Freelance tax calendar, November 2026 to April 2027: U.S., UK, Canada and Australia

Between now and April 2027, freelancers in all four countries hit their busiest stretch of tax admin: year-end payments in the U.S. and Canada, the January Self Assessment deadline in the UK, and the second-quarter BAS in Australia. This calendar lists the national dates that matter for self-employed people from November 2026 to April 2027 (plus Canada's June filing deadline), so you can put them in your calendar once and plan your cash around them.

Each table covers federal or national obligations only. State, provincial, and local rules, business structures other than sole traders, and your own filing history can change what applies to you.

Disclaimer: This is educational information, not tax advice. Dates are taken from official tax authority pages as of November 3, 2026. Confirm on the official page or with a qualified professional before you pay or file.

United States

The U.S. has three dates in this window. The January payment is the one most likely to catch you short, because it covers four months of income rather than three.

The Q4 2026 estimated tax checkpoint explains how much is enough for the January payment and the safe-harbor targets. The 1099 dates are when forms should reach you, not a deadline you have to meet. If one is missing, you still report the income; the guide to 2026 Forms 1099-K and 1099-NEC covers the new thresholds and how to reconcile each form. If you buy Marketplace health insurance, the 2027 Open Enrollment briefing for the self-employed adds the December 15 and January 15 enrollment dates. For the April return itself, work through the U.S. federal tax return guide for 2026.

United Kingdom

The big UK date is 31 January 2027, for the 2025 to 2026 tax year. The paper return deadline of 31 October 2026 has passed, so returns now go online.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax currently covers sole traders and landlords whose qualifying income for 2024 to 2025 was over £50,000. HMRC says it will not give penalty points for late quarterly updates in the 2026 to 2027 tax year, but late tax returns still count. The return you file by 31 January also matters for next year: qualifying income over £30,000 for 2025 to 2026 brings you into MTD from 6 April 2027. The Making Tax Digital 2026 to 2027 checkpoint explains the update calendar, first-year penalties, and how to prepare.

Canada

Canada splits filing and paying. Self-employed people have until June 15 to file their 2026 return, but any balance owing is due April 30, the same day as for everyone else.

If you are registered for GST/HST and file monthly or quarterly, each return and payment is due one month after the end of the reporting period. Check your exact dates in CRA My Business Account. The CRA treats a return as on time if it arrives or is postmarked by the next business day when a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday.

Australia

The 2025-26 tax return deadline for people lodging their own return has passed. It was 31 October 2026, moved to Monday 2 November because 31 October fell on a Saturday. If you missed it, lodge as soon as you can. If you signed up with a registered tax agent before 31 October, the agent's lodgment program dates apply instead.

These are the quarterly dates. Monthly GST reporters lodge and pay by the 21st of the following month, and annual reporters follow a different schedule. Check the due date shown on your own activity statement.

What to do in November

1. Add your dates to a calendar. Copy the rows that apply to you, with a reminder one week before each. Weekend due dates are easy to misread, so note the actual day.
2. Send anything already due. UK MTD users have a quarterly update due 7 November. Australian self-lodgers with a bill should check the payment date on their notice of assessment, usually 21 November.
3. Check your reserve against the next payment. Compare what you have set aside with the next amount due: the December instalment in Canada, the January payment in the U.S. or UK, or the February BAS in Australia.
4. Chase open invoices. Money that arrives in December still counts toward this year's numbers, and late payers are easier to chase before the holidays.

What to do in December

1. Canada: pay the December 15 instalment if the CRA expects instalments from you, and save the confirmation.
2. UK: decide on the 30 December option. If you have a job or pension and owe less than £3,000, filing online by 30 December lets HMRC collect the bill through your tax code instead of one payment in January.
3. U.S.: work out the January 15 amount once your December invoices are in, so the payment is ready before the new year starts.
4. Close the year in your records. File receipts, reconcile bank and platform payouts against invoices, and note any client who still owes you.

The country notes in the weekly tax tracking guide cover thresholds and rates behind these dates.

Sources

• IRS Publication 505 (2026), Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax
• IRS: Draft 2027 Publication 509, Tax Calendars
• IRS: Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC
• IRS: Individual tax filing
• GOV.UK: Self Assessment tax return deadlines
• GOV.UK: Pay your Self Assessment tax bill through your tax code
• GOV.UK: Send quarterly updates for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
• GOV.UK: Check if you're eligible for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
• CRA: 2026 tax deadlines for businesses and self-employed individuals
• CRA: Income tax instalments
• ATO: Due dates for lodging and paying your BAS
• ATO: When are PAYG instalments due?
• ATO: BAS agent lodgment program 2026-27
• ATO: The final countdown, ATO reminds taxpayers to lodge now