Missed an Estimated Tax Payment? Penalty Calculator and What to Do

Updated 2026-10-14 · Not tax advice

Short answer

Pay the missed amount as soon as you can. The IRS penalty works like simple interest: the underpaid amount times the IRS underpayment rate (7% a year for October to December 2026) times the days it was late, ending when you pay or on April 15, 2027. Missing $3,000 for 48 days costs about $28. There is no separate late fee.

Figures used: Rates from IRS.gov quarterly interest rates (checked October 14, 2026): 7% for January to March 2026, 6% for April to June, 7% for July to December. The January to March 2027 rate is not announced yet; the estimator assumes 7%.

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Free: the one-page Q4 2026 estimated tax worksheet (printable, Excel or Google Sheets) and the quarterly estimated tax calculator.

Missing an estimated tax payment is common and usually cheap to fix if you act quickly. The penalty is set by IRC section 6654 and figured on Form 2210, using the IRS quarterly interest rates.

Estimate your penalty

Estimated penalty

$0.00

Simple daily rate per Form 2210: 7% (Jan to Mar 2026), 6% (Apr to Jun), 7% (Jul to Dec 2026). 2027 rates are not announced; 7% assumed. Planning estimate, not tax advice.

What it costs, at 2026 rates

Missed amount	Late by	Approximate penalty
$3,000 (due Sep 15, 2026)	1 day	$0.58
$3,000 (due Sep 15, 2026)	Paid Nov 2, 2026 (48 days)	$27.62
$3,000 (due Sep 15, 2026)	Paid Jan 15, 2027 (122 days)	$70.19
$3,000 (due Sep 15, 2026)	Paid Apr 15, 2027 (212 days)	$121.97

The last two rows include days in 2027 at an assumed 7%. After April 15, 2027 the estimated tax penalty stops, but any unpaid balance on your return then picks up interest and the failure-to-pay penalty instead.

What to do now

Pay the missed amount today through IRS Direct Pay or your Online Account. Choose Estimated Tax, 1040ES, tax year 2026.
Recheck what you owe for the year. If you meet a safe harbor with on-time payments, there is no penalty: the smaller of 90% of 2026 tax or 100% of 2025 tax (110% if 2025 AGI was over $150,000). See safe harbor rules.
Set the January 15, 2027 payment so your total reaches that amount. The free Q4 2026 worksheet does the math on one page.
If you have a W-2 job, raise your withholding with a new Form W-4. Withholding counts as paid evenly through the year, so it can cover earlier quarters. See W-4 withholding for side-hustle income for Step 4(c) amounts per paycheck.
When you file, you can let the IRS figure the penalty and bill you, or use Form 2210 Schedule AI if your income was uneven.

When you owe no penalty

Your 2026 tax after withholding and refundable credits is under $1,000.
You had no tax liability for 2025, were a US citizen or resident all year, and 2025 was a full 12-month year.
Your on-time payments met a safe harbor.
The IRS grants a waiver for a casualty, disaster or other unusual circumstance, or because you retired after 62 or became disabled with reasonable cause.

More detail: estimated tax underpayment penalty explained.

FAQ

What happens if I miss a quarterly estimated tax payment?

Nothing happens right away. When you file, the IRS (or you, on Form 2210) figures a penalty on each installment that was short, based on the amount, the days late and the IRS underpayment rate. Paying the missed amount stops the penalty growing on it.

How much is the penalty for a late estimated tax payment?

Amount underpaid × annual rate × days late ÷ 365. At 7%, each $1,000 late costs about 19 cents a day, or about $5.75 a month.

I missed the payment by one day. Is the penalty big?

No. At 7%, one day late on a $3,000 payment is about $0.58. The IRS may simply bill it after you file.

Can I make up a missed estimated payment in the next quarter?

Yes. Payments are applied to the earliest short installment first, so a larger next payment fixes the gap. You still owe the penalty for the days the earlier amount was late.

Does the annualized income method help?

If most of your income came later in the year, Form 2210 Schedule AI can lower the required early installments and reduce or remove the penalty.

Is there an estimated tax penalty calculator from the IRS?

The IRS computes the penalty for you if you leave Form 2210 blank and it will bill you. You can also work it out on Form 2210. The estimator on this page uses the same daily-rate method for one installment.