Budget Distribution
Budget Distribution controls how the total budget amount is spread over time within the selected fiscal year. Instead of one annual limit, you can control spending period by period.
Note: Older versions of ERPNext used a separate Monthly Distribution document. In the current Budget, the distribution is part of the Budget itself.
Distribution Frequency
- Monthly: the budget is spread across months.
- Quarterly: the budget is spread across quarters.
- Half Yearly: the budget is spread across two halves.
- Yearly: one amount for the whole year.
How to set up a Budget Distribution
- Go to Home > Accounting > Cost Center and Budgeting > Budget and click Add Budget.
- Select the Cost Center, Project or Accounting Dimension the budget is for, along with the Account and the fiscal year.
- Choose the Distribution Frequency.
- Turn on Distribute Equally to split the amount evenly. The system creates the Budget Distribution rows for you.
- If you need a seasonal split (for example more marketing budget in December), leave Distribute Equally off and change the Amount or Percentage in each row. Start Date and End Date are not editable.
- Save and Submit the Budget.
Budget Distribution rows
Each row of the Budget Distribution table has a Start Date, End Date, Amount and Percentage. The percentages must add up to the full budget.
Control actions
You can set the action (Stop, Warn or Ignore) separately for the annual budget and the monthly budget. An Exception Budget Approver Role can be set so selected users may go past a budget limit when needed. If a budget needs to change later, use Budget Revision.
Reports
The distribution is reflected in budget reports such as Budget Variance Report, so actual spending is compared with each period.
