Understanding Your Federal Tax Timeline

5 min read Updated Jun 1, 2025

Overview

Your federal tax timeline gives you a clear view of where your tax filing stands at every stage of the process. The timeline dynamically updates its status, key dates, and action items so you always know what to do next. Even if your business had no revenue or profit, the IRS still requires certain filings to be submitted.

Before You Begin

Before You Begin
  • You must have an active StartGlobal account with a registered company.
  • Navigate to your dashboard and locate the Accounting section (the Federal Tax tab is selected by default).
  • Familiarize yourself with the six accounting tabs: Federal Tax, Books, Transactions, Analytics, E-commerce Connections, and Sales Tax Dashboard.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Open the Federal Tax tab.

    What to do: From your dashboard, click Accounting in the sidebar. The Federal Tax tab loads by default.

    What you will see

    A timeline card whose header changes based on your current filing status.

  2. Review your current filing status.

    What to do: Look at the card header at the top of the timeline.

    What you will see

    The header reflects your current stage:

    • "Federal Tax Filing" -- Filing has been initiated.
    • "Preparing Filing Estimate" -- Our team is preparing your cost estimate.
    • "Ready to Start Filing" -- An estimate is ready and payment is pending.
    • Additional statuses appear as your filing progresses through preparation, review, and submission.

  3. Check due dates and status badges.

    What to do: Look below the card header for date and badge indicators.

    What you will see

    Due dates displayed as "Due on [date]" or "Overdue since [date]" if the deadline has passed. Status badges such as "In progress", "Under Review", or "Needs Attention" indicate what action is required.

  4. Review key dates in the timeline.

    What to do: Scroll down through the timeline section of the card.

    What you will see

    Four key milestone dates:

    • Processing Time -- When your filing preparation begins.
    • Bookkeeping Deadline -- The cutoff for finalizing your books.
    • Submission Deadline -- When your filing must be submitted internally.
    • Filing Deadline -- The IRS deadline for your return.

  5. Take action on a completed filing.

    What to do: Once your filing is complete, look for download options on the card.

    What you will see

    A "Successfully completed" status with the message "Your federal tax was successfully filed in {year}" and Download buttons for your filed documents.

  6. Report an external filing (if applicable).

    What to do: If you filed your taxes independently, click the "I've already filed my taxes independently" link at the bottom of the timeline card.

    What you will see

    A confirmation dialog asking you to verify that you have already filed. Confirm to update your timeline status accordingly.

What Happens Next

  • Once your filing moves through each stage, the timeline updates automatically.
  • When the filing reaches the "Successfully completed" status, you can download copies of your filed return.
  • If any stage requires your input, the status badge will change to "Needs Attention" and you will receive a notification.

Frequently Asked Questions

Troubleshooting

Timeline card is not loading

Refresh your browser and ensure you are on the Federal Tax tab under Accounting. If the issue persists, clear your browser cache and try again.

Status badge shows "Needs Attention" but I don't know what to do

Click the card to expand details. Look for any pending questionnaires, missing documents, or outstanding payments.

Due date shows "Overdue" but I already submitted documents

Contact your assigned tax expert or reach out to StartGlobal support for a status update.

Need more help?

Our support team is available to help you with any questions about your StartGlobal account.

Contact Support