctly and on time.
Quick Summary
- Taxes are due on April 15th for sole proprietorships and corporations, while partnerships and S-corporations are due on March 15th.
- The specific classification of an LLC determines the due dates and corresponding tax forms that need to be filed.
- According to the IRS, approximately 29.3 million individual income tax returns reported nonfarm sole proprietorship activity for tax year 2021, a 3.4% increase from the prior year [1].
- In navigating their finances, some of my clients encountered unexpected challenges due to retroactive tax changes in the state last year, creating a need for careful adjustment and planning.
What Are LLC Taxes Due Dates?
The due dates for LLC business taxes will largely depend on how the LLC chooses to be taxed. An LLC can be taxed as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation, so there are different LLC tax forms.
Unless you are a single-member LLC treated as a sole proprietorship by the IRS, you must choose your tax year accounting method: a fiscal year or a calendar year.
A fiscal year is 12 consecutive months (e.g. July of this year to June the following year), while a calendar year is from January to December.
Both methods can be complicated if you fail to plan. For instance, an LLC with a fiscal year may make estimated quarterly tax payments based on its taxable income for the previous quarter.
It is also essential to note the annual changes in tax payable and due dates in your state.
Last year, several states implemented retroactive tax adjustments effective from January to July 2023. According to the Tax Foundation, 39 states began 2025 with notable tax changes, including 9 states cutting individual income taxes and 3 states cutting corporate income taxes [2].
Because of the many tax filing options available to LLCs, seeking professional advice from a trusted accountant in your state is essential.
1. Tax Deadlines For Sole Proprietorship
LLCs taxed as sole proprietorships need to file Form 1040; the deadline to file taxes is April 15 [3]. Form 1040 should be filed with Schedule C, and it serves to pay federal income tax that covers all income, losses, and annual expenses of a single-member LLC.
The LLC doesn't file any LLC business tax because it is not a separate legal entity.
2. Tax Deadlines for LLC Partnerships
Unlike sole proprietors, partnerships pay taxes on a partnership tax return. LLCs with two or more owners are viewed as partnerships for tax purposes.
The federal government requires partnerships to file an annual income tax return and pay tax by the 15th day of the third month after each fiscal year ends (March 15). Partnerships that miss quarterly estimated tax payments face penalties on the amounts owed.
Business income is reported on the partnership's personal income tax return, also known as Form 1065. The LLC must issue each member a Schedule K-1 to report their share of the business's income or loss on their personal income tax return.
Remember that if you opted for the fiscal year to determine your tax due date, the tax filing deadline is the 15th day of the fourth month after that fiscal year (March 30).
The best way to ensure you meet all tax deadlines is by using accounting software or SMB bookkeeping service and keeping track of your income, expenses, and taxes due daily.
3. Tax Deadlines for LLC Corporations
Corporations' filing deadlines differ from those applied to other types of business entities.
If your business structure is taxed as a corporation instead of an LLC or sole proprietorship, there are differences in how you file your taxes.
Corporations file taxes depending on the tax filing deadlines they previously chose for their tax year - calendar year or fiscal year.
April 15 is the date by which all corporations must file their personal income tax returns if it's the calendar they opted for.
If your LLC files taxes on a fiscal year basis, you should file a corporate tax return by the 15th day of the fourth month following the close of your corporation's tax year.
Remember that S corporations can't opt for a fiscal year and must follow calendar year tax filing deadlines.
"If your LLC timely filed Form 2553 for the fiscal year, the IRS classifies it as an S corporation, allowing business profits or losses to be reported on the personal tax returns of the shareholders as a pass-through entity."
- LJ Viveros, Distinguished Growth & M&A Transition Advisor, Former General Manager
What Happens If You Miss an LLC Tax Deadline?
Missing an LLC tax deadline triggers IRS penalties that grow the longer you wait.
For sole proprietors and C corporations, the failure-to-file penalty is 5% of unpaid taxes per month, capped at 25% of your total bill. Partnerships and S corporations face a steeper hit: $235 per partner or shareholder per month for up to 12 months — even with zero tax owed.
A separate failure-to-pay penalty of 0.5% per month stacks on top. Filing Form 4868 or Form 7004 buys more time to submit your return, but taxes owed are still due on the original deadline.
LLCs and Estimating Tax Payments for Small Businesses
For all small business owners and self-employed entrepreneurs, it's crucial to understand how to make tax payments.
A small business owner with an LLC must pay estimated taxes throughout the year. If you are self-employed, as most small business owners are, you need to take care of self-employment taxes.
Small business owners are obligated to make quarterly LLC tax payments every three months, starting in January.
It can get confusing if you don't know what to do when your LLC has to pay estimated quarterly taxes, so it's best to look into it or seek business tax advice from a professional.
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FAQs
Do LLCs Pay the Excise Tax, and When?
LLCs pay the excise tax if the nature of the business involves the manufacture of some taxable items like tobacco, alcohol, fuel, and firearms, to name a few. LLCs that engage in travel, gambling, telecommunications, and trucking must also pay the tax.
Excise tax returns are due by April 30, July 31, October 31, and January 31.
How Often Do LLCs Pay Payroll Taxes?
LLCs may pay payroll taxes bimonthly, monthly, or quarterly by withholding a percentage of the income of employees or independent contractors.
Do I Need to File a Tax Extension for LLC?
You need to file an extension for an LLC if you won't be able to pay taxes on due dates. Since an LLC features pass-through taxation, you'll need to file a personal tax return extension.
References:
- https://www.irs.gov/statistics/soi-tax-stats-soi-bulletin-summer-2024
- https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/state/2025-state-tax-changes/
- https://www.irs.gov/faqs/small-business-self-employed-other-business/starting-or-ending-a-business/starting-or-ending-a-business-3
Has anyone faced penalties for missing a deadline? Just curious