Don’t let holidays and holiday sales get in the way of compliance this month. November has more deadlines than usual, given that the last day of October fell on a weekend. Mark up the following dates so you’re ready to go with taxes, payroll, benefits, and HR.
Federal holidays
November 3, 2026
It’s the primary elections this year, which means most of your employees will need time off to cast their votes. Put a plan in place now to accommodate employees doing their civic duty.
For guidance, here’s a complete breakdown of every state and their voting time off laws.
November 11, 2026
Veterans Day
It’s a day to honor military veterans and the sacrifices they’ve made. Most government offices and schools close on this Wednesday, but businesses tend to stay open. If you have a service-based or retail brick-and-mortar, consider offering discounts to vets who patronize your business.
November 26, 2026
Thanksgiving Day
Unless you run an international business, you’ll likely be shutting down on Thanksgiving. Take a well-deserved day off, but make sure you have a plan for handling Black Friday and Small Business Saturday traffic over the weekend.
Tax and payroll compliance deadlines
Payroll tax deposits (for semi-weekly depositors)
If you’re an employer, you’re responsible for filing Forms 940 and 941 and depositing payroll taxes throughout the year. (Find more info on federal payroll deposits here.)
If you report more than $50,000 in payroll taxes during the lookback period of July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, you’re a semi-weekly depositor, so your schedule looks like this:
If payday for your employees is on… | Deposit employment taxes by… |
Wednesday | The following Wednesday |
Thursday | The following Wednesday |
Friday | The following Wednesday |
Saturday | The following Friday |
Sunday | The following Friday |
Monday | The following Friday |
Tuesday | The following Friday |
There’s one exception: if you accumulate $100,000 or more in tax liability on a single day, you must deposit the amount by the following business day, regardless of your usual deposit schedule.
To learn more about federal payroll tax deposits, read Publication 15.
It’s also a good idea to contact your state and local tax agencies to find out if you owe deposits for local payroll taxes.
November 2, 2026
Form 941 filing deadline for Q3
The third Form 941 of 2026—and your accompanying payroll tax—is normally due at the end of October, but because October 31 fell on a weekend, the deadline is November 2.
You can e-file through the EFTPS or mail the document along with your payment voucher to the IRS. Your mailing address depends on the state in which your business is located and whether or not your payment is enclosed, so make sure you review the tax form instructions for more information.
FUTA quarterly tax payment due
The Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) says you’re subject to FUTA tax on the wages you paid employees who aren’t household or agricultural employees if:
You paid wages of $1,500 or more to employees in any calendar quarter during 2024 or 2025, or
You had one or more employees for at least some part of a day in any 20 or more different weeks in 2024 or 20 or more different weeks in 2025. Count all full-time, part-time, and temporary employees.
If the above applies to you and your FUTA tax liability through September is more than $500, you need to make your second quarterly payment by November 2.
If you owe $500 or more, you have to use the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) to pay. Check out Publication 966 for electronic federal tax payment system information, and Publication 15 for more information on deposit rules.
Form 720 filing deadline
If your business manufactures or sells certain goods and services, you have to report and pay excise taxes to the IRS on a quarterly basis using Form 720. The due date is the last day of the month after the calendar quarter, but since October 31 fell on a weekend, the due date is November 2.
If you want to e-file, you can pay your excise taxes through the EFTPS. If you want to mail the tax form to the IRS, send the form, along with your check or money order payment and the Form 720-V payment voucher (found on the last page of Form 720), to the following address:
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Ogden, UT 84201-0009
Form 2290 filing deadline for vehicles first used in September
If your business’s newly registered heavy highway motor vehicle was first used in September, you have to file Form 2290 by November 2.
Form 730 filing deadline for wagers in September
If you accepted wagers during September, you have to file Form 730 by November 2. Learn more about Form 730 here.
November 10, 2026
Employee tip reporting deadline for October
If your employees received any tips of $20 or more during October, they have until November 10 to report those earnings to you.
Learn more about tip withholding and reporting requirements here.
Form 941 extended filing deadline for people who made timely deposits
The third Form 941 was due on November 2. However, if you made the full deposit for the quarter on time, you automatically get additional time to file the form. That means Form 941 is due November 10 if you made the full quarterly deposit in full and on time.
November 16, 2026
Payroll tax deposits for monthly depositors
If you’re on a monthly payroll tax deposit schedule, your tax deposit for October payrolls is due on November 16.
Extended filing deadline for nonprofit tax returns
If you requested an automatic six-month extension for Form 990, the annual tax return detailing your nonprofit’s activities and finances for the year, your forms are due November 16.
For more information on how to fill out Form 990, along with 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-N, 990-BL, 990-T 4720, and 8868, review the official instructions on the IRS website.
Form 8038 filing deadline for tax-exempt private activity bonds
If your business issued tax-exempt private activity bonds in Q3, you have to file Form 8038 by November 16.
The IRS requires you to file Form 8038 by the 15th day of the second calendar month after the close of the calendar quarter in which the bond was issued. Forms 8038-B, 8038-G, and 8038-TC are also due at this time.
Make sure you file a separate form for each issue of the following tax-exempt private activity bonds issued after 1986:
Exempt facility bonds
Qualified mortgage bonds
Qualified veterans' mortgage bonds
Qualified small issue bonds
Qualified student loan bonds
Qualified redevelopment bonds
Qualified hospital bonds
Qualified 501(c)(3) bonds
Nongovernmental output property bonds
All other tax-exempt private activity bonds
Send your forms to the following address:
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service Center
Ogden, UT 84201
November 30, 2026
Form 2290 filing deadline for vehicles first used in October
If you recently registered a heavy highway motor vehicle and first used it in October, you have to file Form 2290 by November 30.
Form 730 filing deadline for wagers in October
If you accepted wagers in October, you have until November 30 to Form 730.
HR compliance deadlines
November 1, 2026
Marketplace health insurance enrollment begins for the 2027 plan year
Open enrollment for 2027 Marketplace health insurance plans begins on November 1 and runs until January 15, 2027, in most states. During this time, your employees can log onto Healthcare.gov and apply for a new health plan.
November 2, 2026
Remind employees to fill out a new Form W-4 for 2027
With the start of a new calendar year around the corner, it’s the perfect time to remind employees to fill out a new Form W-4 for 2027 if they had a major personal or financial change (like changing their filing status on a tax return).
You can also direct your employees to the IRS tax withholding estimator to estimate how much federal income tax you’ll withhold from their paychecks.
Remind employees to submit FSA receipts before the end of the calendar year
If you offer flexible spending accounts (FSAs) to your employees, now is a good time to remind your employees to submit their FSA receipts before the end of the year if they want to be reimbursed.
November 14, 2026
Deadline to furnish Q3 benefit statements to plan participants
If your business offers participant-directed retirement plans to your employees, you have to deliver benefit statements to plan participants on a quarterly basis (at minimum). These documents are due within 45 days of the end of the previous quarter.
That means the third quarterly benefits statement, as well as a statement of plan fees and expenses charged to the participant’s plan account during the quarter, is due to participants by November 14. Keep in mind that this day falls on a weekend, so plan accordingly.
November 15, 2026
Summary annual reports due to plan participants from companies with tax filing extension
If you have a defined benefit plan, you’re required to submit summary annual reports (SARs) to plan participants each year so your employees understand their retirement plan options.
You need to distribute these documents within nine months of the end of the plan year. However, if you received an extension on your Form 5500, you have until November 15 to furnish SARs to plan participants. Note that November 15 falls on a weekend, so make sure you distribute them ahead of time.
