Texas LLC tax filing deadlines fall on two separate calendars. The state franchise tax report is due May 15 every year. The federal return is due March 15 for LLCs taxed as partnerships or S-corporations and April 15 for single-member LLCs filed on the owner’s personal return. Missing either date triggers penalties, and ignoring the state filing can eventually cost your LLC the right to do business in Texas.
The Texas Franchise Tax Deadline Is May 15
Every LLC formed in Texas, and every out-of-state LLC registered to do business here, must file an annual franchise tax report by May 15.1Texas Public Law. Texas Code 171.152 – Date on Which Payment Is Due If May 15 falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline shifts to the next business day. The franchise tax is a privilege tax for operating in the state, not an income tax.2Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Franchise Tax
The May 15 date applies even if you owe nothing. For the 2026 report year, the no tax due threshold is $2.65 million in annualized total revenue.3Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Texas Franchise Tax Report Forms LLCs at or below that figure skip the tax computation but still must file a Public Information Report (Form 05-102) or Ownership Information Report (Form 05-167) by the same May 15 date.4Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. No Tax Due Reporting for Report Year 2024 and Later Skipping that paperwork carries the same consequences as skipping a full tax report. LLCs above the threshold file the franchise tax report (Form 05-158-A and related schedules) alongside the ownership report.
Federal Deadlines Depend on How Your LLC Is Taxed
The IRS doesn’t have one deadline for LLCs. Your due date depends on how the entity is classified.
Multi-member LLCs taxed as partnerships file Form 1065 by March 15, which is the 15th day of the third month after the end of the tax year for calendar-year filers.5Internal Revenue Service. Publication 509 – Tax Calendars LLCs that have elected S-corporation treatment file Form 1120-S on the same March 15 date.
Single-member LLCs are disregarded entities by default. The IRS treats the LLC as if it doesn’t exist for income tax purposes, and the owner reports business income on Schedule C, E, or F attached to a personal Form 1040.6Internal Revenue Service. Single Member Limited Liability Companies That return is due April 15.7Internal Revenue Service. When to File
Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments
Because LLC income passes through to the owners, the IRS expects tax paid across the year, not in one lump at filing time. If you expect to owe $1,000 or more, you need to make quarterly estimated payments. For 2026 the dates are:
- Q1: April 15, 2026
- Q2: June 15, 2026
- Q3: September 15, 2026
- Q4: January 15, 2027
You avoid the underpayment penalty by paying at least 90% of the current year’s liability or 100% of what you owed last year, whichever is less. If your prior-year adjusted gross income exceeded $150,000 ($75,000 if married filing separately), the prior-year figure rises to 110%.8Internal Revenue Service. Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals Penalty Missing a quarterly payment doesn’t trigger a filing penalty; it produces an underpayment penalty calculated on the shortfall for that installment.
Penalties for Missing the Deadlines
State Penalties
Every late franchise tax report draws a flat $50 penalty, whether or not any tax was owed.9Texas Public Law. Texas Code 171.362 – Penalty for Failure to Pay Tax or File Report Late tax payments carry a 5% penalty if paid within 30 days of the due date and 10% after that. If you still haven’t paid after the Comptroller sends formal notice, another 10% applies, pushing the total to 20% of the tax owed.10Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Penalties for Past Due Taxes Interest starts accruing on day 61 at a rate set each calendar year.
The bigger risk is forfeiture. If you fail to meet your franchise tax obligations, the Secretary of State can forfeit your LLC’s registration and strip it of the right to transact business in Texas.2Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Franchise Tax During forfeiture, the LLC may lose the ability to sue in Texas courts, enter contracts, or maintain its liability shield. Reinstatement means filing every missing report, paying every penalty and interest charge, and then separately reinstating the registration with the Secretary of State.
Federal Penalties
Partnership and S-corporation returns are informational, so the LLC itself usually doesn’t owe income tax. The failure-to-file penalty applies anyway. For partnerships, it starts at $195 per partner per month and is adjusted upward for inflation.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6698 – Failure to File Partnership Return A five-member LLC filing three months late passes $2,900 in penalties at the inflation-adjusted rate, with no tax owed to generate it.
How to Get More Time
Texas Extension
File an extension request through Webfile or on Form 05-164 before May 15. The request must include payment of at least 90% of the current year’s tax or 100% of last year’s tax.12Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Franchise Tax Extensions of Time to File If you owed nothing last year and owe nothing this year, you can file a no-payment extension.
For most LLCs, a valid extension moves the deadline to November 15. The August 15 date that appears in some franchise tax guidance applies only to the first extension for entities required to pay by electronic funds transfer, which generally means LLCs that paid $10,000 or more in franchise tax the prior state fiscal year. Those filers can then request a second extension to November 15. Everyone else goes straight to November 15 on the first extension.
Federal Extension
Partnerships and S-corporations use Form 7004 for an automatic six-month extension that moves the deadline from March 15 to September 15.13Internal Revenue Service. About Form 7004, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File Certain Business Income Tax, Information, and Other Returns Single-member LLC owners file Form 4868 to push the personal return from April 15 to October 15.14Internal Revenue Service. Get an Extension to File Your Tax Return Both forms must be submitted by the original deadline.
An extension buys time to file, not time to pay. Any tax owed is still due on the original date, and the IRS charges penalties and interest on anything unpaid after that. If you expect to owe, estimate the amount and send a payment with your extension request.