Startup Finance Calendar: Key Deadlines
Written by Aparna Devalla, CPA
Curated by Rubric Financial
1 / 4
Monthly Obligations
- Close your books within 10-15 business days of month-end (best-in-class teams close by day 5-7), reconciling all bank accounts, credit cards, and loan balances to zero variance.
- Deposit federal payroll taxes (FICA, federal income tax withholding) semi-weekly or monthly depending on your deposit schedule as determined by Form 941 lookback rules.
- Review accounts receivable aging and follow up on invoices over 30 days. Cash collection is just as important as revenue recognition.
- Reconcile your cap table to your general ledger equity accounts to catch any discrepancies from new grants, exercises, or terminations.
Related Resources
The Income Tax Provision Under ASC 740
An overview of the ASC 740 income tax provision, covering deferred tax assets and liabilities, valuation allowances, and why unprofitable startups still record a provision.
Tax & ComplianceQualified Small Business Stock (QSBS)
How Section 1202 allows startup shareholders to exclude millions in capital gains from federal tax, how the 2025 OBBBA changed the rules, and what your company must do to qualify.
Tax & ComplianceSection 754 Election: Step-Up Basis for Partnerships (and Why S-Corps Can't)
The §754 election is the mechanism that lets partnerships and LLCs step up the inside basis of their assets when a partner dies, transfers their interest, or takes a distribution. S-corps have no equivalent, a real cost founders often discover too late.
Related tools and reading
Do I Need a CFO? Quiz
A 2-minute self-assessment: bookkeeper, fractional CFO, or full-time hire.
InsightStartup CFO Digest: Week 32, August 2026
This week's funding and operational metrics paint a picture of an ecosystem bifurcating between AI-driven growth narratives and capital-intensive infrastructure plays, while fractional finance support is becoming table stakes for early-stage operations. We're flagging the metrics and trends that should shape your financial strategy and fundraising positioning over the next quarter.
GlossarySection 83(b) Election Deadline
30 calendar days from the date restricted stock is issued, with no extensions and no exceptions.
Free tool2026 Tax Compliance Calendar
Federal, state, franchise, and local 2026 filing deadlines.
InsightStartup CFO Digest: Week 31, August 2026
This week's digest focuses on the uncomfortable truths of startup finance: how dilution silently destroys founder returns, why growth incentives corrupt judgment, and how capital structure decisions ripple through your entire financial life. We're also seeing strong capital availability at the Series B/C stage and consolidation activity that rewards disciplined cost management. Make your moves while the window is open.
GlossaryForm 1120 (C-corp Return)
Annual income tax return for C-corporations. Due April 15 (or 15th day of 4th month after fiscal year end) for calendar-year filers.
Want a CPA to own this?
Deadlines tracked, estimates filed, and multi-state compliance handled across all 50 states, with CPA sign-off.
No spam, ever. If the download doesn't start, email us.
Or talk it through: