# Group budget and latest estimate template

> This free Excel template builds a group budget from up to eight companies, each budgeting in its own currency. It translates every budget into the group currency at a budget rate, takes the closed months as actuals, and shows the latest estimate for the year with the variance to budget. An example group is filled in.

Source: https://finconsol.com/blog/resources/group-budget-template/ (updated 28 October 2026)

| Company | Currency | Budget Sep (local) | Rate | Budget Sep (GBP) | Actual Sep (GBP) | Variance |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Zenvara Group Ltd | GBP | 640,000 | 1.0000 | 640,000 | 625,000 | (15,000) |
| Fernhollow Inc | USD | 450,000 | 0.7540 | 339,300 | 346,840 | 7,540 |
| Palmridge Hospitality LLC | AED | 4,950,000 | 0.2025 | 1,002,375 | 972,000 | (30,375) |

*Revenue for September 2026, three of the five example companies | GBP*

## How to use it

1. **Set up the group.** Enter the group currency, the first month of the financial year and the last closed month. List your companies and their currencies, then enter one budget rate for each currency.
2. **Enter each company's budget** by month in its own currency: revenue and operating profit.
3. **Check the group budget.** It is worked out by formula from the local budget and the budget rate, rounded to whole units.
4. **Enter the actuals** for each closed month, in the group currency, from your consolidation.
5. **Read the Summary sheet.** It shows the year-to-date variance and the latest estimate against budget, for the group and for each company.

## Who is it for?

Group finance teams and FP&A analysts who set a budget in several currencies and want one view of the year. It works on any accounting system, because you enter the figures. Zoho Books budgets are made inside each organization, and Zoho's help page does not describe a group view across organizations, so a group budget needs a place of its own. When the workbook grows heavy, [Finconsol keeps the group budget and the latest estimate beside the actuals](https://finconsol.com/group-budgeting/). See also [presentation currency](/blog/glossary/presentation-currency/) and [average rate](/blog/glossary/average-rate/).

## Questions

**Which rate should the budget use?**

One rate for each currency, set once for the year. A variance then shows performance, not exchange rates. The actuals are translated at actual rates, so the variance still contains an exchange rate effect; keep the budget rate fixed so you can see it.

**Why only revenue and operating profit?**

They keep the sign of the variance simple: above budget is favourable for both. Add cost lines as negative numbers inside operating profit if you need them.

**Does it eliminate intercompany sales?**

No. Group totals add the companies before eliminations. Budget intercompany sales in one place only, or remove them in your consolidation.

**Do I need Excel?**

The file uses standard formulas and opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets.