3 Numbers to Track in April (If You Want a Smoother End to the Financial Year)

April marks the start of the final stretch before the end of the financial year. It’s the point where a bit of clarity can go a long way, helping you avoid surprises and make smarter decisions before June 30.

Rather than getting lost in reports, there are three key numbers that will give you a clear picture of where your business stands and what needs attention.

1. Year-to-Date Profit (and How It Compares to Last Year)

Your year-to-date profit shows how your business is performing so far this financial year, but the real value comes from comparing it to the same time last year.

This comparison helps you see whether you’re actually moving forward. It’s easy to feel busy and assume things are improving, but profit tells the truth. If your revenue has increased but your profit hasn’t followed, it could be a sign that expenses are creeping up or pricing needs adjusting.

April is the perfect time to check this because there’s still room to influence the outcome before year-end. If your profit is higher than last year, that’s a great result, but it likely also means a higher tax bill is coming. Knowing that now gives you time to plan, rather than react.

2. Tax Set-Aside Rate

Your tax set-aside rate is simply the portion of your income you’ve been putting aside to cover tax. It sounds straightforward, but it’s one of the most common areas where business owners fall behind.

Some people prefer to base this on revenue for simplicity, while others use profit for a more accurate approach. Either way, the goal is consistency. If you’ve been regularly setting money aside, April should feel relatively calm. If not, this is where things can start to feel tight.

Checking this now gives you a chance to course-correct gradually. Instead of facing a large, unexpected tax bill later, you can start topping up your set-aside over the next few months. A good rule of thumb is that your tax account should feel slightly “over-prepared”, not something you’re worried about dipping into.

3. Cash Buffer

Your cash buffer is a simple but powerful measure of how secure your business is. It tells you how long you could continue operating using the cash you currently have available.

It’s calculated by looking at your cash on hand and comparing it to your average daily expenses. The result is the number of days your business could keep running if income slowed down.

This number often reveals a different story to profit. A business can be profitable on paper but still feel tight on cash. That’s why this is such an important metric to check in April, especially with upcoming obligations like tax, super, and other end-of-year costs.

If your buffer has been shrinking, it’s a sign to slow down spending or improve cash collection. If it’s growing, you’re in a much stronger position to make decisions without pressure.

Bringing It Together

Each of these numbers tells a different part of the story. Your profit shows how you’re performing, your tax set-aside shows how prepared you are, and your cash buffer shows how secure you are.

Looking at them together gives you a much clearer picture than any one number on its own.

If you know these three numbers, you’re already ahead. And if you don’t, now is the perfect time to start, because the businesses that finish the financial year strong are usually the ones paying attention well before June.