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HR Calendar: Compliance Deadlines [2026]

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Are you prepared for 2026? Stay on top of essential HR compliance deadlines with our 2026 HR Compliance Calendar (outlined below). Staying compliant is critical for every HR team or employer. With numerous dates, deadlines, holidays, and events, it’s crucial to stay organized, especially as your team grows and employment, payroll, and documentation become more complex.

Compliance remains a top priority for HR professionals. Understanding federal and state laws ensures your company meets legal obligations. In this article, we highlight the key HR compliance dates for 2026.

📌 Want to keep it handy all year long? Save this article to refer back to it throughout 2026!

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HR Calendar 2026

Although you may start the new year strong, we’re here to help keep that momentum all year long. At Factorial, we’ve put together a 2026 HR Compliance Calendar to keep you aware of important compliance deadlines and other special dates throughout the year (2026).

Here are the key deadlines and dates to keep in mind as you go through 2026:

January 2026 Human Resources deadlines and dates

  • January 1st:
    • New minimum wage may go into effect for state and local jurisdictions.
  • January 15th:
    • Estimated tax payments are due for Q4 2025.

February 2026 HR deadlines and dates

  • February 1st:
    • Post OSHA Form 300A
  • February 2nd:
    • Distribute W-2s and 1099-MISC (Paper & E-File)
    • Quarterly Forms 941 & 720 due
    • Distribute 1095-B & 1095-C Forms to employees
    • Form 940 due (If quarterly FUTA taxes were not paid when due)
    • Form 1099-NEC to both the IRS and to recipients
    • Form 1099-MISC with only boxes 8 & 10 to be sent to the recipient
  • February 10th:
    • Annual Form 940 Due (If quarterly FUTA taxes were paid when due)
  • February 28th:
    • Deadline to file ACA Forms 1094-C, 1095-C, 1099-MISC without NEC to IRS (If paper filing)
    • Form 8809 Paper Filing Deadline

March 2026 HR deadlines and dates

  • March 1st:
    • HIPAA Breach Employee Notification and Form M-1 Filing Deadline
  • March 2nd:
    • Electronically submit OSHA Form 300A and Creditable Coverage Disclosure to CMS (for calendar year plans)
  • March 15th:
    • Form 8809 E-filing deadline, S Corp (Form 1120-S) and Partnership (Form 1065) Tax Returns due
    • Form 2553 due
  • March 31st:
    • Form 1099-MISC due if reporting NEC in box 7
    • File deadline Form 1099s electronically
    • File deadline Form 1094-C & 1095-C & 1099-MISC without NEC to IRS electronically
    • EEO-1 Reporting and Filing Deadline

April 2026 HR deadlines and dates

  • April 18th:
    • Tax Day (filing deadline for personal tax returns & C corporations)
    • Forms 7004 and 8928 Filing Deadline
  • April 28th:
    • Summary Plan Description (SPD)

May 2024 HR deadlines and dates

  • May 1st: Quarterly Form 941 & 720 due
  • May 15th: Non-Profit Tax Returns due, including Form 990

June 2024 HR deadlines and dates

No compliance dates to worry about this month! Enjoy the beginning of summer!

July 2026 HR deadlines and dates

  • July 31st:
    • Quarterly Form 941 & 720 due
    • Forms 5500 and 5558 Filing Deadline (for calendar year plans)
    • Compliance check

August 2026 HR deadlines and dates

No compliance dates to worry about this month!

September 2026 HR deadlines and dates

  • September 29th:
    • Supply SAR to covered participants for the calendar year plans deadline

October 2026 HR deadlines and dates

  • October 3rd:
    • QSEHRA Notice Deadline (for QSEHRAs that begin January 1, 2024)
    • RDS Application Due to CMS (for plan years beginning in January 1, 2024)
  • October 13th:
    • Medicare Part D Notice of Creditable Coverage delivered to plan participants
  • October 31st:
    • Quarterly Form 941 & 720 due

November 2026 HR deadlines and dates

  • November 1st: Remind employees to submit FSA Receipts before the end of the year.

December 2026 HR deadlines and dates

  • December 29th:
    • Nondiscrimination testing, 401K plans, 125 Premium Only Plans (POP), and flexible spending account (FSA) nondiscrimination testing (if on calendar plan year),
    • Review employee handbooks,
    • Distribute 2026 calendar

HR dates by State: Holidays

Want to more about state holidays? For more information on the specific state regulations regarding holidays and time off, check out the list below.

State-specific Holidays in the US:

2026 HR Compliance Calendar FAQs

Now that we’ve got all the dates down, let’s check out some frequently asked questions related to compliance.

What should an HR calendar include?

A compliance calendar helps you stay organized by documenting your company’s obligatory submissions, their respective deadlines, and associated particulars, ensuring you steer clear of any fines or repercussions resulting from tardiness or incomplete submissions.

What is an HR compliance checklist?

An HR compliance checklist serves as a guide for your workplace policies and procedures, ensuring they conform to mandatory laws and regulations, while also proactively upholding this compliance. Read this article on how you can conduct your own audit.

What are the five areas of compliance?

While enforcement and regulatory guidelines differ globally in terms of their length, tone, strength, and language, they universally address a core set of five essential elements: leadership, risk assessment, standards and controls, training and communication, and oversight

What happens when a filing deadline falls on a weekend?

When a filing deadline falls on a weekend, the deadline is typically extended to the next business day. This practice is a common rule in many jurisdictions to ensure that individuals and organizations have a fair opportunity to meet their obligations even when official offices are closed on weekends.

However, you should always double-check the official federal sources when calculating deadlines. Our 2024 HR Compliance Calendar is a useful tool that can function as a reminder for keeping deadlines, but we do not take responsibility for any deadlines missed because of any possible mistakes. Always check the deadline stated at the official government website!

Stay compliant with Factorial

Managing legal and financial tasks can be overwhelming, but Factorial makes it simple. With our document management tools, you can organize contracts, payslips, agreements, and invoices into customizable folders. Factorial centralizes all your essential business processes. You can even customize permissions to decide which documents are accessible by both managers and employees and which ones are private.

  • Need to get legal documents signed? Request e-signatures directly within Factorial, making compliance a breeze.
  • Want to stay compliant with recordkeeping regulations? Safely store necessary documents digitally with Factorial.
  • Ready to distribute company-wide SOPs, documents, or policies? Easily share, track acknowledgment, and ensure compliance with just a few clicks.

Stay on top of your compliance needs with Factorial’s all-in-one platform. Learn more by booking a free demo today!

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Benjamin McBrayer
Did you like this article? Benjamin McBrayer has been a Content Writer for 5 years. He specializes in HR strategy and workplace trends. Check out Factorial's blog for more of his posts on time management in the office, productivity, and HR news.

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