Date Calculator for Working Days: Federal Offices vs Banks
US federal offices and the Federal Reserve do not close on the same days. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, federal offices close the Friday before, but Federal Reserve Banks and the ACH system stay open. Pick the calendar that matches your deadline.
The days the two calendars disagree (2026–2027)
| Date | Why | Federal offices | Federal Reserve / ACH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 2026-07-03 | Independence Day, July 4 is a Saturday | Closed | Open |
| Fri 2027-06-18 | Juneteenth, June 19 is a Saturday | Closed | Open |
| Fri 2027-12-24 | Christmas, December 25 is a Saturday | Closed | Open |
| Fri 2027-12-31 | New Year's Day 2028 is a Saturday | Closed | Open |
| Mon 2027-07-05 | Independence Day, July 4 is a Sunday | Closed | Closed (Sunday holidays move to Monday for both) |
How far apart the two calendars land
| Period | Federal offices | Federal Reserve / ACH | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full year 2026 | 250 | 251 | 1 |
| Full year 2027 | 249 | 252 | 3 |
| 29 Jun – 10 Jul 2026 | 9 | 10 | 1 |
| June 2027 | 21 | 22 | 1 |
| December 2027 | 21 | 23 | 2 |
2027 has only 249 federal working days because New Year's Day 2028 is observed on Friday 31 December 2027. Banks count that Friday as a normal day, which is how the gap reaches 3.
Same start, different answer
| Start | Add | Federal offices | Federal Reserve / ACH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 2026-07-02 | 1 | Mon 2026-07-06 | Fri 2026-07-03 |
| Thu 2026-07-02 | 3 | Wed 2026-07-08 | Tue 2026-07-07 |
| Thu 2027-06-17 | 1 | Mon 2027-06-21 | Fri 2027-06-18 |
| Thu 2027-12-23 | 1 | Mon 2027-12-27 | Fri 2027-12-24 |
| Thu 2027-12-30 | 1 | Mon 2028-01-03 | Fri 2027-12-31 |
Which calendar to use
- Federal offices (OPM): government filing deadlines, federal agency response times, and contracts that define business days by the federal holiday schedule.
- Federal Reserve / ACH: when an ACH payment, direct deposit or wire settles between banks. FedACH processing on Independence Day 2026 does not stop until 11:30 p.m. ET on Friday 3 July, so 3 July is a normal settlement day.
- If a contract or a bank's terms define “business day” themselves, that definition wins over both.
ACH and direct deposit timing
ACH files settle on Federal Reserve business days. On the four dates in the first table, the ACH system runs as usual even though federal offices are closed:
- A payroll file with next-day settlement sent on Thursday 2 July 2026 settles on Friday 3 July, not Monday 6 July. A payday of Friday 3 July can be met.
- Counting “3 business days” for an ACH payment from Thursday 2 July 2026 lands on Tuesday 7 July. A federal-office count lands on Wednesday 8 July, one day late.
One caution: on those Fridays it is the Federal Reserve and its payment systems that are open. Whether your own bank's branches and call centers open is the bank's decision, and some close. When the funds appear in an account also depends on the receiving bank.
Questions
Is Friday 3 July 2026 a bank holiday?
Not for the Federal Reserve. Independence Day falls on Saturday 4 July 2026, and Federal Reserve Banks stay open on the Friday before a Saturday holiday. Federal offices are closed that Friday.
Do banks close on Columbus Day and Veterans Day?
The Federal Reserve does, on all 11 federal holidays. Some commercial banks open their branches anyway.
What happens when a holiday falls on a Sunday?
Both calendars move it to Monday. On Monday 5 July 2027 federal offices and Federal Reserve Banks are both closed.
Why does my spreadsheet give a different number?
Spreadsheet holiday lists usually follow the federal-office calendar. For a bank count, leave the Saturday holidays out of the list. See working days between two dates in Excel and Google Sheets.
Sources: Federal Reserve Financial Services holiday schedules (FedCash and FedACH, 2026–2030) and the US federal holiday rules in 5 U.S.C. 6103. All counts were produced with the calculator above.