OMAHA, Nebraska, and WEST DES MOINES, Iowa - August 11, 2026 - BPB Tax Resolutions, the tax resolution practice led by Enrolled Agent Ben Butterfield, is urging self-employed workers and small business owners across the Omaha and Des Moines metros to review their third quarter estimated tax position ahead of the September 15 federal deadline.
The third quarter payment is the one most often missed. It falls after the summer, outside the attention cycle that surrounds the spring filing season, and it arrives at a point in the year when many owners have not yet reconciled their books. A skipped quarter does not stay quiet. It surfaces as a balance at filing time, with penalties and interest already attached.
Why the third quarter deadline matters for self-employed filers Taxpayers whose income is not subject to withholding are generally required to pay tax as they earn it, in quarterly installments. That includes independent contractors, gig workers, freelancers, landlords, partners, and owners of pass-through entities. The IRS publishes the payment schedule and the underpayment rules on its estimated taxes page at https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/estimated-taxes.
Who is most exposed Business owners who had a stronger year than last year are the most common case. Estimated payments calculated from a prior year of lower income leave a shortfall that is invisible until the return is prepared. The same pattern shows up after a property sale, a large contract, or a shift from employment to self-employment mid-year.
What happens when a quarter is skipped An underpayment does not simply roll forward. Penalties accrue by quarter, interest compounds, and by the time the taxpayer sees a notice the balance has grown beyond the original shortfall. Owners who also withhold payroll tax face a more serious exposure, because withheld employee tax is held in trust and the IRS pursues shortfalls there far more aggressively.
What to do with three weeks left Butterfield recommends three steps before September 15. Reconcile income through August rather than estimating from last year. Compare year to date payments against the safe harbor rules. If the numbers do not work, make a partial payment anyway, because penalties are calculated on the unpaid amount and a partial payment reduces the base. Taxpayers who are already behind should address prior filings before the deadline rather than after it. Unfiled returns block access to every collection alternative the IRS offers, including installment agreements and offers in compromise.
About BPB Tax Resolutions
BPB Tax Resolutions is a tax resolution practice serving Omaha, Nebraska, West Des Moines, Iowa, and taxpayers in all fifty states. Founder Ben Butterfield is an Enrolled Agent, a federally licensed practitioner with unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service under Circular 230. The practice handles IRS audits, back taxes, unfiled returns, wage garnishments, levies, installment agreements, and offers in compromise, with flat fee pricing quoted before a client commits.
More information is available at https://bpbtaxresolutions.com/about.
Media Contact
Ben Butterfield, EA BPB Tax Resolutions (402) 779-7399 https://bpbtaxresolutions.com/contact
Media Contact
Company Name: BPB Tax Resolutions
Contact Person: Ben Butterfield
Email: Send Email
Phone: 402-779-7399
City: Omaha
Country: United States
Website: https://bpbtaxresolutions.com/
