• A quarter is a three-month period in a company’s financial calendar that serves as the basis for periodic financial reports and dividend payments.

  • A quarter refers to one quarter of a year and is usually expressed as the first quarter for the first quarter, etc., and can also be expressed as a year, such as Q1 2021 (or Q121).
  • Quarterly reports (known as 10-Q reports by the SEC) and earnings are important information for investors and analysts.
  • The IRS also has quarterly reporting requirements, including quarterly estimated tax payments for certain taxpayers.
  • While useful for organizing financial information and comparing it with previous quarterly periods, opponents of quarters point to additional costs and reporting burdens.