13 period fiscal year

[hmgarrett]

Does anyone else use 13 periods of 4 weeks per fiscal year?

[Lisa_p]

I have a client who does. They are a restaurant chain that they analyze very closely on a per period basis, so they don't want the variables of 28, 30 or 31 day months.

The periods get a little odd in the summer, like July 15 to August whatever, but it all works out in the end.

[dringstrom]

I've worked with several restaurant clients that do so.

[hmgarrett]

We are also a restaurant chain. One of the biggest problems I have with Peachtree is that I can't figure out how to easily run comparative financials for a company with 13 periods.

Have your clients been able to overcome this?

[Markr1306]

Why would you have issues trying to run comparative financials. The purpose of 13 periods per qtr is so that monthsd ends always occur on same day every year such as last sat of the month. Are your periods set up correctly/ To operate a Fisacal Calender each qtr must be set up as 1 & 2nd monrth of qtr as 4 week months ending last sat of each month and the last month of qtr is a 5 week month ending last sat of qtr. that way every year the monthsd and qtr will be the same. Only time this changes is end of year where you close Dec as of the last day of Dec. Most years will be 52-53 week years.

[hmgarrett]

We use 13 periods of 4 weeks each (ending on Saturday). In Peachtree you can only go back 12 periods for comparison purposes (at least I haven't seen otherwise). The effect is the 1st period of this year is being compared with the second period of last year.

[hmgarrett]

Okay, I am an idiot. I have been looking (and asking) for this ability for a year. No-one could seem to help. I had all but given up. Recntly, something spurned to check again.

Apparently, the canned (i.e. standard) comparative income statement is set to "current-12" which works great if you are on a 12 period year. I kept looking fo "current-13" which would be appropriate if you are on a 13 period year like myself.

Down the list of choices (in the report design area), there is "last year" which works for a 12 period year as well as a 13 period year. At least with some minor testing.

If Best/Sage software had choosen this for their standard statement, it would have saved me from a lot of trouble and wouldn't have messed up most of you on 12 period years.