Fiscal year by country
A fiscal year is the annual period a government uses for its budget and public accounts, and it frequently differs from the 1 January calendar year. Knowing the right start and end dates matters for reporting deadlines, budget cycles, and aligning financial data across borders. This reference lists the government fiscal year for countries around the world and flags where the personal tax year differs.
How it works
There are three dominant patterns. Many countries simply use the calendar year (1 January to 31 December). A large group of Commonwealth and Asian states use an April-to-March year, including the UK, India, Japan, Canada, and South Africa. A third group runs July to June, including Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Egypt. The United States is the notable outlier with an October-to-September federal year.
Some countries base the year on a non-Gregorian calendar, so the Gregorian start date drifts slightly year to year — Iran’s 1 Farvardin lands around 21 March, and Ethiopia’s Hamle 1 around 8 July.
Tips and notes
- The government fiscal year is not always the same as the corporate tax year or the personal income tax year — check the note column.
- A fiscal year is usually named by the calendar year it ends in (UK, Australia) or the year it covers most of (US FY2026 = Oct 2025 to Sep 2026). Always state the convention when sharing data.
- Saudi Arabia, Ireland, and Costa Rica are examples of countries that switched their fiscal year in recent decades, so older records may use a different cycle.
The four dominant global patterns
Most fiscal years worldwide fall into one of four calendar templates. Understanding which pattern a country follows immediately tells you its budget cycle and reporting season:
| Pattern | Start | End | Major countries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calendar year | 1 January | 31 December | Most of Europe, China, Russia, Brazil, most of Middle East |
| April–March | 1 April | 31 March | UK, India, Japan, Canada, South Africa, Hong Kong |
| July–June | 1 July | 30 June | Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Egypt, Kenya |
| October–September | 1 October | 30 September | United States (federal) |
Naming conventions and why they matter
How a fiscal year is labeled varies and can cause confusion when comparing data:
- UK and Australia: The year is usually named by the calendar year it ends in. “FY2026” for the UK covers 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. Australian “FY2026” covers 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.
- United States: “FY2026” covers 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026. The year name matches where most of the fiscal year falls.
- India: The convention is to write it as the spanning pair — FY 2025–26 covers April 2025 to March 2026.
- Japan: Japan uses both the Western year and its imperial era system. Reiwa 7 (R7) = FY2025 for most government purposes.
When building financial models or reading international reports, always confirm the exact dates a labeled “FY” period covers — the same label can span different months in different countries.
Government versus corporate versus personal tax year
The government (budget) fiscal year is not always the year used for corporate filings or personal income tax:
- United Kingdom: Government financial year runs 1 April to 31 March. Personal income tax year runs 6 April to 5 April — a quirk inherited from the calendar reform of 1752.
- United States: The federal government uses October–September; individual and most corporate income tax is calendar-year.
- Australia: The income tax year for individuals and most companies follows the government July–June fiscal year, making Australia relatively consistent.
The note column in this tool flags the most common splits between government and personal tax year for countries where they diverge significantly.