The practical answer
PBJ submissions are due 45 calendar days after each quarter ends. CMS lists the recurring dates as February 14, May 15, August 14, and November 14, with a cutoff of 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Plan for validation and corrections before that cutoff. CMS deadline schedule; policy manual §1.2.
Find your PBJ deadline
Loading the date picker. You can also use the deadline tables below.
PBJ deadlines in 2026 and 2027
The table lists submission deadlines in each calendar year. Match the dates of care to the federal fiscal quarter before choosing a filing.
| Care provided | Federal fiscal quarter | Due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern |
|---|---|---|
| October–December 2025 | Q1 2026 | February 14, 2026 |
| January–March 2026 | Q2 2026 | May 15, 2026 |
| April–June 2026 | Q3 2026 | August 14, 2026 |
| July–September 2026 | Q4 2026 | November 14, 2026 |
| October–December 2026 | Q1 2027 | February 14, 2027 |
| January–March 2027 | Q2 2027 | May 15, 2027 |
| April–June 2027 | Q3 2027 | August 14, 2027 |
| July–September 2027 | Q4 2027 | November 14, 2027 |
Derived from the CMS recurring deadline schedule. Weekend dates stay in the table; check CMS for any announced change instead of assuming an extension.
Download the free PBJ source-register template (CSV). Open it in Excel and assign an owner, coverage dates, and a received-file check to each source. This is an EasyPBJ planning worksheet, not a CMS submission file. No signup is needed.
Which reporting period goes with each deadline?
Use the federal fiscal quarter when naming your filing. October through December is Q1 of the following fiscal year. A payroll system’s calendar-quarter label may be different.
| Federal fiscal quarter | Dates of care reported | Submission due |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | October 1–December 31 | February 14 of the following calendar year |
| Q2 | January 1–March 31 | May 15 |
| Q3 | April 1–June 30 | August 14 |
| Q4 | July 1–September 30 | November 14 |
Source: CMS reporting-period table. These are calendar dates; do not assume a weekend moves the deadline.
Worked example: July–September 2026 is federal fiscal Q4 2026, due November 14, 2026. October–December 2026 is federal fiscal Q1 2027, due February 14, 2027.
Build a buffer into the filing schedule
The schedule below is a planning suggestion for your team, not an additional CMS rule. Assign a named owner to each milestone so a missing agency file or an absent reviewer does not become a last-day surprise.
- During the quarter: maintain a list of payroll periods, agencies, contract sources, and employee ID changes.
- After the quarter closes: collect the final source files and confirm which work dates each file covers.
- Before your internal review date: reconcile totals, investigate gaps, and document exclusions and adjustments.
- Several business days before the deadline: export the approved revision and have an authorized user submit it in iQIES.
- Before closing the filing: examine the validation report, correct rejections, and compare the accepted CMS records with your intended records.
Keep a backup submitter who can access the same facility. Check that person’s access early rather than sharing a login when the primary submitter is unavailable.
A complete quarter starts with complete source coverage
Make a source register with one row per payroll period or agency delivery. Record its owner, expected dates, received file, and control total. Mark missing information as unresolved instead of treating it as zero hours.
Reconcile by employee and work date as well as by the grand total. Two files can have the same total while assigning hours to different people or dates. If a period crosses the quarter boundary, document how you separated the dates.
Use the PBJ review checklist to prepare the reviewer’s questions, then follow the iQIES submission guide to keep the exported file and CMS result connected.
What if the deadline is close or already passed?
Establish exactly what was submitted, when, and which records were accepted. Preserve the source files, submission identifier, validation report, and correction history. An exported file on your computer is not evidence that CMS received it.
Check the latest CMS instructions and contact the appropriate CMS help channel for your situation. Do not assume a newer upload option changes whether a filing was timely. EasyPBJ cannot grant extensions or guarantee acceptance.
Official sources
Prepared with AI assistance using the CMS materials below and EasyPBJ’s filing workflow. Check CMS for later updates; facility-specific decisions require your team’s review. EasyPBJ is independent software and is not endorsed by CMS.
- CMS: Staffing Data Submission — PBJ
Deadline table and September 11, 2026 policy-manual and FAQ update. Checked September 14, 2026.
- CMS PBJ Policy Manual, version 2.8
August 2026 edition, posted September 11. CMS describes iQIES updates and clarifications without changes to PBJ policies. Checked September 14, 2026.
Put the checklist to work.
Prepare and review your quarter in EasyPBJ free. Downloads are free up to 25 employees per facility per quarter; larger quarters are $149 every three months. Import payroll, review the details, and prepare your filing package.
Want a professional second check? Add a $49 PBJ consultant review for one facility’s quarterly filing, written findings, and one follow-up check of corrections. Your team confirms timing and payment with us before the review starts.