> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://staging.chrisp.chat/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
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# How to Create and Manage Budgets in COUNT

Budgets help you plan and track expected financial performance over a specific period. In COUNT, you can create an overall budget, define the start period, choose how actuals are calculated, and enter budget amounts by account before publishing the budget.

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To access the Budgets module:

****Planning → Budgets****  
The Budgets page displays all existing budgets, including their status, start period, end period, and last updated date.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/d/4/7/3/d473358a4d8c3800/b0cfbf11-d149-4c39-9e58-9987e4_1ofo246.jpg)

| ProTip: Use the Search Budget field to quickly locate an existing budget.

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# Create a New Budget

On the ****Budgets**** page, click ****+ Create Budget**** in the top-right corner.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/d/a/b/7dabc31c683fe800/e32486ec-c848-4409-9c41-d230cd_1xqzeeu.png)

The ****Add Budget**** window will open.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/9/e/a/9/9ea934bb119fd00/9e78f2de-e461-461a-8b3c-9d2151_1kozljt.png)

****Budget Setup Fields****

* ****Start**** – Defines the starting year and month for the budget.
* ****Actuals**** – Select how many months of historical actual results (None, 3, 6, or 12 months) are displayed for comparison.
* ****Period**** – Select the budget duration (3, 6, 12, or 24 months). The selected period determines the number of monthly columns included in the budget.

Complete the required fields, then click ****Add****.

| ProTip: Use a descriptive Budget Name to make it easier to identify later.

****Enter Budget Amounts****

After creating a budget, you will be taken to the ****Budget Overview**** page.  
Newly created budgets are assigned a ****Draft**** status by default.  
In the budget grid, enter planned amounts for each account and month.  
Accounts are grouped by category, such as ****Income****, and each month is displayed in a separate column.

To add budget values:

1. Locate the account you want to budget.
2. Find the corresponding month column.
3. Enter the amount directly into the available input field.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/3/2/6/0/32604974128ab000/3571ec54-d240-4895-a5ed-330916_1fybk4m.png)

| ProTip: You can scroll horizontally through the monthly columns to enter values across the entire budget period.

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# Save the Budget as a Draft

After entering your budget amounts, click ****Save as Draft**** at the bottom of the page.  
Saving as a draft allows you to continue reviewing and updating the budget before making it active.

****Important:**** Draft budgets are not finalized. Review all values carefully before publishing.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/d/d/4/4/dd4464411fdd400/89229607-e309-4edb-b0b6-b2cb43_1xjtif8.png)

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# Publish the Budget

When your budget is complete, click ****Publish****.  
Publishing makes the budget available for future reporting and budget-to-actual comparisons.

****Important:**** Before publishing, verify that all budget amounts and periods are correct.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/a/e/a/b/aeabe696fa7b1000/7ef3905f-ea06-4094-9342-b3dab8_mkhf9t.png)

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# Editing a Budget

To edit an existing budget:

1. Navigate to ****Accounting → Budgets****.
2. Select the budget from the list.
3. Click ****Edit Budget**** in the top-right corner of the ****Budget Overview**** page.
4. Make the necessary changes.
5. Click ****Save as Draft**** or ****Publish****.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/c/1/f/8c1f347e7c380000/170cb6ac-cdd2-49a9-9df2-c672cf_10on1rk.png)

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# Creating Budget Versions

COUNT allows you to maintain multiple versions of a budget.  
To create a new version:

1. Open the budget.
2. Click ****Add Version**** at the bottom of the page.
3. Select the version from the ****Version**** dropdown to review or update it.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/4/c/b/1/4cb158bef87e0400/bg9_1b9xh83.png)

| ****ProTip:**** Budget versions are useful when creating multiple forecasting scenarios while preserving previous budget assumptions.

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# Duplicating a Budget

If you want to reuse an existing budget structure:

1. Open the budget.
2. Click ****Duplicate****.
3. Update the copied budget as needed.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/4/c/b/1/4cb158bef87e0400/bg10_7saye0.png)

Duplicating a budget saves time when creating similar budgets for future periods.

| ****ProTip:**** Use duplication when creating annual budgets that share a similar account structure.