What is a fiscal year?

A fiscal year is the 12-month period a government or company uses for budgeting and accounting. It does not have to match the calendar year; many governments run April to March or July to June.

Why does the UK government year differ from the tax year?

The UK central government financial year runs 1 April to 31 March, but the personal income tax year for individuals runs 6 April to 5 April. This split is a historical artefact of the old Lady Day calendar adjustments.

Which countries use the calendar year?

Most of Europe, China, Russia, Brazil, and much of the Middle East align the fiscal year with the calendar year, 1 January to 31 December. This table flags those rows in the note column.

Why do Iran and Nepal have unusual start dates?

They base the fiscal year on non-Gregorian calendars. Iran starts on 1 Farvardin (around 21 March) in the Solar Hijri calendar, and Nepal runs mid-July to mid-July under the Bikram Sambat calendar.

Does the US fiscal year match the tax year?

No. The US federal government fiscal year runs 1 October to 30 September, while the individual income tax year is the calendar year. FY2026, for example, covers October 2025 through September 2026.

Fiscal Year by Country

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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.