Desde Investopedia

TERM OF THE DAY

Fiscal Year-End Fiscal year-end is the completion of a one-year, or 12-month, accounting period. The reason that a company's fiscal year often differs from the calendar year and may not close on Dec. 31 is due to the nature of a company's needs. If the fiscal year-end is too close to a heavy selling season, the company may have a hard time producing annual financial statements and counting inventories because manpower and resources are dedicated to the sales floor.

Breaking it Down: Every year public companies are required to publish financial statements for review by the Securities and Exchange Commission. These documents give investors... Read More