Budgets and Budget vs Actual

Budgets in CountServa let you set a planned annual figure for each income, cost of sales and expense account, then compare it with your real results in the Budget vs Actual report. A budget is a reporting overlay only: it never posts to the ledger and never changes your books. It is used by owners, finance managers and accountants for yearly planning and monthly variance reviews.

Before You Start

• You need the Accounting module. Create or Edit lets you save a budget, Void lets you delete one, and Approve lets you lock or unlock it.
• Your chart of accounts should be final for the year, since budgets are entered per account. See Chart of Accounts and Journals.

Budgets are under Accounting > Budgets, in the Planning section of the sidebar.

Create a Budget

1. Go to Accounting > Budgets and press New Budget.
2. Enter a Name, for example FY2026 Operating Budget.
3. Enter the Financial Year (between 2000 and 2100). Budget vs Actual compares the targets with that year's real figures.
4. Add a Note if useful (optional).
5. In the table, type the Annual Amount for each account. Only income, cost of sales and expense accounts are listed. Leave an account blank if you do not budget for it.
6. Press Save Budget.

Edit, Lock or Delete a Budget

1. Open Accounting > Budgets.
2. Click the budget name, or the Edit Budget icon, to change figures, then press Save Budget.
3. Press Lock to freeze an approved budget. A Locked badge appears; hover over it to see the date it was frozen.
4. Press Unlock if a revision is genuinely required.
5. To delete, open the budget and press Delete, then confirm.

A locked budget cannot be edited or deleted until it is unlocked. Locking keeps the approved plan fixed so variances are measured against what the board agreed.

Budget List Reference

Run Budget vs Actual

1. Go to Reports > Budget vs Actual, or press the Budget vs Actual icon on a budget row.
2. Choose the Budget, then set From and To.
3. Press Run. Use Print / PDF for a copy.

Report Columns

The report totals Total Revenue, Total Cost & Expenses and Net Result (Profit / (Loss)).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a Budget Change My Accounts?

No. Budgets are only for comparison and never post to the ledger.

Why Are Balance Sheet Accounts Missing From the Budget Form?

Only profit and loss accounts (income, cost of sales and expense) can be budgeted.

Why Can I Not Edit My Budget?

It is locked. Press Unlock on the budget list first. This needs the Approve right on Accounting.

Can I Have More Than One Budget for a Year?

Yes. You can keep, for example, an original and a revised budget, and pick which one to run in Budget vs Actual.

Related Guides

• Financial Reports
• Period-End, MFRS and Planning Tools
• Chart of Accounts and Journals
• Users, Roles and the User Portal