Form IT-540ES, Estimated Tax Declaration Voucher for Individuals, is used to make estimated Louisiana income tax payments during the year. Estimated tax payments are advance payments toward your expected Louisiana individual income tax. They are commonly needed when you have income that does not have enough Louisiana tax withheld, such as self-employment income, interest, dividends, rental income, or other taxable income. The program will generate Form IT-540ES when you enter the payment amounts in the applicable area.
Do I need to make estimated payments? It depends. Louisiana generally requires individuals to make estimated tax payments if their estimated Louisiana income tax, after credits and withholding, is expected to exceed:
- $1,000 for single filers (Single, HOH, MFS, and Qualifying Surviving Spouse)
- $2,000 for joint filers (MFJ)
When are Louisiana Estimated Payments due?
For calendar-year taxpayers, Louisiana estimated tax may be paid in full with the first declaration or in equal installments. If you decide to pay in installments, the payment dates are:
| Payment | Due date |
| 1st payment | April 15 |
| 2nd payment | June 15 |
| 3rd payment | September 15 |
| 4th payment | January 15 of the following year |
What happens if I do not pay enough estimated tax?
Louisiana may assess an underpayment penalty if you were required to make estimated tax payments and did not pay enough during the year. Louisiana law authorizes a penalty for failure to pay or underpayment of estimated income tax, and the Louisiana Department of Revenue states that the penalty is 12% annually of the underpayment amount for the period of underpayment.
Special rules for farmers and fishermen
Louisiana provides special estimated tax rules for individuals who earn at least two-thirds of their gross income from farming or fishing. These taxpayers may generally make one estimated tax payment by January 15 of the following year. In addition, estimated tax may not be required if the farmer or fisherman files the income tax return by March 1 of the following year and pays the total tax due.
Program Entry
To generate Louisiana estimated tax payment vouchers, navigate to:
- State
- Edit Louisiana using the three dots
- Miscellaneous Forms
- Estimated Payment Vouchers, Form IT-540ES