One week from today, most monthly sales tax returns are due across the country.
Because June 20, 2026 falls on a weekend, many states extend monthly filing deadlines to Monday, June 22, 2026. Quicktaxcalc
For monthly filers, that's the May return — covering every taxable transaction from May 1 through May 31. For quarterly filers, Q2 closes on June 30, with returns due in late July — but the next two weeks are the time to get your records clean.
And for businesses that have been expanding into new states in 2026, this may be the first time some of those new obligations are actually due.
Here's everything you need to know before June 22.
June sits at the intersection of two compliance cycles simultaneously.
Monthly filers have their standard May return due on June 22. But June also closes Q2 — meaning quarterly filers are wrapping up the April through June period, with returns due July 20 in most states.
As businesses expand into new states, filing obligations stack up fast. Monthly in one state. Quarterly in another. A non-standard quarter somewhere else. Miss one deadline and penalties start compounding — even when the tax itself was calculated correctly. TaxCloud
The businesses most at risk right now are those that crossed a new economic nexus threshold during Q1 or Q2 and registered in a new state — but haven't fully mapped the first return's due date in that state. A new registration doesn't tell you when your first return is due. You have to figure that out separately. And missing the first return in a new state tends to draw more scrutiny than a late filing in a state where you have a long compliance history.
Most states have due dates on the 20th of the month — and because June 20 falls on a weekend, most states extend to the next business day: Monday, June 22. Sales Tax Calculator
The states on the standard June 22 deadline include Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
That's the majority of the country. If you file in any of these states, June 22 is your date.
Ohio is the only state with deadlines on the 23rd of the month. Maine is the only state with deadlines on the 15th of the month — already passed. Massachusetts is the only state with deadlines on or before the 30th every month. Washington has deadlines on or before the 25th, and Kansas, New Mexico, and Vermont have deadlines on the 25th or the next business day. Sales Tax Calculator
Here's the non-standard breakdown for June:
Already passed — June 15: Maine. If you file in Maine and haven't filed yet, you're already late. Address this immediately — the penalty clock started June 16.
June 22: The vast majority of states — see the list above.
June 23: Ohio only.
June 25: Kansas, New Mexico, Vermont, and Washington.
June 29: Arizona.
June 30: Alaska, California monthly filers, Massachusetts, and Hawaii.
Nevada joined the standard 20th-of-the-month group in 2026, moving away from its previous month-end schedule. If you've been filing Nevada on the last day of the month out of habit, your June deadline is June 22 — not June 30. This is one of the most common late filings in 2026 for businesses that haven't updated their calendars. Sales Tax Calculator
If you file quarterly, your Q2 return isn't due until late July — July 20 in most states. But June is the month to prepare, not July.
Here's what quarterly filers should be doing this week:
Review your Q2 sales by state. Pull your April, May, and June transaction data by jurisdiction. Identify every state where you collected sales tax and confirm you have records clean enough to file accurately by July 20.
Check for new nexus states. Did your sales cross the $100,000 economic nexus threshold in any new state during Q2? If so, you may have a filing obligation in that state for Q2 — and you may not be registered yet. Registration takes time. Start now, not July 15.
Renew expired exemption certificates. Any resale or exemption certificate that expired during Q2 needs to be renewed before you file. Filing a return that claims exempt sales without valid certificates on file is an audit trigger.
Verify rate changes applied correctly. Several states updated local rates on April 1. Confirm your system applied those changes from the first day of Q2 and that your Q2 collections reflect the correct rates throughout the period.
Prepare for July 1 changes. We've covered the wave of rate changes hitting July 1 — Illinois local rates, Alabama grocery tax suspension ending, Washington transitional relief expiring, Utah home cook exemption beginning. Your Q3 collections start July 1. Make sure your systems are updated before the first transaction of the quarter.
Not all late penalties are equal — but none of them are cheap. Here's what's at stake in the states where your exposure is highest.
Washington carries the steepest penalties in the country. Late filing and payment penalties in Washington are 9% after the due date, 19% after the last day of the month following the due date, and up to 29% after the last day of the second month following the due date. A missed June 25 Washington deadline that slides into August triggers a 29% penalty on top of whatever tax you owe. TaxCloud
California imposes a 10% penalty on tax due for late filing, with additional interest accruing daily. For high-volume California sellers, a missed deadline is expensive fast.
Texas applies a 5% penalty for returns 1-30 days late, jumping to 10% for returns more than 30 days late, plus 1.5% interest per month on unpaid tax.
Illinois charges a 2% penalty on tax not paid by the due date, plus a 20% penalty if the return is not filed within 30 days of the due date.
New York imposes a 10% penalty for late filing, with additional penalties for businesses with a pattern of late filings.
The common thread: every state charges both a late filing penalty and interest on unpaid tax. Missing a deadline doesn't just mean a fine — it means that fine grows daily until you file and pay.
In 2026, sales tax compliance risk is accelerating. States are tightening enforcement, reducing filing discounts, and relying more heavily on automated matching between registrations, returns, and payments. If your filing calendar lives in spreadsheets or email reminders, the margin for error is shrinking. TaxCloud
The single most common mistake for businesses that have expanded into new states: not knowing when the first return is due.
When you register for sales tax in a new state, the state assigns you a filing frequency — monthly, quarterly, or annual — based on your expected sales volume. That assignment doesn't always come with a clear notice about when your first return is due. And the first return is often due sooner than you think, because registration frequently backdates to the point when you crossed the nexus threshold — not the day you registered.
If you registered in any new state during Q1 or Q2 of 2026 and aren't sure when your first return is due, find out today. The June 22 deadline may apply to your first-ever return in a state you just registered in last month.
Here's everything that needs to happen before June 22 for monthly filers:
1. Confirm your deadline in every state where you're registered. Don't assume. Verify the June deadline for each state — particularly Nevada (now June 22, not month-end), Maine (already passed), and Washington (June 25).
2. Reconcile your May transaction data. Monthly filers need clean records of May 1-31 transactions by jurisdiction before filing accurate returns. If your data isn't reconciled, start today.
3. File even if you have zero sales to report. Most states require you to file a return on time even if you collected zero sales tax in the period. A zero return is not the same as no return — missing it still triggers a late filing penalty in most states.
4. Pay at the same time you file. In most states, the payment and the return are due on the same day. Filing without paying — or paying without filing — still creates a late penalty on whichever piece is missing.
5. Confirm your Nevada deadline has moved. If Nevada is in your filing list and you've been on month-end autopilot, update your calendar to June 22. One week is enough time — but only if you act now.
6. Address Maine immediately. If you file in Maine and missed the June 15 deadline, file as soon as possible. The penalty for late filing in Maine starts at 1% per month up to 25% of the tax due — and it's already accruing.
Seven days. Clean your data, confirm your deadlines, and get your returns filed. The penalty for missing June 22 isn't worth whatever you were prioritizing instead.
Not sure whether your June filings are on track — or concerned that your expanding multi-state footprint has filing obligations you haven't fully mapped? Book a free consultation with our team at sales.tax. We'll audit your filing calendar, identify every June deadline that applies to your business, and make sure nothing falls through the cracks.