October 2025: The Small Business Owner’s HR, Benefits, Payroll, and Tax Compliance Deadlines

Fall may be a cozy season at home, but in your business? No way. October is often one of the most nonstop months of the year, so it’s critical to make sure your compliance deadlines don’t slip through the cracks. Here are the dates you need to know about for taxes, payroll, benefits, and HR. 

Federal holidays

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), and 2025 marks NDEAM’s 80th anniversary! It’s an annual opportunity to celebrate workers with disabilities, continue the conversation around inclusivity, and support employers in taking care of their employees. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Value and Talent.” Learn more about how you can participate in NDEAM by visiting the Department of Labor’s website.

October 13, 2025

Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Columbus Day)

Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrates Indigenous American people, honoring their long histories and uplifting their unique cultures. Many states and cities observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day. Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, and South Dakota consider the day a holiday, which means many businesses will close for the day and give employees paid time off. 

Check here to see whether your state observes Indigenous Peoples’ Day or recognizes it as an official paid holiday. 

Tax and payroll compliance deadlines

Payroll tax deposits (for semi-weekly depositors)

Employers who file Forms 940 and 941 have to deposit payroll taxes on different schedules throughout the year. 

If you report more than $50,000 in payroll taxes during the lookback period of July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, you’re considered a semi-weekly depositor, which means you follow the schedule below:

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. 

October 1, 2025

For calendar-year followers, October 1 is the official start of Q4. 

October 10, 2025

Employee tip reporting deadline for September 

If your employees receive tips, they need to report last month’s haul—anything $20 or over—to you by October 10. 

Learn more about tip withholding and reporting requirements here. 

October 15, 2025

Payroll tax deposits for monthly depositors

If you’re on the monthly payroll tax deposit schedule (meaning that you reported less than $50,000 in payroll taxes during the lookback period), your tax deposit for September Social Security, Medicare, and withheld income tax is due on October 15. 

Form 1040 extended filing deadline for sole proprietors and single-member LLCs

If you’re a sole proprietor or single-member LLC and you requested an automatic six-month extension on filing your 2024 tax returns, your deadline to file Form 1040 is October 15. You also need to pay any tax, interest, or penalties due. 

Form 1120 extended filing deadline for corporations

If your C-corporation requested an automatic six-month filing extension, your time is now up: you must file Form 1120 by October 15. 

You can file your returns by mail or online, but the IRS recommends e-filing because it’s faster. If your C corp has $10 million or more in assets and if you file 250 or more information returns per year (i.e., W-2s, 1099s), you’re required to file your taxes electronically. 

Find Form 1120 e-filing guidelines and general instructions on the IRS website. 

October 31, 2025

Form 941 filing deadline for Q3

The third Form 941 of 2025—which you use to report taxes withheld from your employees’ paychecks—is due October 31. The accompanying payroll tax payment is also due on October 31. 

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 2023 or 2024, or

• You had one or more employees for at least some part of a day in any 20 or more different weeks in 2023 or 20 or more different weeks in 2024. 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 October 31.

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 must report and pay excise taxes to the IRS on a quarterly basis using Form 720. You can see the full list of the goods and services that incur excise taxes on the document itself. 

If your business deals with any of them, the third of your four payments for the 2025 tax year is due October 31. 

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 84201-000

Form 2290 filing deadline for vehicles first used in September

If you first used your registered heavy highway motor vehicle in September, you have to file Form 2290 by October 31 and pay any corresponding tax. 

Form 730 filing deadline for September wagers

If you accepted wagers during September and meet the criteria below, you have to file Form 730 by October 31 and pay any taxes due. The criteria apply if you:

• are in the business of accepting wagers

• conduct a wagering pool or lottery

• are required to be registered and received wagers for or on behalf of another person, but did not report that person’s name and address

HR compliance deadlines

October 2, 2025

QSEHRA annual notice delivery to plan participants

October is when you can begin disseminating Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA) notices to your benefits plan participants. You have to send these notices out 30 to 90 days before the start of the calendar year you’ll be offering the QSEHRA. 

Make sure you send the following notices:

• 401(k) safe harbor match

• Automatic contribution arrangement (ACA)

• Qualified automatic contribution arrangement (QACA)

• Qualified default investment alternative (QDIA) 

RDS application due to CMS

The Retiree Drug Subsidy (RDS) is an application that helps employers support Medicare-eligible retirees in getting better drug coverage. The RDS application is due to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 90 days before the start of the plan year. If your plan year begins on January 1, 2026, your RDS application is due October 2. 

Learn more about the RDS application and how to submit it on the CMS website. 

October 15, 2025

Employer retirement contributions due for certain employers

If you’re a sole proprietor or C corp and received approval for an extended tax filing deadline of October 15, you also have to make any final employer retirement plan contributions for the 2025 tax year by this date.

Medicare Part D Notice of Creditable Coverage due to plan participants

If you have a group health plan and provide prescription drug coverage, you’re required to tell individuals who are eligible for Medicare Part D (and people who are about to become eligible) whether their plan’s coverage is at least as good as Medicare’s—in other words, whether it’s “creditable” or “non-creditable.”

Individuals are eligible for Part D if they meet one of the following criteria:

• Are 65 or more years old

• Are three months away from turning 65 years old

• Have a disability

You have to disclose this information to all eligible individuals electronically or via mail before October 15, so make sure to plan ahead. This ensures your plan participants have the information they need to decide whether they need Medicare prescription coverage ahead of the annual enrollment period, which begins in November.

You can see CMS templates for these notice letters here.

Deadline to correct a minimum coverage requirement or nondiscrimination failure 

If you offer retirement plans, you’re required to test those plans every year to ensure they 1) meet minimum coverage requirements and 2) pass the Actual Deferral Percentage (ADP) and Actual Contribution Percentage (ACP) nondiscrimination tests. 

If you fail to meet the requirements of your plan, you have until October 15 to file a retroactive amendment to correct your mistakes. For complete instructions on how to fix a failed ADP or ACP test, review the I’s guide. 

Third quarter minimum funding payment due for certain defined benefit pension plans

If you have a defined benefit pension plan that experienced a funding shortfall in 2024, you have to make your third-quarter minimum funding contribution for the 2025 plan year by October 15 (due 15 days after the end of the quarter). 

Form 5500 due for extended deadline recipients

If you received a filing extension for Form 5500, the annual employee benefit return, whether by filing Form 5558 or Form 7004, your new deadline is October 15. 

QSLOB filing deadline

Qualified separate lines of business (QSLOBs) are different arms of a company that, for IRS purposes, have their own retirement plan contribution and testing rules (rather than being lumped under the same entity-wide compliance umbrella). 

If you need to establish a QSLOB, your deadline to file Form 5310-A with the IRS to give notice is October 15.