45+ Sample Annual Budgets

What Is an Annual Budget?

An annual budget details an organization’s projected income and expenses for the coming year. The process of developing an annual budget entails balancing a company’s sources of revenue against its expenditures. In many cases, especially for non-individuals, an annual budget comes with a balance sheet and cash flow statement. Individuals, companies, agencies, governments, and other kinds of organizations that need to manage and track their financial activity use annual budgets. Annual budgets are balanced when projected expenses equate to projected revenues. There is a gap if the costs exceed its revenues, and it is in surplus if its earnings exceed its expenses. Annual budgets cover either a fiscal or a calendar year. These budgets aid organizations and businesses in planning for the coming year and making the required modifications to achieve financial objectives. Annual budgets support individuals in managing their finances better. Annual budgets are critical and frequently mandated for effective planning for corporations, governments, and other organizations in terms of sources of revenue and financial needs, liabilities, and equity to support operations over one year; and cash flows used for reinvestment, financial planning, or contingent purposes.

According to the United States Census Burea’s Annual Capital Expenditures Survey, between the years 2011 to 2020, the total spending of United States nonfarm organizations amounts to $463.5 billion or 37.3 percent from $1243 billion in 2011 to $1706.4 billion in 2020.

Components of an Annual Budget

An annual budget is a vital planning tool and document for different industries and organizations to guarantee their operations, projects, and activities for the fiscal year. As such, businesses must construct an annual budget that contains all the relevant information to process and implement the following year’s activities and company projects. When an organization understands its obligations and opportunities, it sets itself up for better objectives and priorities for long-term relationships with stakeholders, clients, and consumers while making better hiring and onboarding decisions. The contents of the annual budget depend on how large the allocated budget is and the number of programs and activities the business lines up. The section below covers the different components of an annual budget and a brief description of each.

Projected expenses: The projected expenses section of the annual budget represents the amount of money a company expects to consume during a fiscal year. Salaries, office expenses, and so on are all examples of projected expenses. Industries perform several steps necessary to arrive at an accurate estimate of a business’s projected expenses. The first step is to compile a list of the company’s requirements and activities for the upcoming fiscal year. Organizations can refer to trends from previous years to help them stay on track. Compile a list of expenses the company needs to perform daily business activities. It also becomes advantageous to list any financial commitments for the company. Finally, create a list of the items its needs to purchase for the business that it cannot afford in the coming year. Add up all of the expenses to create a budget guideline.Projected income: The projected income represents the amount of money an organization anticipates producing in the upcoming fiscal year. Revenue and any earnings from grant funding, contracts, agreements, funding sources, memberships, subscriptions, and sales are all part of the projected income. A company must perform several processes to achieve the business’s projected income. The first step is to decide how much money the organization expects to make from revenues. Next, figure out how much the business is expecting to generate from service fees. Finally, calculate the income the company anticipates from fundraising, investment opportunities, and memberships. Sum up these figures together to determine the projected revenue for the fiscal year.Interaction of expenses and revenue: The interaction of expenses and income section of the annual budget to keep track of any monetary value and transactions for a specific activity, product, item, or position by a funder. It lists what items have funds, wherein the funder agrees to provide money. An organization and its funders must set restrictions when it comes to funding to guarantee that an institution spends the money according to the agreement and the curated list between the entity and its funder. It is to guarantee that there are no surprises that come with budgeting and accounting later on.Adjustments to reflect reality: Entities must remember to budget for emergencies and unforeseen transactions. Furthermore, keep in mind that the annual budget starts as an estimate and requires necessary adjustments throughout the year to become more accurate. To do so, arrange all figures or statements in a logical sequence to enable an organization to accurately identify total expenses to total income. Adhere as close as possible to the expenditure budget since the possibility of a budget surplus can appear until the end of the fiscal year.

How To Prepare an Annual Budget for an Organization

When working on a company’s annual budget, there are various things to consider, including the company’s priorities for the following fiscal year and what benefits the company for specific stages of the organization’s growth and development. It takes an organization-wide budget planning procedure to incorporate the projected income and expenses for an organization to plan for its annual budget. Develop an annual budget for the company by following the steps below.

1. Review the Company’s Profit and Loss Statement in a Useful Format

Begin the annual budget planning process by examining the profit and loss statements from the past two years, removing all unusual and unexpected expenses, including one-time revenue. Average the numbers from the previous two years’ profit and loss statements, then modify them for increasing expenses during the year. Make any changes necessary to take into account variances in operating profits, one-time investments, market trends, and revenue the company foresees in the coming year. Consider how changes in one area impact others. Construct a spreadsheet detailing all the information to make it easier for the organization to list all the funding sources and expense categories. Using Excel spreadsheets enables companies and individuals to assign funds to their proper categories to see how much money is available for an expense category.

2. Take a Closer Look at Company Expenses

After gaining a general idea of the company’s revenue and expenses for the year, consider looking at the company expenses further. Several of the company’s expenses are fixed costs, including business insurance, rent, leases, and other services and facilities that the company uses daily. Take a closer look into the current rates the company disposes of to check if the company can negotiate more favorable terms and conditions on insurance or other services. The organization must also consider employee compensation, which must be equivalent to the company’s revenue and profitability. Take into consideration whether the company still requires the need to hire and how hiring affects and influences other areas of the budget. An organization also accounts for the level of experience the company requires an applicant to have to optimize their roles and functions.

3. Examine and Derive All the Company’s Capital Expenditures

The organization must also account for capital expenditures such as new computers, machinery, furniture, and other items for the company. If the company is in the process of hiring new employees, for example, they require resources and other equipment to fulfill their jobs properly and efficiently. Consider the list of equipment and supplies the company needs to buy for new hires. Take into account any facilities the company needs to acquire or update in to produce a specific product or service. Consider how the company investment affects the company output. While it is tempting to postpone major investments, the decision affects delivery timing, product quality, and output, all of which have a significant impact on revenue over time.

4. Calculate the Business’ Cash Flow for the Year

Cash flow refers to the amount of cash that goes in and out of a company. Businesses earn money from sales and spend cash on expenses. They also receive revenue from interest, investments, royalties, and licensing agreements, including selling products on credit with the expectation of receiving the money owed in the future. Financial reporting seeks to evaluate the sums, timeframe, and uncertainty of cash flows, as well as where they arise and where they go. It is critical for determining a bank’s profitability, adaptability, and overall financial performance. Positive cash flow indicates that a company’s liquid assets continue to rise, allowing it to cover liabilities, reinvest in its company, return money to shareholders, cover expenses, and provide a buffer for future financial problems.

5. Input and Store the Budget in the Finance System

Businesses can evaluate their monthly revenue and expenditures by dividing the annual budget to represent the 12 months of a year. When the company reviews its monthly financial statements, make a comparison with the funding to acquire a better sense of the differences in the projections. It helps the company to keep expenses under control while also creating a more precise annual budget in the future.

FAQs

Why are annual budgets important?

Businesses must construct their annual budgets to encourage and allow them to set their priorities, objectives, and spending limits, enabling the business to track their finances for long-term planning.

Who sets an annual budget?

When talking about the budget for the United States of America, the entity responsible for setting the annual budget is Congress through spending and tax decisions using various legislative actions.

What is the purpose of constructing a budget?

A budget plan enables an organization to plan how it can spend its money monthly, to guarantee that it does not run out of funds to continue daily business operations and processes while keeping money stored for emergencies.

An annual budget is an essential planning tool for different organizations, especially those that are planning to expand their operations or are starting to make a name for themselves in the industry. Annual budgets require a company to look back on their previous years’ spending to make an accurate representation of an annual budget for the following fiscal year. Organizations must consider constructing the annual budget with the help of different department heads to guarantee each division gets the necessary funding. Craft an annual budget for the organization by browsing through our collection of annual budget samples to help construct an efficient document, only from Sample.net.