WHAT THE TAX?!!
Is budgeting and cashflow forecasting necessary for businesses?
It is recommended that every business prepares an annual Budget and Cashflow Forecast.
Analyse previous year's performance to prepare budgets
When preparing a budget, you should firstly analyse the previous financial year's performance. What you need to consider is whether you propose to increase turnover during the forthcoming 12 months, whether you will employ the same number of staff or increase your staff and what other events are likely to occur in the next 12 months.
Detailed consideration to all aspects of the business
This will require you to give detailed consideration to a number of separate areas, including:
• Sales
• Production Forecasts
• Labour Productivity Budgets
• Gross Profit Percentages that you believe are achievable Investments in Stock
• Investment in Debtors
• The payment of Creditors
• Key expenses such as advertising, wages and salaries, rents and superannuation contributions.
Cashflow forecast
In preparing the Cashflow Forecast you should have regard to:
• Loan Repayments
• Taxation Payments
• GST Payments
• Income tax instalments
• Any Capital Expenditure that you wish to undertake
• Any funds (dividends) that you wish to withdraw from the business.
Blueprint for the next twelve months
The whole concept of preparing a Budget and Cashflow Forecast is to prepare a blueprint for what you would like to see your business achieve during the next 12 months.
Budgeting should highlight potential troublespots
If you are realistic in your estimates, then the forecast should highlight any potential troublespots during the year, eg you may be going to experience a shortage of funds from the payment of income tax in March or from stock build-ups in November for Christmas trading. There could also be other times during the year when you anticipate problems due to seasonal conditions.
Measure actual performance against Budgets/Cashflow Forecast
You will then have Budgets and Cashflow Forecasts against which to measure your actual performance during the year, so as to determine whether you are on track in your business performance.
Budgets help you get a clear indication of where you are
No one expects you to be able to actually achieve budget estimates in every segment of the business. That is a virtual impossibility. What the budget does give you is a blueprint against which to measure your actual performance. This will give you a clear indication as to where you actually stand on current day-to-day trading as compared to your expectations at the beginning of the year when the budget was prepared.
Budgets give businesses a better chance of success
There is no doubt that the businesses which prepare Budgets and Cashflow Forecasts and compare this to their actual performance, give themselves a far greater chance of business survival.
Information sourced using CCH iknow
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