If you’re getting the feels as Tax Day approaches, you are probably human. There’s no tax education in this country (and how bananas is that?!?), so feeling confused or misunderstanding what’s required are common. As a tax educator for creative people, I see people frequently misunderstand how their taxes work, and Tax Day is the moment where it hits all at once. As we approach April 15, I’d like to clear up some common misconceptions about the tax deadline.
DISCLAIMER: True tax advice is a two-way conversation, and your accountant needs to hear your full situation to apply the rules correctly in your case. This article is meant for general information only. Please don’t act on this alone.
Filing your tax return and making your tax payment are two separate acts. Your tax payment is due April 15, even if you file your tax return in late January. So filing the return early is a smart move. It gives you more time to gather together any cash that you need before the deadline, and plan for the payment that’s due on April 15. You can set your payment date for the deadline, April 15, but you can file your tax return well before then.
No, your payment is due April 15. A tax extension is only for the paperwork, not for the payment. If you file for an extension, you need to pay what you think you owe. This is tricky when you haven’t done your tax return yet, but making estimated payments of your taxes owed is an important part of tax paying all year. Aim to pay at least what you owe, and know that you’ll get a refund for any excess payment you make. If you underpay, you’ll owe interest on your unpaid balance, and that accrues until you make your full payment. Your goal should still be to make a payment as close to your actual tax due as possible.
PRO TIP: If you need more time to get your paperwork done, you will be granted an automatic six month extension of time for the filing so long as you request your tax extension before the end of day on April 15. The easiest way to do this is to make an online payment of what you owe, and check the box that you’re paying as part of an extension request. You’ll get a confirmation number of your extension, and skip the extension paperwork.
I’m sorry to tell you that this is false. The law requires you to pay your taxes ongoing throughout the year. If you don’t have withholding from your paychecks that is high enough to cover your full taxes for the year – and anyone who makes most of their income through self-employment is in this boat – making estimated quarterly payments is required.
PRO TIP: The way to check if this applies to you is to look at line 37 of your last tax return (Amount You Owe). If that number is greater than $1,000, that means you’re not paying enough throughout the tax year, and you need to increase your ongoing payments. You can do this by filing a new W4 with your employer to increase your withholding at your job. But if you don’t have a job that pays you on payroll, your only remaining option is to make estimated tax payments every quarter. Those deadlines are April 15 (yes, you owe a quarterly tax payment for 2026 on the same day that your balance due for 2025 is due), June 15, September 15, and January 15.
This is where you make that payment. In the “Apply payment to” dropdown, be sure to select →”Form 1040 - Income Tax”, then in the “Reason for Payment” dropdown, select →”Estimated Tax.” If you want a short walkthrough video I made (it’s an actual screenshare of me making my estimated payment), here you go.
Thankfully no! Your estimated quarterly tax payment is just that: a payment. There is no paperwork. It takes me about 2-3 minutes to make the payment every quarter. If you want some extra help on making your first payment, I’ve got an article about how to make your first one over on Substack.
I hope this helps you understand what tax day is and isn’t. Don’t feel bad if any of this is new to you. I think we should teach taxes in high school, but until that day comes, most of us learn about quarterly taxes and penalties by missing payments and getting a large tax day bill. Your work as a creative person is what changes the culture for the better, and that’s why staying on top of your tax obligations is important. You want to stay ahead of large bills, avoid penalties, and know what’s coming so you don’t get derailed.
If you’d like a beautiful visual guide to getting all your art deductions, you can check out mine. For more super-simple tips on simplifying your taxes, check out my book Taxes for Humans, or my comprehensive program, Money Bootcamp, to guide you through a whole tax year. I’m wishing you a stress-free Tax Day, and a year of simple systems, so you can stay focused on your amazing work.