Prepare for an estimated-tax planning conversation

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Planning

By Accounting Services · Published September 30, 2026

Estimated-tax questions are easier to discuss when you separate what has already been paid from what you expect to earn. Start with a payment history and a current picture of your income, rather than a single number copied from an old worksheet.

Assemble the payment history

List payments by date, amount, tax year and recipient agency. Keep confirmations available and flag any payment whose application you are unsure about. Include withholding information when relevant to the discussion. Do not assume all money sent during a calendar year was applied to that year.

Explain what changed

Tell the preparer about new work, changes in business income or other events that make the prior year less representative. Identify which figures are actual and which are projections. Update your notes if a major assumption changes before the meeting.

Ask for a defined planning scope

The IRS provides guidance on estimated taxes, including who may need to make payments and how calculations work. Your own payment approach depends on your facts. Ask whether the engagement includes a calculation, periodic updates or only preparation of the annual return.

Before ending the conversation, confirm who will make any agreed payment and how instructions will be delivered. A planning discussion does not itself submit money to an agency. Explore tax planning with ASI to discuss the information needed for your circumstances.

Source and further reading

IRS: Estimated taxes. General preparation information; your engagement and filing requirements depend on your circumstances.

What happens next

Tell ASI what you need help with. Start with your contact information and add optional context.