FiscalGrid

Guides for budget planners and accountants

Reference articles on how fiscal years work, why countries differ, and how to map fiscal calendars onto real-world reporting cycles. Each guide is written for finance and operations practitioners who already know what a journal entry is.

What Is a Fiscal Year?

A plain-language definition of fiscal year and why governments and companies pick non-calendar boundaries.

The 4-4-5 Retail Calendar

How retail chains and their suppliers split a fiscal year into 4-week, 4-week, 5-week monthly periods.

The US Federal Fiscal Year

October 1 to September 30: history, naming convention, and what FY versus CY means in federal contracting.

Fiscal Quarter Conventions

Q1 of a non-calendar fiscal year is not the same as Q1 of the calendar year. Here is what each quarter means.

How US Federal Pay Periods Work

26 biweekly pay periods per year, anchored to the OPM-published schedule. How payday is computed and what happens at year-end.

Budget Cycle vs Fiscal Year

A budget cycle starts six to twelve months before the fiscal year. Here is how the two clocks interact.

Fiscal Year vs Tax Year

The fiscal year is the company's operating calendar; the tax year is what the revenue authority cares about. They may or may not match.

Closing the Books at Year-End

A practical timeline for a clean year-end close, anchored to fiscal months FM10 through FM12 and FM1 of the new year.

How to Print a Monthly Template

Browser print settings that produce a clean black-and-white monthly grid suitable for posting on a wall or photocopying.

Why Fiscal Years Differ Across Countries

Historical, agricultural, and legislative reasons behind the patchwork of national fiscal year start dates.

Mapping Holidays to Fiscal Months

A holiday on July 4 falls in fiscal month FM10 for the US federal calendar, not FM7. Here is why that matters.

ISO Week vs Fiscal Week

ISO 8601 weeks start on Monday; US retail fiscal weeks start on Sunday. They diverge by one day and produce different week numbers.