Forms · IRS

Fill out Form 1040-ES (2026) online, without uploading it

Estimated Tax for Individuals. A worksheet and payment vouchers for paying tax during the year on income with no withholding.

Open Form 1040-ES in PDFPane Free · opens in your browser · nothing is uploaded · or download the blank PDF

About Form 1040-ES

• Who fills it in: Self-employed people, freelancers and others with untaxed income.
• Where it goes: The IRS, with each quarterly payment if you pay by check.

How to fill it in with PDFPane

1. Click Open Form 1040-ES in PDFPane. The official blank opens with every fillable box highlighted.
2. Click the first box and press Tab to go through them in order. Tick boxes with a click.
3. Need a signature? Pick Sign, then draw it, type it or use a photo, and place it on the line. Date adds today's date.
4. Click Download. You get a new PDF with everything filled in. Free: 3 downloads a month with a Google sign-in.

Which year this is

This is the 2026 Form 1040-ES, the IRS's package to figure and pay estimated tax for 2026. It holds the instructions, a worksheet and four payment vouchers. Its last due date is January 15, 2027. Estimated tax for 2027 is paid with the 2027 Form 1040-ES: check the IRS's Form 1040-ES page for it.

The IRS has posted a correction to this package's reminder about the state and local tax deduction, and says the form will not be revised. The correction is on the same page.

Who pays estimated tax

• Estimated tax is how tax is paid on income that has no withholding — for example self-employment earnings, including gig work, interest, dividends, rents and alimony.
• In most cases, you must pay estimated tax for 2026 if both apply: you expect to owe at least $1,000 after withholding and refundable credits, and you expect your withholding and refundable credits to be less than the smaller of 90% of your 2026 tax or 100% of your 2025 tax.
• If your 2025 adjusted gross income was more than $150,000 ($75,000 if married filing separately for 2026), the 100% becomes 110%. Farmers and fishermen have their own rules.
• You don't have to pay if you were a U.S. citizen or resident alien for all of 2025 and had no tax liability for the full 12-month 2025 tax year.
• If you also have wages, the form points out you may avoid estimated payments by having more tax withheld: give your employer a new Form W-4.
• Nonresident aliens use Form 1040-ES (NR).

What is in the package

• The 2026 Estimated Tax Worksheet, marked "Keep for your records", with its instructions and the 2026 tax rate schedules. The IRS suggests your 2025 return as a guide.
• Four payment vouchers, one per due date, shown in the upper-right corner. Each asks for your name, address and SSN (or ITIN), your spouse's for a joint payment, and the amount you are paying by check or money order.
• The voucher is only sent with a check or money order, made payable to "United States Treasury", with "2026 Form 1040-ES" and your SSN written on it. Don't staple the check to the voucher and don't send cash.
• The mailing address depends on where you live and is listed in the package. The IRS says not to mail estimated payments to the address in the Form 1040 instructions.
• Paying online needs no voucher: your IRS online account, IRS Direct Pay from a bank account, a debit or credit card or digital wallet (the providers charge a fee), or EFTPS.

Deadlines for 2026

1. April 15, 2026
2. June 15, 2026
3. September 15, 2026
4. January 15, 2027 — a Friday. You don't have to make this payment if you file your 2026 return by February 1, 2027 and pay the whole balance with it.

• You can also pay all of the year's estimated tax with the first payment, or make more than four payments.
• A mailed payment counts as paid on the date of its U.S. postmark. The IRS notes that the postmark is the date the mail is processed at a USPS facility, which may be later than the day you post it.
• Paying late, or too little, may mean a penalty when you file your return. Form 2210 covers the penalty and when it can be waived.
• Farmers and fishermen may instead pay all their estimated tax by January 15, 2027, or file their 2026 return by March 1, 2027 and pay the total tax due.

Questions

Is this the 2026 1040-ES?

Yes. It is the IRS's own PDF, "Form 1040-ES (2026)", for estimated tax on 2026 income. The 2027 package is a separate form on the IRS's Form 1040-ES page.

Do I have to mail a voucher?

Only if you pay by check or money order. The package lists online, phone and cash options that need no voucher.

Can I fill out a 1040-ES voucher online for free?

Yes. Open the package in PDFPane, fill in the voucher and download it — 3 downloads a month are free with a Google sign-in. Or download the blank PDF (the IRS's, unchanged). PDFPane does not work out the amount for you.

Is my Social Security number uploaded anywhere?

No. PDFPane fills in the PDF in Chrome on your computer. The voucher and your SSN never reach PDFPane's server or anyone else's.

Can spouses make joint estimated payments?

Generally, yes. The package says you can't if either spouse is a nonresident alien, you are separated under a decree of divorce or separate maintenance, or you have different tax years. Registered domestic partners and people in civil unions can't either.

Where do the payments show up on my return?

On Form 1040, which has a line for the year's estimated tax payments.

Open Form 1040-ES in PDFPane

This is the official PDF published by the IRS, see its page for the current edition and instructions. PDFPane is not affiliated with the IRS and does not give tax or legal advice.