Key dates, November 2026 through January 2028
These are the general dates for calendar-year taxpayers, already moved off weekends and holidays. Fiscal-year businesses have their own schedule. And when the IRS grants disaster relief for the Valley, as it has after recent storms, these dates can move later. We'll let our clients know when that happens.
| Date | What's due |
|---|---|
| Mon, Nov 16, 2026 | Extended 2026 Texas franchise tax reports are due (November 15 is a Sunday). |
| Thu, Dec 31, 2026 | Last day for most 2026 tax moves: retirement plan deferrals, charitable gifts, required minimum distributions, Roth conversions and equipment placed in service. |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | Fourth-quarter 2026 estimated tax payment for individuals. |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | W-2s and 1099-NEC forms go to workers and the IRS. Most other 1099s go to recipients. |
| Mon, Mar 15, 2027 | 2026 partnership (Form 1065) and S corporation (Form 1120-S) returns, or a six-month extension. |
| Thu, Apr 15, 2027 | 2026 individual (Form 1040), C corporation (Form 1120) and trust and estate (Form 1041) returns, or extensions. Also first-quarter 2027 estimated tax and the last day for 2026 IRA and HSA contributions. |
| Mon, May 17, 2027 | 2027 Texas franchise tax reports and Public Information Reports (May 15 is a Saturday). |
| Tue, Jun 15, 2027 | Second-quarter 2027 estimated tax payment. |
| Wed, Sep 15, 2027 | Extended partnership and S corporation returns. Third-quarter 2027 estimated tax payment. |
| Thu, Sep 30, 2027 | Extended trust and estate (Form 1041) returns. |
| Fri, Oct 15, 2027 | Extended individual and C corporation returns, and extended FBAR filings. |
| Mon, Nov 15, 2027 | Extended 2027 Texas franchise tax reports. |
| Tue, Jan 18, 2028 | Fourth-quarter 2027 estimated tax payment (January 15 is a Saturday and January 17 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day). |
What's new for 2026 returns
The tax law passed in July 2025 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which the IRS now also calls the Working Families Tax Cuts) changed a lot. Here's the short version of what matters most for the people we work with. Several of these have income limits and fine print, so treat this as a map, not a verdict on your return.
For individuals and families
- Bigger standard deduction. $16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly and $24,150 head of household for 2026.
- New deduction for seniors. Up to an extra $6,000 per person age 65 or older, for 2025 through 2028, on top of the existing extra standard deduction. It phases out above $75,000 of income ($150,000 joint), and you get it whether or not you itemize.
- Tips and overtime. Workers in tipped occupations can deduct up to $25,000 of qualified tips. Hourly workers can deduct the extra "half" of time-and-a-half overtime, up to $12,500 ($25,000 joint). Both run 2025 through 2028 and phase out above $150,000 ($300,000 joint).
- Car loan interest. Up to $10,000 a year of interest on a loan for a new, U.S.-assembled car, truck or SUV bought for personal use, 2025 through 2028. Phases out above $100,000 ($200,000 joint). Used vehicles and leases don't qualify.
- State and local tax cap raised. The SALT deduction limit went from $10,000 to $40,000 for 2025 and $40,400 for 2026, reduced for incomes above $505,000. Texas has no income tax, but property taxes count, so more Valley homeowners may come out ahead itemizing.
- Charity for non-itemizers. Starting in 2026, if you take the standard deduction you can still deduct up to $1,000 ($2,000 joint) of cash gifts to qualified charities. Gifts to donor-advised funds don't count.
- Child care credit. For 2026 the dependent care credit can cover up to 50% of qualifying costs (up from 35%), on up to $3,000 of expenses for one child or $6,000 for two or more.
- Trump Accounts. New savings accounts for children. The Treasury deposits $1,000 for U.S. citizen children born 2025 through 2028 with a Social Security number, once a parent elects it on Form 4547.
- Energy credits ended. No federal credit for solar panels, heat pumps, windows and similar home improvements installed after December 31, 2025, and no electric vehicle credit for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025.
- Estates and gifts. The estate and lifetime gift exemption is $15 million per person for 2026, and the annual gift exclusion stays at $19,000 per recipient.
For businesses and the self-employed
- 100% bonus depreciation is permanent for qualifying property acquired after January 19, 2025, and the Section 179 limit is $2.56 million for 2026.
- The 20% qualified business income deduction for pass-through owners is now permanent.
- Domestic research costs can be deducted right away again, starting in 2025.
- Fewer 1099s. For payments made in 2026, a 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC is generally required only once you've paid someone $2,000 (up from $600). Payment apps send a 1099-K only above $20,000 and 200 transactions.
- Selling farmland to a farmer. If you sell qualified farmland to someone actively farming it, with a 10-year farm-use restriction, you can elect to pay the tax on the gain over four years.
Want to know what this means for your own 2026 return? That's exactly what a planning meeting is for, and there's still time before December 31.
Links we send people to
IRS
- IRS Direct Pay: pay a balance or an estimated payment from your bank account
- IRS Online Account: balances, payments, notices and transcripts
- Where's My Refund?
- Look up an IRS notice or letter by its number
- Get an Identity Protection PIN
- Apply for an EIN (free, directly from the IRS)
- FBAR filing for foreign bank and financial accounts
Texas
- Texas franchise tax (Comptroller)
- Texas sales tax permit
- SOSDirect for forming or looking up a Texas entity
- Cameron Appraisal District for property values and exemptions