Due dates & deadlines
Every engagement has a due date — the date the work needs to be done by. For tax engagements this is the IRS filing deadline (or extension deadline if filed). For bookkeeping it’s the end of the next month. For audits it’s whatever the firm and the client agreed in the engagement letter.
Where the due date comes from
When you create an engagement, the due date defaults based on the engagement type:
| Engagement type | Default due date |
|---|---|
| Form 1040 (individual) | Apr 15 of the year after the tax year (for example, 2025 tax year → Apr 15, 2026). |
| Form 1040 with extension | Oct 15. Assure Pro shifts to the extended deadline when you toggle Extended on the engagement. |
| Form 1120 (C-corp) | Apr 15 (calendar year), or 15th day of the 4th month after fiscal year end. |
| Form 1120-S (S-corp) | Mar 15 (calendar year), or 15th day of the 3rd month after fiscal year end. |
| Form 1065 (partnership) | Mar 15 (calendar year), or 15th day of the 3rd month after fiscal year end. |
| Form 1041 (trust / estate) | Apr 15 (calendar year), or 15th day of the 4th month after fiscal year end. |
| Form 990 (nonprofit) | 15th day of the 5th month after fiscal year end. May 15 for calendar-year nonprofits. |
| Form 941 (quarterly payroll) | Last day of the month following the quarter end (Apr 30, Jul 31, Oct 31, Jan 31). |
| Form 940 (annual FUTA) | Jan 31. |
| Form 5500 (employee benefit plan) | 7 months after plan year end (Jul 31 for calendar-year plans). |
| Monthly Bookkeeping | End of the next month (so March 2026 bookkeeping is due Apr 30, 2026). |
You can override the default at create time or any later time from the engagement detail page.
Setting a due date
| Where | How |
|---|---|
| Create dialog | The Due date field defaults from the engagement type. Pick a different date from the picker if needed. |
| Engagement detail header | Click the due-date pill, pick a new date. |
| In bulk | Table view → select engagements → bulk action bar → Set due date. |
How due dates look on cards
Throughout the app, due dates show as colored pills:
| Color | When |
|---|---|
| Grey | Due in more than 30 days. |
| Black / text | Due in 14 to 30 days. |
| Orange | Due in 7 to 14 days. |
| Red | Due in 7 days or less. |
| Red with strike | Past due. |
For engagements in Completed status, the pill shows the original due date in muted grey without a color treatment.
How due dates affect priority
When a due date crosses the 14-day threshold, Assure Pro automatically bumps the engagement’s priority from Medium to High. When it crosses the 3-day threshold, Assure Pro bumps to Urgent. This is configurable:
- Settings → Workflow → Auto-priority — toggle on or off and adjust thresholds.
Manual priority changes win over auto — once you set Urgent manually, it doesn’t downgrade.
Filing an extension
For Form 1040, 1120, 1065, and 1041 engagements, the engagement detail header has an Extension toggle:
- Toggle on → due date shifts to the extended deadline (Oct 15 for 1040; Sep 15 for 1120-S, 1065; etc.).
- Assure Pro creates a Form 4868 (or 7004 / 8868 depending on entity) sub-engagement automatically if your firm’s pipeline has a “Filed extension” task. (You file the extension in your tax software, then mark the task complete.)
- Toggle off → due date reverts to the original deadline.
Where you see deadlines
| Surface | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Workflow page → kanban | Due-date pill on every card. |
| Workflow page → table | Sortable due-date column. |
| Workflow page → calendar | Engagements positioned by due date on a monthly calendar. |
| Calendar page | Same calendar view, but includes tasks too. |
| Engagement detail header | The due-date pill, with extension toggle. |
| Client detail → Engagements tab | Sortable due-date column. |
| AI morning brief (dashboard home) | Surfaces engagements due in 7 days or less at the top. |
| Reminder emails to clients | Reference the engagement’s deadline. |
Filtering by deadline
The workflow filters include a Due date picker with built-in ranges:
- Due today
- Due this week
- Due next week
- Due in 30 days
- Overdue
- Custom range (date picker)
Combine with the priority filter for triage views: “Show me everything due this week with priority High or higher”.
Save the filter as a saved view — for example, “Apr 15 watchlist” for the two weeks before the deadline.
Notifications around deadlines
By default, Assure Pro notifies the engagement’s preparer and reviewer when:
- The due date is 14 days away.
- The due date is 7 days away.
- The due date is 1 day away.
- The engagement is overdue (daily notification until resolved).
Configure per-user at Settings → Notifications → Deadline notifications. Configure per-firm at Settings → Workflow → Deadline notifications.
How time zones work
Due dates are interpreted in the firm’s primary time zone (set during Firm setup). “Apr 15” means Apr 15 in your firm’s time zone — not midnight UTC.
For clients in other time zones, the displayed due date stays in the firm’s time zone. The client-facing emails localize to the client’s time zone where it matters (for example, “Please sign by 5 PM on Apr 14 in your time zone”).
Common patterns
Working backwards from the deadline
A typical firm targets to file 7 to 10 days before the IRS deadline to allow buffer for amendments or e-file rejection. Set internal target dates (separate from due dates) per stage in the Pipeline builder — In prep should complete by D-10, In review by D-5, Awaiting signature by D-2.
Tracking when extensions were filed
Toggle the Extension indicator on the engagement. Assure Pro records when the toggle was flipped, what the new deadline is, and surfaces the extension status on the card.
Handling pre-filed-extension complexity
Some firms file extensions in March or April even before the engagement is “in prep” — to make sure the safety net exists. Workflow:
- Create the engagement on the regular pipeline (Form 1040).
- Mark it Extended as soon as you’ve filed the 4868 — the deadline shifts to Oct 15.
- Continue work through the regular stages, just with more time.
Next
- Calendar — deadline-driven view.
- Priorities & statuses — how due-date proximity affects priority.
- Custom pipelines — defining stage target dates relative to due date.