How to number fiscal year?

joeu2004 · Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 28

Is a fiscal year numbered by the year of the first month or by the
year
of the last month of the FY?

Is this standard throughout the US? Throughout the world?

For the US, is mandated by law or regulation? If so, which one?

In the US 2007 budget, "fiscal year" is defined by this example [1]:
"fiscal year 2007 begins on October 1, 2006, and ends on September
30, 2007".

But I don't know how widespread that usage is.

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[1] http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2007/budget.html

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Archived from group: misc>taxes>moderated

Paul Thomas, CPA · Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 3094

"joeu2004" wrote
> Is a fiscal year numbered by the year of the first
> month or by the year of the last month of the FY?

For tax returns - in the US - use the form year that the first buisness day
falls in. So a fiscal year corporation with a year starting in September
2006 and ending in August 2007 files a 2006 tax return.

For financials you use the wording on the title page that the reports are
"for the year ending August 31, 2007" or on a balance sheet, "as of August
31, 2007"

> Is this standard throughout the US?

Pretty much.

> Throughout the world?

I suspect they would appreciate information that is not misleading.

> For the US, is mandated by law or regulation? If so, which one?

Generally AICPA rules, common practice, and possibly other governing bodies.

If it's not obvious from the title of the report, read the body to determine
what period it covers.

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Paultry · Joined: 11 Feb 2008 Posts: 10

pleasedontemailme@dot.com wrote:
> On Fri, 22 Feb 2008 10:23:00 EST, joeu2004
> wrote:
>
>> Is a fiscal year numbered by the year of the first month or by the
>> year of the last month of the FY?
>
>> Is this standard throughout the US? Throughout the world?
>
>
> It is customary for businesses using a fiscal year to call it by the
> ending year. For example, if the fiscal year begins on October 1,
> 2006 and ends September 30, 2007 that would be fiscal year 2007.
>

In this example, in IRS speak, this would be fiscal year
month (FYM) 09, and tax period 200709. But corporate and
partnership income tax reporting would be done via a 2006
return.

(Not to be confused with the Form 2290 heavy highway use tax
period beginning July 1, 2006 and ending June 30, 2007,
which IRS would call tax period 200607.)

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D. Stussy · Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 126

"Paultry" wrote in message@centurytel.net...
> pleasedontemailme@dot.com wrote:
> > On Fri, 22 Feb 2008 10:23:00 EST, joeu2004 wrote:
> >> Is a fiscal year numbered by the year of the first month or by the
> >> year of the last month of the FY?
> >
> >> Is this standard throughout the US? Throughout the world?
> >
> > It is customary for businesses using a fiscal year to call it by the
> > ending year. For example, if the fiscal year begins on October 1,
> > 2006 and ends September 30, 2007 that would be fiscal year 2007.
>
> In this example, in IRS speak, this would be fiscal year
> month (FYM) 09, and tax period 200709. But corporate and
> partnership income tax reporting would be done via a 2006
> return.

In other words, the IRS uses the year in which the fiscal year starts and
the month in which the fiscal year ends. They jsut have to be different.

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