Cash flow forecasting and budgeting for UK businesses
Your bank balance shows you what you have today. A rolling forecast shows you what you can afford next.
In short: NDCA is an ACCA-regulated accountancy practice that builds rolling 12-month cash flow forecasts and annual budgets for UK limited companies and sole traders. We update the forecast with your actual results each month, schedule VAT, Corporation Tax and PAYE payments in advance and model decisions such as hiring or buying equipment before you commit. Forecasting runs on your Xero data for one fixed monthly fee.
What NDCA clients say
Verified Google reviews from NDCA clients.
In short: NDCA is an ACCA-regulated accountancy practice that builds rolling 12-month cash flow forecasts and annual budgets for UK limited companies and sole traders. We update the forecast with your actual results each month, schedule VAT, Corporation Tax and PAYE payments in advance and model decisions such as hiring or buying equipment before you commit. Forecasting runs on your Xero data for one fixed monthly fee.
What is on this page?
A budget sets the target for the year. A rolling forecast tracks whether the cash is actually there to fund it, updated as real results come in.
Each period we feed in your actual results, review the assumptions behind the forecast and factor in upcoming liabilities such as VAT and tax, so the model moves with the business rather than sitting still after the first draft. We work primarily on Xero.
What our cash flow and budgeting service covers
A named accountant builds and maintains your forecast and budget. That includes:
- 12-month rolling cash flow forecast, updated monthly with actuals, plus a six- to twelve-week short-term cash view
- Annual budget for revenue, costs, gross margin and profit
- Variance analysis comparing actual results against budget every period
- Scenario modelling for hires, capital purchases, price changes or major contracts
- VAT, corporation tax, self assessment, PAYE and loan repayments scheduled on the forecast
- Director’s drawings and dividend timing modelled against profit and cash
- Quarterly forecast review call to walk through assumptions and changes
- Lender-ready forecast packs for finance applications
Scenario modelling can show whether you can afford another hire, what happens if sales fall or when it is safe to take money out of the business.
If you also need bookkeeping, payroll, VAT or management accounts, we handle all of it under one fee. The forecast pulls from the same data, so it stays current.
How NDCA works
What you can expect:
- Fixed monthly fee
Forecasts and budgets are not billed per report. They are built into the fixed monthly fee we agreed when you joined. Updated every period, predictable cost. - A named accountant, not a spreadsheet
A named accountant prepares your forecast and walks you through it. No ticket queue. We normally reply the same day, and the quarterly review is a real conversation about what to change, not a report you skim once and file away. - Built on real numbers, not optimistic ones
Forecasts that bear no resemblance to actual results are worse than no forecast at all. We build the budget from your real run-rate, test it against the previous twelve months and review variances every period so the model stays connected to the business as it actually runs.
Cloud accounting that keeps your forecast current
A forecast is only as reliable as the numbers behind it.
NDCA uses Xero and connected apps to keep your accounting records organised and current, giving the forecast a reliable starting point each period. If you are not yet on Xero, we migrate you across as part of onboarding. If you are already there, we plug straight in.
Apron for invoice capture
A forecast is only useful if it reflects commitments that have not been paid yet.
Forward a supplier invoice or receipt, and Apron captures the details and records it promptly, so the forecast picks up what is owed as soon as it lands, not weeks later.
Who we work with
NDCA cash flow and budgeting clients fall into a few groups:
- Growing limited companies preparing for hires, capital purchases or expansion
- Owner-managed businesses planning dividend timing against tax and cash
- Businesses with seasonal or uneven revenue needing closer cash visibility
- Businesses managing large supplier or customer payment cycles
- Businesses preparing for finance, an overdraft, investment or expansion
- E-commerce sellers with seasonal cash swings and inventory cycles
- Service businesses planning around retainer renewals or contract end dates
- Trades, construction and property businesses managing project or portfolio cash
If your business is growing, changing or becoming harder to manage from the bank balance alone, we can tailor the forecast around it.
A worked example: a January cash squeeze
Say your company has £40,000 in the bank at the end of December. January brings £12,000 of payroll, a £9,000 VAT payment and a £14,000 Corporation Tax payment, while £30,000 of December sales will not be paid until February. January ends with £5,000 in the bank.
A rolling forecast shows this gap in October, in time to chase debtors earlier, spread a purchase or arrange a facility before it is needed.
Worried about running out of cash?
Profit is a number on a report. Cash is what pays the bills. A rolling forecast shows upcoming tax and supplier payments, whether you can afford to hire or make a major purchase, what a drop in revenue would do and when cash is likely to tighten. Send us your details to get started.
Reviews
Discover why businesses trust us for dependable accounting services and practical financial advice.
What NDCA clients say
We work with businesses across the UK and beyond, delivering results that speak for themselves. Browse our reviews to see the impact we have made, and if you have worked with us, we would love for you to leave a review on Google
Switching from another accountant
If you already have an accountant and you have never been given a forecast, switching is simpler than people think. We send your current accountant a professional clearance letter, collect your records and pick up where they left off. How long it takes depends mainly on how quickly your previous accountant sends the records across, and we keep you updated throughout.
You do not need to wait for year-end. You do not need an awkward phone call. We handle it.
Payment dates to plan for (2026/27)
View the key tax figures
| VAT | One month and seven days after each VAT period ends |
|---|---|
| PAYE and National Insurance | By the 22nd of the following month when paid electronically |
| Corporation Tax | 9 months and 1 day after the year end for most companies |
| Self Assessment | Balancing payment and first payment on account by 31 January, second payment on account by 31 July |
| Workplace pension contributions | By the 22nd of the month after deduction when paid electronically |
| Forecast period | A rolling 12 months, updated each month with actual results |
Figures are for the 2026/27 tax year and were checked against GOV.UK guidance. Your own position depends on your circumstances, which we confirm before any advice.
Cash flow and budgeting FAQs
Our fees start from £95 plus VAT a month for limited companies, with no setup fee. Self Assessment starts from £245 plus VAT as a one-off fee. You receive a fixed quote at the end of your free 30-minute call, based on your turnover, transactions, VAT, payroll and number of directors. Any records alignment or bookkeeping catch-up is quoted separately in writing before work starts.
A cash flow forecast is a projection of money in and money out of your business, usually week by week or month by month, including VAT, tax, payroll and finance payments. It shows whether you will have enough cash on hand when bills fall due, not just whether the business is profitable on paper.
A budget sets expected revenue, costs and profit for the year. A cash flow forecast tracks when money actually arrives in and leaves the bank. The budget tells you whether the year should be profitable. The forecast tells you whether the cash will be there to fund it.
Twelve months as a rolling horizon for most businesses. Some need a shorter window, six to twelve weeks at high detail, for closer cash management. We build both and update them every period.
Yes. We run the forecast under different assumptions, such as a new hire, a major purchase, a large customer paying late or a fall in sales, so you see the cash impact before you commit.
Yes. We prepare lender-ready and investor-ready forecast packs in formats they expect to see, with supporting assumptions, variance commentary and scenarios. A clear forecast can support a finance application by giving lenders or investors a clearer view of expected cash movements and the assumptions behind them.
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Ready to know where the cash is going?
Know what the next 12 months could look like before you commit to a major business decision. Get a rolling forecast maintained by a named accountant, on a fixed monthly fee.
