Finance template
Cash Flow Forecast Template
Quick answer
A simple monthly cash-flow forecast structure to project inflows, outflows, and closing balance. When to use it: Monthly — to anticipate cash shortfalls before they happen and time payments to inflows.
| Fill in 1 | Opening balance |
|---|---|
| Fill in 2 | Expected inflows by source |
| Fill in 3 | Expected outflows by category |
| Fill in 4 | Forecast horizon (months) |
What's in it — and why
Cash basis (timing of movement)
A cash-flow forecast records money when it actually moves, not when invoiced. Mixing in accruals is the most common error and produces a misleading liquidity picture.
Opening / Closing balance roll-forward
Each month's closing balance feeds the next month's opening balance. This linkage is what reveals the lowest cash point across the year.
Debtor collection & supplier payment assumptions
Realistic collection lags and payment terms drive the timing of inflows/outflows; optimistic assumptions hide cash gaps.
Tax outflow lines (sales tax, income tax, WHT)
Sales tax and withholding deposits are real, dated cash outflows to FBR; forgetting them is a classic reason SMEs run short at deposit deadlines.
Net cash flow & negative-month alerts
Highlights months where you run out of cash so financing or payment deferral can be arranged before the crunch, not after.
Minimum cash buffer
Setting a target reserve prevents operating right at zero and absorbs shocks (late payments, surprise tax demands).
The template
Copy the text below (or download a Word copy) and replace everything in [BRACKETS].
================================================================
12-MONTH CASH FLOW FORECAST (PKR)
================================================================
Business: [COMPANY NAME] Prepared by: [NAME]
Period: [MMM-YYYY] to [MMM-YYYY] Basis: Cash (when money moves)
Currency: PKR (000s / actual — state which)
HOW TO USE: Enter expected RECEIPTS (cash in) and PAYMENTS (cash
out) in the month the money actually moves, not when invoiced.
Closing Balance of one month becomes Opening Balance of the next.
A. OPENING CASH BALANCE ............ [carried from prior month]
============ B. CASH RECEIPTS (INFLOWS) ============
Cash sales .........................
Receipts from debtors (credit sales)
Advance / deposits from customers ..
Owner's capital / loan injections ..
Other income (interest, refunds) ...
---------------------------------------------------
TOTAL RECEIPTS (B) .................
============ C. CASH PAYMENTS (OUTFLOWS) ===========
Payments to suppliers / inventory ..
Salaries & wages (net of WHT) ......
Rent & utilities ...................
Fuel & transport ...................
Marketing & selling ................
Sales tax payable to FBR ...........
Income tax / advance tax / WHT depo.
Loan repayments & markup ...........
Owner drawings .....................
Capital expenditure (assets) .......
Other / miscellaneous ..............
---------------------------------------------------
TOTAL PAYMENTS (C) .................
D. NET CASH FLOW (B - C) ...........
E. CLOSING CASH BALANCE (A + D) ....
----------------------------------------------------------------
MONTHLY GRID (replicate the block above across columns)
+--------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Line item | M1 | M2 | M3 | ... | M11 | M12 |
+--------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Opening Balance (A) | | | | | | |
| Total Receipts (B) | | | | | | |
| Total Payments (C) | | | | | | |
| Net Cash Flow (D) | | | | | | |
| Closing Balance (E) | | | | | | |
+--------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
KEY ASSUMPTIONS
----------------------------------------------------------------
- Debtor collection: [e.g. 60% in 30 days, 40% in 60 days]
- Supplier payment terms: [e.g. 30 days]
- Sales growth/seasonality: [NOTES]
- Sales tax deposited by [15th of following month] to FBR
- Income-tax / WHT deposited per FBR due dates
- VAT/sales-tax registered: [YES/NO]
ALERTS
----------------------------------------------------------------
- Flag any month where Closing Balance (E) is NEGATIVE — arrange
financing or defer non-essential payments before it occurs.
- Keep a minimum cash buffer of PKR [TARGET] at all times.
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