Budgeted accounting reports (VCE Accounting Unit 4)
“Preparing a Budgeted Income Statement, Budgeted Cash Flow Statement and Budgeted Balance Sheet for a trading business and explaining the role of budgeting in planning and decision-making”
Budgeted reports are forecasts of future performance, position and cash flow. The Budgeted Income Statement predicts profit on an accrual basis, the Budgeted Cash Flow Statement predicts cash movements, and the Budgeted Balance Sheet predicts position. They let the owner plan, set targets and identify cash shortfalls before they happen.
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What this dot point is asking
VCAA wants you to prepare budgeted accounting reports and explain how budgeting supports planning and decision-making. Budgets are the forward-looking counterpart to the historical reports prepared in Unit 3.
Why businesses budget
Budgeting is the process of preparing financial reports for a future period based on expected transactions. A budget sets out planned revenues, expenses, cash flows and balances so that performance can be planned and later compared against actual results.
Budgeting supports several functions:
- Planning: setting realistic targets for sales, expenses and profit.
- Control: providing a benchmark to compare actual results against.
- Decision-making: testing the financial effect of strategies before committing.
- Liquidity management: forecasting cash so shortfalls can be funded in advance.
The Budgeted Income Statement
The Budgeted Income Statement forecasts profit on an accrual basis. It starts with budgeted sales, deducts budgeted cost of sales to give budgeted gross profit, then deducts budgeted expenses to give budgeted net profit. Because it is accrual based, it includes non-cash items such as depreciation and credit sales not yet received.
The Budgeted Cash Flow Statement
The Budgeted Cash Flow Statement forecasts cash inflows and outflows, classified into operating, investing and financing activities. It only includes cash items. Credit sales are recognised when the cash is expected to be received, not when the sale is made, so timing matters.
Budgeted net profit and budgeted net cash flow differ for the same reasons actual profit and cash differ: credit sales, credit purchases, depreciation, loans and capital all separate the two. A profitable budget can still forecast a cash shortfall.
The Budgeted Balance Sheet
The Budgeted Balance Sheet forecasts the financial position at the end of the budget period. Closing balances of cash, receivables, payables, inventory, non-current assets and owner's equity are predicted using the opening balances plus the budgeted activity.
Scenario
For the coming month, a business expects: receipts from cash sales of 18,000 dollars, receipts from accounts receivable of 9,000 dollars, payments to accounts payable of 11,000 dollars, wages of 6,000 dollars and a loan repayment of 2,000 dollars. The opening bank balance is 4,000 dollars.
Operating cash flows
Operating inflows = cash sales 18,000 plus receipts from receivables 9,000 = 27,000 dollars. Operating outflows = payables 11,000 plus wages 6,000 = 17,000 dollars. Net operating cash flow = 27,000 minus 17,000 = 10,000 dollars.
Financing cash flows
Financing outflow = loan repayment 2,000 dollars. Net financing cash flow = minus 2,000 dollars.
Net change and closing bank
Net change in cash = 10,000 minus 2,000 = 8,000 dollars. Closing bank = opening 4,000 plus 8,000 = 12,000 dollars.
Check
The forecast closing bank of 12,000 dollars is positive, so the budget shows no cash shortfall this month. If it had been negative, the owner could arrange an overdraft or delay a payment in advance.
Using budgets for decision-making
Budgets let an owner model the financial effect of alternative strategies before acting. For example, the owner can forecast the profit and cash effect of offering a discount to lift sales volume, or of changing a supplier. Comparing budgeted reports under different assumptions supports informed, evidence-based decisions and reduces the risk of running out of cash.
A budget is only as reliable as its assumptions. Forecasts based on past trends, market research and known commitments are more dependable than optimistic guesses. Budgets should be reviewed and revised as conditions change.
Students often record the full sale as a cash inflow in the month of the sale. In the Budgeted Cash Flow Statement, credit sales appear only when the cash is forecast to be received, which may be a later month. Recording them too early overstates forecast cash and can hide a coming shortfall.
Exam-style questions
Questions in the style of VCAA exam questions on this dot point, each with a worked answer. They are written by ExamExplained unless tagged "Past paper"; the year shows the paper a question is modelled on.
2022 VCAA-style5 marksWallis Shoes had Capital of $320 000 at 30 June 2022 and budgeted Capital of $500 000 at 30 June 2023. Budgeted Net Profit for the year ending 30 June 2023 is $178 000. In September 2022 the owner will contribute $40 000 cash and a vehicle with a fair value of $30 000. Reconstruct the Capital account to determine the budgeted cash drawings for the year ending 30 June 2023.Show worked answer →
Capital increases with profit and contributions and decreases with drawings. Solve for drawings as the balancing figure.
Capital account (credit side): Opening Balance $320 000, Net Profit $178 000, Capital contribution $40 000 cash + $30 000 vehicle = $70 000.
Debit side: Drawings (balancing figure) and closing Balance c/d $500 000.
320 000 + 178 000 + 70 000 = 568 000. Less closing balance 500 000 leaves Drawings = $68 000.
Marks: opening balance and net profit on the credit side, the $70 000 contribution (including the non-cash vehicle), the $500 000 closing balance, and the $68 000 drawings figure.
2022 VCAA-style4 marksPrepare the Financing Activities section of the Budgeted Cash Flow Statement (extract) for the year ending 30 June 2023. A new loan for $60 000 will be taken out in August 2022, loan repayments will be made during the year, the owner will contribute $40 000 cash and a vehicle with a fair value of $30 000 in September 2022, and budgeted cash drawings are $68 000. Total Loans rise from $40 000 to $85 000.Show worked answer →
Financing activities show only cash flows with owners and lenders. Exclude the non-cash vehicle and exclude interest (an operating flow).
Loan repayment: loans go from $40 000 to $85 000, a rise of $45 000, but $60 000 was newly borrowed, so repayments = 60 000 - 45 000 = $15 000 (outflow).
Financing Activities:
Capital contribution (cash only) +$40 000
Loan (new borrowing) +$60 000
Loan repayment ($15 000)
Drawings ($68 000)
Net Cash Flow from Financing Activities = +$17 000.
Marks: cash contribution of $40 000 (vehicle excluded), $60 000 borrowing, $15 000 repayment, and $68 000 drawings as an outflow.
2025 VCAA-style2 marksThe business has recently changed from budgeting on a quarterly basis to budgeting on a monthly basis. Explain one potential advantage of this change.Show worked answer →
For 2 marks, state one advantage and explain the benefit for planning or control.
Budgeting monthly gives more frequent and timely information, so the business can compare budgeted with actual figures every month rather than waiting three months.
The benefit: problems such as a cash shortfall or an unfavourable variance are identified and corrected sooner, improving control over performance and the accuracy of future budgets. (Allowing finer-grained planning of seasonal cash flows is also acceptable.)