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Cash Flow Forecast Calculator

Work out cash flow forecast instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Cash Flow Forecast Calculator

A direct cash forecast is opening balance plus receipts less payments. The useful output is not the closing figure but the headroom against your minimum operating buffer, because that is what tells you whether and when a facility must be drawn.

Formulas

Closing cash

Closing = Opening cash + Receipts - Payments

Headroom

Headroom = Closing cash - Minimum buffer

Worked example

With the default values below, Cash Flow Forecast Calculator returns Forecast closing cash of $110,000.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Opening cash balance
180,000
Expected receipts in the period
640,000
Expected payments in the period
710,000
Minimum cash buffer required
100,000

Results

Forecast closing cash
$110,000.00
Net cash movement
-$70,000.00
Headroom above minimum buffer
$10,000.00
Status
Within buffer — no facility needed

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Closing cash
  3. 3Headroom
  4. 4Forecast closing cash= 110,000.00
  5. 5Net cash movement= -70,000.00
  6. 6Headroom above minimum buffer= 10,000.00
  7. 7Status= Within buffer — no facility needed

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or fees or charges into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
  • This is an estimate for general information and not professional financial, tax or legal advice. See the full disclaimer for the limits that apply to this kind of calculator.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How granular should a forecast be?

Weekly for 13 weeks is the standard treasury horizon. Monthly forecasts hide intra-month troughs around payroll and tax dates.

Why hold a buffer at all?

Because receipts slip and payments do not. A buffer of two to four weeks of outflows is a common minimum.

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