carry forward

British  

verb

1. accounting to transfer (a balance) to the next page, column, etc

2. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): carry over.  tax accounting to apply (a legally permitted credit, esp an operating loss) to the taxable income of following years to ease the overall tax burden

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noun

1. Also called: carry-over.  tax accounting an amount carried forward

carry forward Idioms  

1. Also, carry over . Transfer a bookkeeping entry to the next column, page, another account, or the next accounting period, as in Let's carry forward this loss to the next quarter for a saving in taxes , or She made an error in carrying over this column . The first term dates from the first half of the 1800s; the variant dates from the mid-1700s.

2. Make progress in, advance, as in His successor hoped to carry forward his work . Also see carry on .

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Example Sentences

What I carry forward more than that fancy feeling are the memories my family created as we were seated, together, around the table.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026

Another multiyear situation to manage is any losses that can carry forward, like rental losses or capital losses.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

"We want to carry forward a process of normalisation with Azerbaijan," the source said, adding: "Among the disagreements between our two countries is the fate of Martin Ryan."

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

Declining health is forcing Mr. Webb to wind down his data collection, although he is making his repository of data available to anyone who wants to carry forward his project.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025

This was the message we needed to carry forward.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• carry over