Business Quarter Calculator
Enter any date and find out which quarter it falls in, including start and end dates and how far through the quarter you are.
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This tool tells you which business quarter a date falls in, with support for fiscal years that do not start in January.
Not every company runs on the calendar year. UK fiscal year starts in April, US federal fiscal year starts in October, Australian financial year starts in July. This tool lets you set the fiscal year start month so the quarter labels actually match your reporting structure.
How we work it out
Quarters are divided into four equal three-month blocks starting from the fiscal year start month. Q1 is the first three months of the fiscal year, Q2 the next three, and so on. The progress bar shows how far through the current quarter the selected date is.
How it's worked out
- Count the months since your financial year started. A date in the starting month is 0 months in.
- Divide that by 3, round down and add 1. That is the quarter.
- A quarter starts on the first day of its first month and ends on the last day of its third month.
With a financial year that starts in April, 15 August is 4 months in. 4 divided by 3 rounds down to 1, and 1 plus 1 is Q2. Q2 runs from 1 July to 30 September.
Quarters by financial year start
| Financial year starts in | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Jan to Mar | Apr to Jun | Jul to Sep | Oct to Dec |
| April | Apr to Jun | Jul to Sep | Oct to Dec | Jan to Mar |
| July | Jul to Sep | Oct to Dec | Jan to Mar | Apr to Jun |
| October | Oct to Dec | Jan to Mar | Apr to Jun | Jul to Sep |
January is the calendar year. April is common in the UK and in some other countries, July in parts of Australia, and October in some companies and in the US federal government.
Common mistakes
- Assuming everyone's year starts in January. Many companies' financial years do not.
- Mixing up calendar quarters and financial quarters.
- Forgetting the quarters are not the same length, so it is not exactly 25% of the year.
Questions
What is the default fiscal year start?
January, which means Q1 is January to March. If your company uses a different fiscal year, change the start month and the quarters will update automatically.
What does the FY label mean?
For non-January fiscal years, the label shows FY followed by the year the fiscal year started and the last two digits of when it ends. For example, FY2024/25 means the fiscal year started in 2024 and ends in 2025.
How long is a quarter?
Three months. A quarter can be 90 to 92 days long, depending on which months it covers and whether it is a leap year.
Is a financial year the same as a calendar year?
Not always. A calendar year runs January to December, but a company can start its financial year in any month, which moves where each quarter begins.
End of quarter push. Take five.