--- title: Reporting Budget vs Actual from Sheets description: Learn how to compare actuals to budget for non-financial numbers like headcount using Sheets and metric date ranges in Reach Reporting. --- [Skip to content](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/reporting-budget-vs-actual-from-sheets#main-content) ![Asset 1.png\]](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Asset%201.png?height=22&name=Asset%201.png) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Go to reachreporting.com](https://reachreporting.com/) [Go to reachreporting.com](https://reachreporting.com/) How can we help improve your Reach? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Knowledge Center](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/?hsLang=en) 2. [Sheets](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/sheets?hsLang=en) # Reporting Budget vs Actual from Sheets ## Compare actuals to budget for any non-financial data stored in Sheet ### Compare actuals to budget for any KPI stored in a Data Sheet Budget vs actual isn't limited to numbers from your bookkeeping. If you track operational data in a [Sheets](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/sheets?hsLang=en), such as headcount, billable hours, client count, or units sold, you can compare it to budget in any metric. This article walks through two ways to set it up, using headcount as the example. **In This Article** - [Choosing a Method](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/reporting-budget-vs-actual-from-sheets#Choosing_Method) - [Method 1: One Row, Split by Book Month](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/reporting-budget-vs-actual-from-sheets#Method_1) - [Method 2: Two Rows with Custom Columns](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/reporting-budget-vs-actual-from-sheets#Method_2) ### Choosing a Method | Method | Data Sheet setup | Best for | | --- | --- | --- | | Method 1: One Row, Split by Book Month | One row. Months up to the book month hold actuals, later months hold budget. | A full-year trend showing actuals to date and budget for the rest of the year | | Method 2: Two Rows with Custom Columns | One row for actuals and one row for budget | A true side-by-side comparison of actual vs budget for the same period | ![](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Sep-30-2026-05-31-38-2383-PM.png?width=670&height=351&name=undefined-Sep-30-2026-05-31-38-2383-PM.png) **Note:** Both methods also work with [Budget/Forecast Data Sheets](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/budget/forecast-data-sheets?hsLang=en). Set up the rows the same way, then pull them into your metric through **Add Data / Rows** \> **Data Sheets**. ### Method 1: One Row, Split by Book Month With this method, a single Data Sheet row holds both actuals and budget. The book month decides which months Reach treats as actual and which it treats as budget, and the metric labels and formats them automatically. **Step 1: Set up the Data Sheet** Create one row for your KPI (in this example, Headcount) with a column for each month. Enter actuals for every month up to and including your book month, then enter budget numbers for the months after it. Here the book month is September 2023, so January through September hold actual headcount (50 to 130) and October through December hold budget (140 to 160). ![](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Sep-30-2026-05-31-50-5958-PM.png?width=670&height=351&name=undefined-Sep-30-2026-05-31-50-5958-PM.png) **Step 2: Create a metric and add the row** Create a new metric and click **Add Data / Rows** \> **Data Sheets** to pull in the Headcount row. For more on using Data Sheet rows, see [Using Sheets Data in Dashboards and Reports](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/using-sheets-data-in-dashboards-and-reports?hsLang=en). **Step 3: Set the column type** Click the gear icon above a date column and set **Column Type** to **Actuals vs Budget/Forecast (relative to book month)**. Leave **Budget/Forecast** on the default budget. ![](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Sep-30-2026-05-32-00-8973-PM.png?width=670&height=351&name=undefined-Sep-30-2026-05-32-00-8973-PM.png) **Step 4: Review the result** Columns up to the book month are labeled **Actual**, and columns after it are labeled **Budget**. In a bar chart, budget months display as hatched bars. ![](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Sep-30-2026-05-32-12-8851-PM.png?width=670&height=351&name=undefined-Sep-30-2026-05-32-12-8851-PM.png) > **Tip:** The Actual and Budget labels move automatically when the book month changes. The numbers in the Data Sheet do not, so when a new month closes, replace that month's budget number with the actual. To learn how each date range option works, see [Explaining All the Date Ranges in Reach Reporting](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/explaining-all-the-date-ranges-in-reach?hsLang=en). > **Note:** Don't build a side-by-side comparison from a single row. If an actual column and a budget column both point to the same row and the same date, they return the same number. In the example below, Sep 23 and Sep 23 Budget both show 130, even though budgeted headcount for September was 125. To compare actual and budget for the same period, use Method 2. ![](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Sep-30-2026-05-32-21-5083-PM.png?width=670&height=351&name=undefined-Sep-30-2026-05-32-21-5083-PM.png) ### Method 2: Two Rows with Custom Columns With this method, actuals and budget live on separate Data Sheet rows. You pull both into the metric, then display them through two custom columns. This gives a true budget vs actual for the same period. In the example, September 2023 shows 130 actual vs 125 budget. **Step 1: Set up the Data Sheet with two rows** Create one row for actuals (Headcount) and one row for budget (Budget Headcount), each with a column for every month. **Step 2: Create a metric and add both rows** Click **Add Data / Rows** \> **Data Sheets** and pull in both rows. Row 1 holds actual headcount and row 2 holds budget headcount, so the data column holds the actual in cell A1 and the budget in cell A2. **Step 3: Hide the helper row and column** Hide the Budget Headcount row and the data column (column A) using the eye icon. They stay hidden from view but still feed the custom columns. **Step 4: Add a custom Actual column** Add a custom column (column B) and enter the formula `=A1`. It displays the actual headcount of 130. ![](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Sep-30-2026-05-32-30-5159-PM.png?width=670&height=351&name=undefined-Sep-30-2026-05-32-30-5159-PM.png) **Step 5: Add a custom Budget column** Add a second column (column C) and enter the formula `=A2`. Click the gear icon above the column and set: - **Column Type:** Budget/Forecast - **Date Range:** the same range as the data column (in this example, Custom, Sep 2023 to Sep 2023) - **Budget/Forecast:** Custom, rather than a specific budget or forecast, so the column uses your `=A2` reference ![](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Sep-30-2026-05-32-42-1211-PM.png?width=670&height=351&name=undefined-Sep-30-2026-05-32-42-1211-PM.png) **Step 6: Save the metric** Click **Save**. The chart shows the actual bar next to a hatched budget bar for the same period.  Related Articles - [Sheets](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/sheets?hsLang=en) - [Using Sheets Data in Dashboards and Reports](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/using-sheets-data-in-dashboards-and-reports?hsLang=en) - [Explaining All the Date Ranges in Reach Reporting](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/explaining-all-the-date-ranges-in-reach?hsLang=en) - [Budget/Forecast Data Sheets](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/budget/forecast-data-sheets?hsLang=en) --- **NOT CURRENTLY USING REACH REPORTING?** [learn more at reachreporting.com](https://www.reachreporting.com/) ### [**Go to the Reach Reporting app\>**](https://app.reachreporting.com/login) **ARE YOU NOT CURRENTLY USING REACH REPORTING?** [learn more at reachreporting.com](https://reachreporting.com/) ### **We are dedicated to helping you.** \- Need Additional Help? *Your success is important to us.* Whether you're working as a CFO of a business or part of an accounting firm, Reach Reporting is here to improve your working knowledge of reporting and provide service tips and skills to ensure you're at the top of your game. 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