What is on the fiscal year calendar 2027
- Quarter colors
- Q1 January to March, Q2 April to June, Q3 July to September, Q4 October to December, each in its own tint so quarter boundaries are visible at a glance.
- Business days per quarter
- Weekdays minus federal holidays: 61 in Q1 2027, 63 in Q2, 64 in Q3 and 61 in Q4. Useful for daily sales targets and capacity planning.
- 4-4-5 periods
- Twelve periods of four, four and five weeks. Each period has a start date (Monday), an end date (Sunday), its length and its ISO week numbers.
- Close due
- When the books for each period should be closed. Most companies aim for three to five business days after the period ends.
- Revenue and expense variance
- Actual against target for each quarter, calculated in Excel, with profit, the full-year total, the margin to date and the revenue still needed to reach the annual target.
Calendar year or fiscal year
Most US small businesses use the calendar year as their fiscal year which keeps taxes simple: the year ends December 31 and the quarters end on March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31. Others pick a fiscal year that ends after their busy season, so the year-end inventory count and close happen when things are quiet. Retailers often end the year in late January or early February, after the holidays; schools and many nonprofits end on June 30; the US federal government ends on September 30. Whatever the choice, the quarters follow from the year end, and so do the dates for board reporting, estimated taxes (for corporations) and audits.
How a 4-4-5 calendar works
A 4-4-5 calendar divides the year into four quarters of 13 weeks, and each quarter into periods of four, four and five weeks. Every period starts on the same weekday and ends on the same weekday, so period 3 of this year can be compared with period 3 of last year with exactly the same number of Mondays, Saturdays and weekends in each. That matters in retail, restaurants and manufacturing, where sales and output depend heavily on the day of the week. Calendar months don't offer that: March 2027 has five Mondays and February has four. The cost is that 52 weeks is only 364 days, so the year slips a day or two each year and an extra week has to be added roughly every five or six years. The 2027 sheet here starts on Monday January 4, the first day of ISO week 1, and ends on Sunday January 2, 2028. Variants include 4-5-4 (used by the National Retail Federation calendar) and 5-4-4; the dates are the same idea with the long period in a different place.
Planning the year by quarter
The quarterly planner turns the annual budget into four checkpoints. Set the revenue target and the expense budget for each quarter, using last year's seasonal pattern rather than dividing by four. After each quarter closes, enter the actuals. The Excel version shows the variance on both lines, the profit for the quarter and the year, the margin to date and how much revenue the rest of the year has to produce. List the projects that the budget pays for underneath, with an owner and a status, so the conversation at each quarterly review is about specific work rather than percentages. For the full profit and loss by line item, use the profit and loss worksheet; for timing of cash, the cash flow planner.
Key dates around a fiscal year
- Period and quarter close: books closed and reconciled, typically within five business days.
- Board or owner reporting: usually three to four weeks after quarter end.
- Estimated taxes: for calendar-year corporations the 15th of April, June, September and December; for individuals April, June, September and January. See the 2027 tax deadlines calendar.
- Budget season: often starting three to four months before year end, with approval in the last month.
- Audit and year-end count: in the first weeks after year end.
Editing the files
The Excel 4-4-5 sheet has the dates typed in; change the pattern by editing the weeks column and the dates. The quarterly planner calculates variances, profit, margin and the gap to target; blanks stay blank until you enter actuals. In Word the quarter calendar and tables are editable, so you can change the quarter colors or move to a fiscal year that starts in another month. ODT and ODS versions open in LibreOffice and Google Sheets.
Questions
What are the 2027 quarter dates?
Q1 is January 1 to March 31, Q2 is April 1 to June 30, Q3 is July 1 to September 30 and Q4 is October 1 to December 31, 2027 for a calendar fiscal year.
How many business days are in each quarter of 2027?
Counting weekdays and excluding federal holidays: 61 in Q1, 63 in Q2, 64 in Q3 and 61 in Q4, 249 in the year.
What is a 4-4-5 calendar?
A fiscal calendar that splits each 13-week quarter into periods of 4, 4 and 5 weeks, so every period ends on the same weekday and periods are comparable year to year. It's common in retail and manufacturing.
When does a 4-4-5 year need a 53rd week?
Every five or six years, because 52 weeks is one day short of a year (two in a leap year). The extra week is usually added to the last period.
Does the PDF calculate variances?
No. The fillable PDF is for typing. The Excel and ODS versions calculate variances, profit, margin and the revenue still needed.
