Northwestern's fiscal year begins September 1 and ends August 31.
Resources are provided annually to assist schools and units in finalizing activity for the current fiscal year. You are encouraged to bookmark this site and utilize the resources throughout fiscal year end to help keep track of all close deadlines and requirements.
Northwestern's Central Units have created slide presentations, many of which are presented at the annual Preferred Vendor & Business and Finance Expo, to explain important information, highlight key dates, and share resources to help colleagues prepare for fiscal year end.
Please plan to review modules related to your functional duties before fiscal year end begins.
Accrual accounts are used at fiscal year-end to record activity to the proper fiscal year in which the revenue is earned or expense is incurred. Accruals for appropriate and material transactions ($5,000 minimum threshold) may be processed until the September 15 portal journal deadline. Accrual journals needed after this date (if necessary and meeting a $25,000 minimum threshold) must be coordinated with the Office of Budget and Planning. Balance sheet accounts commonly used for fiscal year end accruals are:
Accrual account codes, titles, and definitions
Account
Title
Definition
11102
Accounts Receivable – Regular Accts-Closing Entry
An external customer is invoiced for goods or services provided in FY26, but Northwestern did not receive payment in FY26
12330
Deferred Charge – Next Year Carry Forward Expense
An expense is prepaid in FY26 for a FY27 program or activity
25311
Accounts Payable – Misc.*
Payment is owed to an external customer for goods or services received as of August 31, but the invoice was not paid in FY26 *Use only if processing via Accounts Payable is not possible by 9/6/2026
26514
FYE Deferred Revenue^
Advanced payment received by Northwestern by August 31 for goods or services to be provided in FY27
^Please note, this is an account change from previous years. Do not use account 26501 for FYE26 deferred revenue activity, with the exception of SES transactions.
Each accrual journal entry must include adequate documentation to support the transaction, such as:
Proof of deposit in FY27 for any FY26 activity
Signed contract or agreement
Invoice with evidence that work was completed in FY26. If an invoice is the only backup, evidence of collectability (e.g. prior history) may be required.
Accrual journals will be modified by Accounting Services in order to reverse in the next fiscal year accounting period (9/1/26). Units will record subsequent activity to the revenue or expense account in FY27, not directly to the accrual account.
Key Contacts by Office
For technical assistance, please contact the Northwestern IT Support Center : 847-491-4357 (1-HELP), option 2, or consultant@northwestern.edu.
Office of Business and Finance FYE contact information by department
The 2026 Expo was held Tuesday, August 4, 2026. This year, in addition to our Preferred Vendors, Business and Finance units were in attendance and gave short, live presentations.
Representatives from Procurement and Payment Services, Depository Services, Tax and Regulatory Services, Budget and Planning, Accounting Services, Financial Operations IT, and Accounting Services for Research and Sponsored Programs (ASRSP) and more were available all day to answer any questions related to fiscal year end or topics specific to their area of expertise.
This campus-wide networking and communication event aimed to bring the business and finance community together across the whole University.