Payroll Quarters: How Many Months in a Quarter and Form 941 Due Dates
Short answer: A year has 4 quarters, and each quarter is 3 months, or about 13 weeks. Q1 is January to March, Q2 April to June, Q3 July to September and Q4 October to December. Employers file Form 941 for each quarter by the last day of the month after the quarter ends: April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31.
Four quarters, three months each.
Quarters of the year
Quarter
Months
Form 941 due
Q1
January, February, March
April 30
Q2
April, May, June
July 31
Q3
July, August, September
October 31
Q4
October, November, December
January 31
If a due date falls on a weekend or legal holiday, it moves to the next business day.
How many weeks in a quarter?
About 13 weeks: 52 weeks divided by 4. Depending on the calendar, a quarter has 90 to 92 days.
What employers file by quarter and by year
Form 941 (quarterly): federal income tax withheld and Social Security and Medicare taxes.
Form 940 (annual): federal unemployment tax. See Form 940.
State unemployment reports: most states require quarterly wage reports.
W-2 and 1099 (annual): for employees and contractors. Contractors provide a W-9.
Tax deposits can be due more often than quarterly, depending on your deposit schedule. This is general information, not tax advice.
Clean hours make clean quarters
Quarterly reports are only as accurate as the hours behind them. EZTime exports payroll-ready hours for each pay period. See syncing time tracking with payroll.
Frequently asked questions
How many months are in a quarter?
Three.
How many quarters are in a year?
Four.
How many weeks are in a quarter?
About 13.
When is Form 941 due?
April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31, moved to the next business day if needed.
