fiscal year

American  

noun

1. any yearly period without regard to the calendar year, at the end of which a firm, government, etc., determines its financial condition.

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fiscal year British  

noun

1. any annual period at the end of which a firm's accounts are made up

2. the annual period ending April 5, over which Budget estimates are made by the British Government and which functions as the income-tax year

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fiscal year Cultural  

1. A twelve-month period for which an organization, such as a government or corporation, plans the use of its funds. Commonly, fiscal years run from July 1 to June 30, or, in the case of the U.S. government, from October 1 to September 30.

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Etymology

Origin of fiscal year

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Example Sentences

Riley was paid more than $11.8 million in total compensation during the fiscal year 2024, according to USC’s latest federal tax returns, which were obtained by The Times.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

Casey’s expects to open at least 120 stores this fiscal year through a mix of mergers and acquisitions and new store construction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

That’s approximately $3 billion less compared with the previous fiscal year.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

Homeland Security data from the first quarter of the 2025 fiscal year, the latest available, shows that of some 350,000 new permanent residencies issued, about 190,000—54 percent—were adjustments, which is in keeping with historical trends.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026

The revenues of the Islands for the past fiscal year have amounted to about $10,638,000, gold.

From A History of the Philippines by Barrows, David P.

Related Words

• calendar year
• financial year