Payroll & contractors
Payroll Tax Deposit Schedule Calculator
Whether you deposit monthly or semiweekly is set by a lookback period two years back, not by what you owe now. Work out which applies and when it is due.
| Lookback periodJuly 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025 | $47,000 |
|---|---|
| Thresholdat or below is monthly, above is semiweekly | $50,000 |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Deposits due | the 15th of the following month |
The lookback window closed before 2026 began, so a business whose payroll has grown sharply can sit on a light schedule while owing a great deal. One rule cuts across it either way: accumulate $100,000 of liability on any single day and the deposit is due the next business day regardless of schedule — and a monthly depositor becomes semiweekly for the rest of that year and all of the next.
Details people get wrong
- Why does the lookback period reach back two years?
- So you know your schedule before the year starts rather than discovering it as you go. The 2026 schedule is fixed by liability between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025 — a window that closed well before 2026 began. It also means a business whose payroll has grown sharply can be on a light schedule while owing a great deal, and vice versa.
- What if my payroll changed a lot since then?
- It makes no difference to the schedule. The lookback total governs even if this year looks nothing like it. The exception runs the other way: accumulate $100,000 or more of liability on any single day and you must deposit by the next business day regardless of your assigned schedule, and a monthly depositor becomes semiweekly for the rest of that year and the next.
- When is a semiweekly deposit actually due?
- It depends on the day of the week payday falls. Paydays on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday are due the following Wednesday. Paydays on Saturday, Sunday, Monday or Tuesday are due the Friday of that same week. Two paydays in one week can therefore have different deadlines.
- What happens if a deposit is late?
- Failure-to-deposit penalties are tiered by how late the payment is and rise steeply, and they apply per deposit rather than per return. Being on the wrong schedule is an expensive mistake to make repeatedly, which is why it is worth confirming rather than assuming.