When is Form 1128 due for changing from fiscal to calendar year? Deadline confusion

Form 1128 should be filed by the due date of your first tax return that would use the new tax year (including extensions). So if you're trying to change to a calendar year for 2025, you'd need to file Form 1128 by the due date of your 2025 return, which would be March 15, 2026 (or September 15, 2026 with extension). As for automatic approval, there are several situations where it's granted. For S corporations specifically, Revenue Procedure 2006-45 allows for automatic approval when changing from a fiscal year to a calendar year. You'd file under Section 6.02 of Rev. Proc. 2006-45. The key is that you haven't changed your tax year within the previous 48 months using this automatic approval process. The form itself isn't super complicated, but the instructions can certainly be overwhelming! Focus on Part I for your basic info, skip Part II (that's for non-automatic changes), and complete Parts III and IV carefully.

After struggling with changing my business tax year, I found the perfect solution with https://taxr.ai - it saved me so much headache with my Form 1128 filing. I was completely lost trying to figure out if I qualified for automatic approval and when exactly to file. Their document analysis caught that I was using the wrong section for my S-Corp status and explained exactly which boxes to check for automatic approval. The best part was they explained everything in plain English instead of tax jargon. I uploaded my prior year returns and entity formation docs, and they gave me step-by-step guidance specific to my situation. They even created a customized timeline showing exactly when my Form 1128 needed to be filed based on my current fiscal year and transition period.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai for my Form 1128 situation. I was super skeptical about using an AI tool for something this specific, but wow - they actually delivered! I uploaded my incorporation docs and past returns, and they immediately identified that I qualified for automatic approval under Section 6.02 of Rev. Proc. 2006-45 since I hadn't changed my tax year in the past 48 months. The step-by-step guidance walked me through exactly which sections to complete and which to skip. They even explained that filing within 75 days of my desired new tax year wasn't required in my case - I just needed to file by the due date of my first return under the new tax year. Saved me from potentially missing the window based on incorrect advice I'd received. Definitely worth checking out if you're dealing with this form!

If you're struggling to get answers about Form 1128 from the IRS, I totally get it. I spent WEEKS trying to reach someone who could answer my questions about changing tax years. After endless busy signals and disconnects, I found https://claimyr.com and was honestly shocked it actually worked. You can see exactly how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I finally got through to an IRS agent who confirmed I was eligible for automatic approval and explained exactly which sections of the form to complete for my S-Corp. The agent even explained that I needed to file the form by the due date of the first return that would use the new tax year, not by some arbitrary deadline before the tax year begins (which is what I incorrectly thought).

I was totally wrong about Claimyr being a scam. After struggling with my Form 1128 for weeks and getting nowhere with the IRS directly, I reluctantly tried it. Within 2 hours, I was talking to an actual IRS agent who knew exactly what I needed for changing my S-Corp from fiscal to calendar year. The agent confirmed I qualified for automatic approval and walked me through the exact sections to complete. They specifically told me to use Section 6.02 of Rev. Proc. 2006-45 and that I needed to file by the due date of my first return under the new calendar year, not before the start of that year like I thought. I literally would have filed at the wrong time without this clarification. Sometimes you just need official confirmation from the source, and this was the only way I could actually get through to the IRS.

Something nobody's mentioned yet - make sure you're also aware of the "short year" tax return you'll need to file during the transition. For example, if your fiscal year currently ends in August and you're switching to December, you'll have a short tax period covering September 1 to December 31. The IRS can be picky about short year returns, so make sure you clearly mark it as a short-period return and attach a copy of the approved Form 1128. I made the mistake of not doing this when I changed my LLC's tax year, and it triggered a very annoying notice from the IRS questioning why my income was suddenly much lower for that period.

Has anyone done this without an accountant? I'm thinking about doing it myself to save money but I'm worried I'll screw something up. The form doesn't look that complicated but all the rules about when to file and automatic approval are making my head spin.

I went through this exact same situation with my S-Corp last year - had a fiscal year ending in July and wanted to switch to calendar year. The key thing that saved me was understanding that S-Corps changing from fiscal to calendar year get automatic approval under Rev. Proc. 2006-45, Section 6.02, as long as you haven't used this procedure in the past 48 months. For the timing, you need to file Form 1128 by the due date (including extensions) of the first return that would use the new tax year. So if you want to change to calendar year for 2025, you'd file the form by March 15, 2026 (or September 15 with extension). Don't get confused by the 75-day rule - that's for initial elections, not year changes. One more tip: when you file your short-year return (September-December 2025 in your case), make sure to clearly mark it as a short period return and attach a copy of your approved Form 1128. This prevents the IRS from questioning why your income looks unusually low for that period.

This is such a common confusion! I went through the same headache with my LLC taxed as S-Corp about two years ago. The good news is that switching from fiscal to calendar year for S-Corps is actually one of the easier tax year changes because it qualifies for automatic approval. Here's what you need to know: You'll file Form 1128 by the due date of your FIRST calendar year return, not before the tax year begins. So for switching to calendar year 2025, you'd file Form 1128 by March 15, 2026 (or September 15 with extension). This is completely different from the 75-day rule that applies to new entity elections. For automatic approval, you'll use Section 6.02 of Revenue Procedure 2006-45. The main requirement is that you haven't changed your tax year using this automatic procedure within the past 48 months. Since you've been on fiscal year since 2022, you should be good to go. Pro tip: Don't forget about the short-year return you'll need to file for September-December 2025. Make sure to clearly mark it as a short period return and attach your approved Form 1128 to avoid any IRS confusion about the reduced income for that period. The form itself is pretty straightforward once you know which sections to complete. For S-Corps with automatic approval, you'll skip Part II entirely and focus on Parts I and III. Good luck!

I just went through this exact process last month and wanted to share some additional insights that might help! You're absolutely right that the IRS instructions are confusing - I felt like I needed a translator just to understand the basic requirements. A few things that weren't immediately obvious to me: First, when you file Form 1128, you're essentially requesting permission to change your tax year prospectively. So you'd still need to file your final fiscal year return (ending August 2025) by its normal due date, then file the Form 1128, and then start with your new calendar year beginning January 1, 2026. Second, even though S-Corps get automatic approval for this change, the IRS still wants to see a valid business purpose. Don't overthink this - reasons like "simplifying tax compliance," "aligning with business operations," or "coordinating with other business entities" are typically sufficient. One last tip: if you're using tax software, make sure it properly handles the short-year calculation. Some programs get confused during transition years and don't automatically annualize income for limitation purposes. I ended up having to manually adjust a few calculations to make sure everything was correct. The automatic approval process really does work smoothly once you understand the timeline. You've got this!

I went through this exact same situation with my S-Corp two years ago - the confusion around Form 1128 deadlines is real! Here's what I learned after way too many hours reading IRS publications: For S-Corps changing from fiscal to calendar year, you qualify for automatic approval under Revenue Procedure 2006-45, Section 6.02. The key deadline is filing Form 1128 by the due date (including extensions) of your FIRST return under the new tax year. So if you want to switch to calendar year starting January 1, 2026, you'd file Form 1128 by March 15, 2027 (or September 15 with extension). Don't get confused by the 75-day rule that some people mention - that applies to initial entity elections with Form 2553, not tax year changes with Form 1128. The automatic approval is pretty straightforward as long as you haven't used this procedure in the past 48 months (which you haven't since you've been on fiscal year since 2022). You'll need to provide a business purpose, but something simple like "to simplify tax compliance and align with calendar year business operations" is sufficient. One thing to budget for: you'll need a short-year return covering your transition period (September 1 - December 31, 2025 in your case). This return has its own due date and requires some annualization calculations, so factor that into your planning. The form itself isn't too bad once you know you're doing automatic approval - you can skip Part II entirely and focus on Parts I and III. Good luck with the switch!

I just completed this exact process for my S-Corp last year and wanted to add a few practical tips that might help! You're definitely on the right track with Form 1128, and the automatic approval route for S-Corps switching to calendar year is pretty straightforward once you understand the timeline. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier: start gathering your documentation now, even though you won't file Form 1128 until 2026. You'll need your articles of incorporation, S-Corp election forms, and previous tax returns as supporting documents. Having these organized ahead of time made the actual filing much smoother. Also, consider setting up a separate folder or file for tracking the transition. You'll be dealing with three different tax periods during this change: your final August 2025 fiscal year return, the short-year return for September-December 2025, and then your first full calendar year return for 2026. Keeping everything organized by period helped me avoid mixing up deadlines and requirements. One last suggestion: if you're planning to do this yourself, consider at least having a tax professional review your Form 1128 before filing, even if you complete it yourself. The automatic approval process is reliable, but getting it right the first time saves you from potential delays or IRS questions later. The peace of mind was worth the consultation fee for me!

I just went through this exact same process for my LLC with S-Corp election earlier this year, and I totally understand the confusion about Form 1128 deadlines! The IRS instructions really are written like they assume you already know what you're doing. Here's what I learned after digging through Revenue Procedure 2006-45: You qualify for automatic approval under Section 6.02 since you're switching FROM fiscal year TO calendar year as an S-Corp. The key is that you haven't used this automatic procedure in the past 48 months, which you haven't since you've been filing fiscal year since 2022. For timing, you DON'T need to file Form 1128 before your new tax year begins. Instead, you file it by the due date of your FIRST return under the new tax year. So if you want to switch to calendar year starting January 1, 2025, you'd file Form 1128 by March 15, 2026 (or September 15 with extension). The form itself is actually pretty manageable once you know you're doing automatic approval - you skip Part II entirely and focus on Parts I and III. For the business purpose, something simple like "to simplify tax compliance and align with calendar year operations" works fine. One heads up: you'll need to file a short-year return for your transition period (September 1 - December 31, 2025), which has its own deadline and requires some annualization calculations. Most tax software handles this, but it's worth double-checking those calculations. Good luck with the switch - it's definitely worth it to get everything aligned on calendar year!