The S-Corp Time Machine: You Haven't Missed the 2025 Tax Deadline (Yet)

Part 1 of 3: The S-Corp Tax Survival Guide

The Calendar Just Lied to You

January 2nd arrives, and you're sitting at your desk with that sinking feeling. You know the one.

Your accountant mentioned something about retirement contributions at your last meeting. You nodded enthusiastically. You meant to handle it. But then Q4 happened, the holidays happened, and now it's 2026 and December 31st is officially in the rearview mirror.

Game over, right? Another year, another missed tax-saving opportunity?

Wrong.

If you're an S-Corp owner, I'm about to introduce you to what I like to call the "SECURE Act Time Machine." And spoiler alert: You haven't actually missed anything. Yet.

The December 31st Myth (And Why It's Costing You Money)

Here's what most business owners believe: If you want to reduce your 2025 tax bill with retirement plan contributions, you had to set everything up by December 31st, 2025. Fund it, file it, finish it. Done.

That rule? It applies to employees making salary deferrals into their 401(k)s: the money they voluntarily take out of their paycheck. That ship sailed on New Year's Eve.

But here's the thing most S-Corp owners don't realize: Employer profit-sharing contributions follow completely different rules. And those rules just got a major upgrade thanks to the SECURE Act.

The short version: As an S-Corp owner, you can adopt a retirement plan and fund a profit-sharing contribution for 2025 all the way up until your business tax return deadline: including extensions.

Let that sink in for a second.

Welcome to the Time Machine: How the SECURE Act Rewrote the Playbook

The SECURE Act 1.0 (specifically Section 201, for the tax nerds in the room) changed the adoption deadline for retirement plans. Previously, businesses had to have plans established by December 31st to claim deductions for that tax year, even if they funded them later.

Now? The deadline to adopt and fund is your tax filing deadline.

For S-Corps, that's March 15th. But here's where it gets even better: If you file a tax extension (Form 7004), that deadline moves all the way to September 15th.

Translation: You have months: not days: to make a move that could save you tens of thousands of dollars in 2025 taxes. Even though we're already in February 2026.

Mind. Blown. 🤯

Why S-Corp Owners Have the Ultimate Tax Advantage

Let's talk about why this is particularly powerful for S-Corp owners.

Most S-Corp owners pay themselves a "reasonable salary" (the IRS's favorite phrase) and take the rest of their compensation as distributions. Those distributions avoid the 15.3% self-employment tax, which is great: but they also don't create much room for retirement contributions through traditional salary deferrals.

That's where profit-sharing comes in.

Profit-sharing contributions are made by the company, not the employee. They're discretionary, flexible, and: here's the kicker: they can be up to 25% of compensation for owners. That's a massive deduction that hits your corporate return, lowering your taxable income and potentially dropping you into a lower tax bracket.

And with the Time Machine rules, you can decide right now how much profit-sharing to contribute for 2025, even though that tax year is technically "closed."

It's like getting a do-over on your tax strategy. Except it's 100% legal and IRS-approved.

The Real Deadline (Hint: It's Not What You Think)

So when do you actually need to act?

For calendar-year S-Corps, the standard filing deadline is March 15th. But since March 15, 2026 falls on a Sunday, the actual deadline is Monday, March 16, 2026. That gives you about 25 days from today.

"Wait, Michele: I thought you said we had until September?"

We do. If you file for an extension.

Here's how it works:

• No extension? You must adopt the plan and fund the profit-sharing contribution by March 16, 2026.
• Filing an extension? Both the adoption and the funding deadline move to September 15, 2026.

The key detail: You need to file Form 7004 (the extension request) by March 16th to buy yourself that extra six months. Miss that, and the Time Machine shuts down.

Why This Isn't Just About Taxes (It's About Strategy)

Let's be real: Most business owners don't wake up excited about retirement plans. They're complicated, they're expensive to administer, and they feel like one more thing on an already endless to-do list.

But here's what profit-sharing inside a plan like Castle Rock PEP actually does for you:

• Massive corporate tax deduction for 2025 (even though we're in 2026)
• Flexible contribution amounts: you decide how much based on cash flow
• No messy compliance headaches: we handle the paperwork, testing, and IRS filings
• Builds real wealth for you and your family while Uncle Sam picks up part of the tab

Think of it this way: Every dollar you contribute to profit-sharing is a dollar that doesn't get taxed at your ordinary income rate. If you're in the 35% federal bracket (plus state taxes), you're essentially getting a 40%+ discount on building your retirement savings.

That's not just smart tax planning. That's playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers.

The Cliffhanger: There's a Clock You Need to Know About

Now, before you close this tab and go back to your regularly scheduled February chaos, here's the catch.

While the door is still wide open for 2025 profit-sharing contributions, there is a specific clock ticking. And depending on your situation, that clock might be louder than you think.

The March 16th deadline matters: even if you're planning to file an extension. Why? Because there are strategic moves you can make before that date that give you more options, more control, and potentially even bigger tax savings.

In Part 2 of this series (dropping tomorrow), we're going to break down:

• The difference between profit-sharing and matching (and why one is way better for S-Corp owners)
• How to "stop the clock" and buy yourself maximum flexibility
• The math behind how much you can actually contribute (and save)

If you've ever felt like you're playing tax strategy on hard mode while everyone else has the cheat codes, Part 2 is your unlock.

Your Next Move

Here's the bottom line: If you're an S-Corp owner who's been kicking yourself for "missing" the December 31st deadline, take a breath. The Time Machine is real, and it's still running.

But the clock is ticking. Whether your deadline is March 16th or September 15th, now is the time to act.

Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow, where we'll dive into the profit-sharing vs. matching showdown and show you exactly how to maximize your 2025 tax savings: even in February 2026.

Want to talk through your specific situation before the deadline hits? Schedule a PEP Talk with our team: we're here to make sure you don't leave money on the table.

Coming up in this series:

• Part 2: The IRS Handshake: Why Profit-Sharing Beats Matching for S-Corp Owners
• Part 3: The September 15th Escape Hatch (And How Castle Rock PEP Makes It Easy)

Simplifying retirement for all. One plan. Every business.