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See which months your cash runs short, before they arrive.
A 12-month, April-to-March cash forecast built around how money actually moves in a manufacturing or trading business, including GST, advance tax instalments, EMIs and CC/OD interest. Edit any figure and the flags update.
All figures in ₹ lakh. Calculations run in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
Months that close below the minimum buffer are marked tight. Blue figures are editable. Enter payments as positive numbers. The example is illustrative, not a benchmark.
Month-end cash
Dashed line: minimum buffer. Bars below the axis are shortfalls that would need to be met from the CC/OD line or fresh funds.
How it is worked out
| Line | Formula | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Net cash flow | Total receipts − total payments | For each month, on a cash basis. |
| Closing cash | Opening cash + net cash flow | Closing cash becomes next month's opening. |
| Status | Shortfall if closing < 0; tight if closing < buffer; otherwise OK | Status is shown in words as well as colour. |
This is a direct cash forecast: it records money when it moves, not when it is invoiced or accrued. Enter collections in the month you expect to receive them, which for most B2B sellers is one to three months after the invoice. The same applies to supplier payments.
The India-specific lines
The rows are chosen for how cash actually moves in an Indian manufacturing or trading business.
- GST, net payment. Output tax less eligible input tax credit, paid in cash with the return. For monthly GSTR-3B filers this falls in the month after the supply. Only ITC reflected in your GSTR-2B can be relied on; see the GST reconciliation checklist.
- Advance tax and TDS. Advance tax is paid in four instalments due on 15 June, 15 September, 15 December and 15 March, cumulatively 15%, 45%, 75% and 100% of the estimated liability for most taxpayers. The example places them in those months. TDS deducted from others is deposited monthly.
- Term-loan EMI and CC/OD interest. Kept separate because the EMI is contractual and fixed, while CC/OD interest moves with utilisation.
- Capex and drawings. One-off payments that most often push a month into shortfall. In the example, the July machinery payment and the September advance tax instalment are what make those months tight.
Sources and references
- Advance tax instalment schedule: Income-tax Department, e-filing portal (incometax.gov.in). Confirm the dates and percentages for the relevant tax year and your category of assessee.
- Input tax credit conditions: Section 16(2)(aa), Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (credit only where the supplier's invoice is communicated to the recipient, in practice through GSTR-2B).
Other free tools
- Working capital calculatorHow many days your cash stays locked in stock and debtors
- Overdraft cost calculatorThe all-in cost of your CC/OD line, not just the rate
- GST reconciliation checklistMonthly GSTR-2B and IMS close, with an ITC-at-risk estimate
- CMA data templateThe ratios and MPBF your bank will compute from your CMA
Want these numbers read against your own books?
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