Friday, October 2, 2026 is in Q4, the fourth calendar quarter of 2026, which runs from October 1 to December 31. In the US federal government’s fiscal calendar, the same day is in Q1 of fiscal year 2027, which began on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
“What quarter are we in?” has two answers whenever a company or agency doesn’t run its year from January to December. Calendar quarters are fixed; fiscal quarters depend on when the organization’s year starts. This guide gives the calendar quarter dates, the quarter-end dates for 2026 and 2027, working days per quarter, how fiscal years work (with the federal one as the main example) and the spreadsheet formulas for both.
Calendar quarters and their dates
| Quarter | Months | Dates | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | January, February, March | January 1 – March 31 | 90 (91 in a leap year) |
| Q2 | April, May, June | April 1 – June 30 | 91 |
| Q3 | July, August, September | July 1 – September 30 | 92 |
| Q4 | October, November, December | October 1 – December 31 | 92 |
Quarters aren’t equal: Q1 is the shortest because of February, and Q3 and Q4 are the longest. That matters when you compare quarterly sales or hours, since a 92-day quarter has two more days to fill than a 90-day one. See the current quarter and how much of it is left on the quarter calculator.
Quarter-end dates for 2026 and 2027
| Quarter | 2026 ends | 2027 ends |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Tuesday, March 31, 2026 | Wednesday, March 31, 2027 |
| Q2 | Tuesday, June 30, 2026 | Wednesday, June 30, 2027 |
| Q3 | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Thursday, September 30, 2027 |
| Q4 | Thursday, December 31, 2026 | Friday, December 31, 2027 |
From Friday, October 2, 2026, there are 91 days left in Q4 2026, counting today, or exactly 13 weeks. The 2026 quarters page and the 2027 quarters page show the dates of every quarter in each year.
Quarters are also a quick way to read how far through the year you are. October 2, 2026 is day 275 of 365, so three quarters of the year have passed and about 75% of it is behind you. The year progress bar shows the exact percentage for today.
Working days in each quarter
For deadlines and capacity planning, the number of weekdays matters more than the number of days. The working-day figures below subtract the US federal holidays observed on weekdays, so your own number will differ if your employer’s holidays differ.
| Quarter | 2026 weekdays | 2026 working days | 2027 weekdays | 2027 working days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 64 | 61 | 64 | 61 |
| Q2 | 65 | 63 | 65 | 63 |
| Q3 | 66 | 64 | 66 | 64 |
| Q4 | 66 | 62 | 66 | 61 |
| Year | 261 | 250 | 261 | 249 |
Q4 has the most holidays, with Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, so it has the fewest working days for its length. In 2027, Q4 also carries December 31, the observed day for New Year’s Day 2028. For a month-by-month breakdown, see our guide to working days in 2027.
What a fiscal year is
A fiscal year is any 12-month accounting year an organization uses for budgets and reports. The IRS lets a business use either a calendar year or a fiscal tax year, which it defines as 12 consecutive months ending on the last day of any month except December. A third option, the 52-53-week tax year, varies from 52 to 53 weeks and doesn’t have to end on the last day of a month.
Fiscal quarters work the same way as calendar quarters: the year is split into four three-month blocks, counted from the first month of the fiscal year. Companies choose their own fiscal year, so the only reliable way to know a company’s quarters is its annual report or investor calendar.
The US federal fiscal year
By law, the federal fiscal year begins on October 1 and ends on September 30 of the following year (31 U.S.C. 1102). It’s named after the calendar year in which it ends, so fiscal year 2027 runs from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027.
| Federal quarter | FY2027 dates |
|---|---|
| Q1 | October 1 – December 31, 2026 |
| Q2 | January 1 – March 31, 2027 |
| Q3 | April 1 – June 30, 2027 |
| Q4 | July 1 – September 30, 2027 |
So when a federal agency talks about “Q1 FY2027”, it means the same months a calendar-year business calls “Q4 2026”. State and local governments set their own fiscal years, so check the budget office of the one you’re dealing with.
Quarter formulas for spreadsheets
With a date in A1, these work in Excel and Google Sheets:
- Calendar quarter:
=ROUNDUP(MONTH(A1)/3,0)returns 1 to 4. For October 2, 2026 it returns 4. - Label:
="Q"&ROUNDUP(MONTH(A1)/3,0)&" "&YEAR(A1)returns “Q4 2026”. - Fiscal quarter for a year that starts in October:
=ROUNDUP((MOD(MONTH(A1)-10,12)+1)/3,0). For October 2, 2026 it returns 1. Change the 10 to the fiscal year’s first month (7 for July, 4 for April). This relies on Excel’s MOD returning a result with the same sign as the divisor, so January gives 4 rather than a negative number. - End of the current quarter:
=EOMONTH(A1,MOD(3-MONTH(A1),3)), formatted as a date, returns the last day of the quarter: December 31, 2026 for October 2, 2026.
To count working days to a quarter end, use NETWORKDAYS with a holiday list, or the business days calculator, which skips US federal holidays for you.
Frequently asked questions
What quarter are we in right now?
On October 2, 2026 we’re in Q4 of 2026, which runs from October 1 to December 31. For the federal government it’s Q1 of fiscal year 2027.
When does Q1 2027 start and end?
Calendar Q1 2027 runs from Friday, January 1 to Wednesday, March 31, 2027, which is 90 days. Federal Q1 of FY2027 ran from October 1 to December 31, 2026.
When does the federal fiscal year start?
October 1. Fiscal year 2027 started on October 1, 2026 and ends on September 30, 2027.
How many days are in a quarter?
90 to 92. Q1 has 90 days (91 in a leap year), Q2 has 91, and Q3 and Q4 have 92 each.
What months are in Q3?
For a calendar year, July, August and September. For the federal fiscal year, Q3 is April, May and June.