Fiscal Years

Fiscal Years define your church's accounting periods. They determine the date ranges used for financial reporting and budgeting.

Accessing Fiscal Years

Navigate to Stewardship > Setup & Configuration > Fiscal Years in the sidebar.

What is a Fiscal Year?

A fiscal year is the 12-month period your church uses for financial accounting. It doesn't have to match the calendar year. Common church fiscal years include:

  • Calendar Year -- January 1 to December 31

  • July Fiscal Year -- July 1 to June 30

  • October Fiscal Year -- October 1 to September 30

Fiscal Year List

View all fiscal years with:

  • Fiscal Year Name (e.g., "FY 2026", "2025-2026")

  • Start Date and End Date

  • Status (Open, Closed)

Creating a Fiscal Year

  1. Click Add Fiscal Year or Create New.

  2. Fill in:

    • Name -- A descriptive name (e.g., "FY 2026")

    • Start Date -- First day of the fiscal year

    • End Date -- Last day of the fiscal year

  3. Click Save.

Managing Fiscal Years

Closing a Fiscal Year

When a fiscal year ends:

  1. Ensure all transactions for the period have been recorded.

  2. Run and review financial reports (Trial Balance, Income Statement, Balance Sheet).

  3. Make any necessary adjustments.

  4. Close the fiscal year -- This prevents further modifications to that period's transactions.

Important: Closing a fiscal year is typically irreversible. Make sure all entries are finalized before closing.

Opening a New Year

Create a new fiscal year before the current one ends so you can begin recording transactions for the new period.

Best Practices

  • Create fiscal years in advance -- Have the next year set up before the current one ends

  • Don't leave gaps -- Ensure fiscal years are consecutive with no missing periods

  • Close years promptly -- Close the prior year once all entries are finalized

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