Cash flow forecast for the Australian financial year
Twelve months from July to June, with every closing balance carried forward as the next month opening balance automatically. Built around the payments that actually catch small businesses out — BAS, super, PAYG and a quiet month with a public holiday in it.
Cash flow forecast template
Excel (.xlsx) · 12 months · no signup
General information only, not tax or accounting advice.
This template is general information for Australian businesses. GST treatment, account coding, reporting obligations and deduction eligibility depend on your circumstances — confirm them with your accountant, a registered BAS agent or the ATO. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.
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What's in the cash flow forecast
One sheet, twelve months, and a closing balance you can act on.
July to June
The Australian financial year. A forecast starting in January makes your year-end and BAS timing harder to read.
Cash in
Cash sales, debtor receipts, other income and owner contributions — separated because they behave differently.
Cash out
Fourteen payment lines including the ones people forget: GST payable on BAS, PAYG withholding and superannuation guarantee.
Net movement
Total in less total out, per month and for the year.
Closing balance chain
Each month closing balance becomes the next month opening balance by formula. Change one month and the whole year re-forecasts.
Frozen panes
Line labels stay visible as you scroll across twelve months of columns.
The month that catches people out
A business that looks comfortable in October, forecast honestly.
| Sep | Oct | Nov | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening balance | $24,000 | $28,500 | $9,300 |
| Total cash in | $86,000 | $88,000 | $84,000 |
| Wages & super | $47,000 | $48,000 | $47,000 |
| GST payable on BAS | — | $21,200 | — |
| Other payments | $34,500 | $38,000 | $35,000 |
| Closing balance | $28,500 | $9,300 | $11,300 |
Nothing went wrong in October. The quarterly BAS simply fell due, and a business forecasting on average months would not have seen it coming. That is the entire argument for forecasting quarterly obligations by the month they are actually paid.
Cash is not profit
A profitable business can run out of money, and plenty do. These are the gaps that cause it.
Timing
Profit records a sale when you invoice it. Cash records it when the money lands. On 30-day terms that is a month of difference, every month.
Quarterly obligations
GST, PAYG instalments and superannuation are not monthly, so an average-month forecast never shows them. They are the classic cause of a surprise overdraft.
Leave taken in a quiet month
Annual leave is paid whether or not the revenue is there. A team taking leave in your slowest month is a cash event you can forecast well in advance.
Growth consumes cash
Growing businesses fund wages and stock before customers pay. Growth makes a cash flow problem more likely, not less.
Wages are the line to get right
For a shift-based business, wages are both the largest payment and the most variable. A forecast built on an average week will understate any month containing a public holiday, a peak trading period or a roster that ran hot.
If you can forecast wages accurately, you can forecast cash. Live wage costing on the roster is what makes that a number rather than a guess.
Who needs a cash flow forecast
Any business with seasonal trade
Hospitality, retail and tourism all have months that fund other months. The forecast is how you know which.
Bookkeepers advising clients
A forecast is the report that turns bookkeeping into advice, and it is the one clients actually act on.
Anyone approaching a lender
A 12-month forecast is usually the first document requested, and building it in a hurry shows.
Do you build cash flow forecasts for clients?
The wages line is the hardest one to forecast and the largest one to get wrong — penalty rates, casual loading and public holidays all move it. Advisors who bring shift-based clients onto RosterElf earn recurring monthly income for every employee managed.
Recurring monthly income
$1.00–$2.00 per active employee
Signup bonus
$100 per new client business
Tiered rates
Bronze through Diamond
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Learn moreCash flow forecast questions
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A projection of money actually moving in and out of your bank account over a period — usually twelve months — showing the closing balance you can expect each month.
It is not a profit forecast. It deliberately ignores when you earned something and looks only at when the cash arrives or leaves.
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A budget forecasts revenue and expenses — profit. A cash flow forecast tracks bank movements — liquidity.
They answer different questions. A budget tells you whether the business model works. A forecast tells you whether you can make payroll in November. Use the business budget template alongside this one.
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Twelve months is the standard, and it is what a lender will ask for. But the accuracy is in the first three.
Update it monthly with actuals so the near months stay sharp. A forecast built once and never revisited becomes a document rather than a tool.
Before you download
General information only — not legal advice
This document is a general HR template provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and may not reflect the latest changes in legislation or apply to every workplace situation. RosterElf Pty Ltd and the template provider accept no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this document. Users should seek independent legal advice and customise the template to ensure it complies with all relevant laws, awards and workplace requirements.