- 1). Figure out the type of business category to determine its fiscal year. Sole proprietorships, for instance, must use the calendar year as their fiscal year.
- 2). Review financial statements. Companies that provide financial statements generate these reports quarterly and include the fiscal year beneath the reporting period.
- 3). Check the type of business. Most retail businesses often use the calendar year as the fiscal year, as the Christmas shopping season is where the majority of sales are made by these types of businesses. The calendar year is Jan. 1 through Dec. 31.
- 4). Verify whether the company provides contracting services to the federal government. Such companies often use a fiscal year that coincides with the federal government's fiscal year. The government's fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.
- 5). Search records for the state in which the company organized. Online records offered through the state's business department often show the company's fiscal year.
- 6). Validate the company or public entity's tax reporting period. The tax reporting period coincides with the entity's fiscal year.
- 7). Check a public entity's budgeting period. For instance, in the state of California, the fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. Counties within the state of California use the same fiscal year as the state.
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