Why Apple Fiscal Calendar is Screwing Your Payouts

Are you an up-and-coming Apple developer? There’s something you need to know before your first App Store payment—Apple calculates and pays out App Store revenue to developers based on a special fiscal calendar. Apple’s 4-4-5 calendar model is not the same as a regular calendar.

Why is this important? Because your Apple payments may give you headaches if you don’t understand how they work. You need to know when to expect the next payment to plan your cash flow and budget, allocate this month’s or year’s resources, and buy yourself something nice.

No worries. Here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s calendar.

Apple’s Fiscal Year Structure: How It Works

So, what exactly is Apple’s 4-4-5 calendar model? 4-4-5 refers to the number of weeks in Apple’s fiscal month. To simplify financial payroll and reporting, each quarter in Apple’s fiscal year is divided into 3 months. These months are different from calendar months. Here’s how:

• The first month in the quarter has 5 weeks;
• Apple’s second month lasts for 4 weeks;
• The third month in the quarter also has 4 weeks.

In a 364-day fiscal calendar, each of the four quarters has one 35-day month and two 28-day months.

This is not Apple’s invention. This model is often used by tech companies and retail businesses because it aligns better with most operational cycles and payrolls. It’s also more consistent because each quarter has 13 weeks.

But that’s not all. In addition to this, Apple’s fiscal calendar has other idiosyncrasies. In total, there are 5 special rules that you need to understand about the Apple’s calendar:

1. Apple’s year always has 364 days (Every 5th year has an extra week to make up for the difference).
2. The fiscal year starts on the last Sunday of September.
3. Every fiscal year has 4 quarters, and every quarter has 3 months.
4. The first month of each quarter has 35 days (5 weeks). The other two months have 28 days (4 weeks).
5. Apple payments usually come 33 days after the end of the previous fiscal month.

Are your revenue metrics aligned with Apple’s cycle? If this is all new to you, you need to revisit your financial reports and plan accordingly. This checklist will help you out:

• Do you track revenue using Apple’s 4-4-5 calendar model?
• Is your cash flow based on Apple’s official payout schedule?
• Are your budgets and forecasts based on Apple’s paydates?
• Is your subscription strategy aligned with Apple’s quarters?
• Do you double-check your reports with Apple’s schedule?
• Is your bookkeeping in sync with Apple’s financial reports?

Failing to align with Apple’s fiscal year can have serious consequences for developers, especially when they’re new and trying to make it on the App Store. Let’s help you avoid that.

Common Mistakes and Misunderstandings

Surely, this is not the first time you hear about “cash flow headaches” and “serious consequences” in this particular context. But how serious is it, really? Should you be worried?

If you misunderstand payout timing, you may not be able to pay your employees, suppliers, and other expenses on time. You could also miss out on lucrative financial opportunities by scheduling promotions and launches for the wrong dates. But it shouldn’t get worse than that.

Still, these mistakes can hurt your business before it hits financial stability, and that’s always a bad thing. The good news is—once you’re aware of them, they are easily avoidable.

So, try not to make these mistakes when calculating App Store revenue:

❌1. Mistaking Calendar Month for Fiscal Month

Forget everything you ever knew about measuring time. From now on, you should count your days per Apple’s fiscal month. Once again, the first month in a fiscal quarter has 35 days, while the second and third fiscal months in Apple’s calendar have 28 days. That rarely changes.

❌2. Expecting Payouts at the End of the Month

Many developers expect Amazon payouts at the end of the month, but that’s not when they arrive. Instead, payments are typically processed up to 33 days after the end of the fiscal month. This means that your revenue for April won’t arrive until the first week of June.

❌3. Overlooking the 5-Week Month Payment Delay

Every first month has an extra week due to Amazon’s 4-4-5 calendar model. Overlooking the 5-week payment delay can throw off your financial schedule and hurt cash flow. This generally aligns with the first, fourth, seventh, and tenth month but is subject to slight changes.

❌4. Ignoring Apple’s Holiday-Based Payout Shifts

Amazon usually shifts payments around major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Payouts could be delayed this time of year, but they may also arrive early.

❌5. Not Syncing Promotions with Fiscal Quarters

It is always a good idea to plan product launches and promotions for the beginning of a fiscal quarter. That simplifies revenue monitoring rather than splitting sales across two different quarters. This is not only better for cash flow management but also for performance tracking.

Apple Fiscal Calendar 2025 Month-by-Month

Keeping track of Apple’s fiscal calendar in parallel with your everyday life can be overwhelming. Besides, even if you’re a math genius, calculating your payment cycles yourself leaves room for error. That’s why we’ve created Apple’s 2025 fiscal year calendar for you—and checked it twice.

App Store Payment Schedule in 2025

Before we can correctly calculate the App Store payment schedule for this year, we need to explain one of the main differences between Apple’s fiscal calendar and other payment models—the 33-day payout rule. Although we’ve mentioned it before, it’s critical to explain it in detail.

The 33-day rule refers to the time it takes Apple to process payments for developers after the end of a fiscal month. So, if your fiscal month ends on January 31st, your payment will probably arrive around March 3rd unless there’s a longer fiscal month or a holiday payout delay.

Here’s when you should expect your App Store payments in fiscal 2025:

Why the Apple Fiscal Calendar Matters for Developers

Being in sync with Apple’s calendar isn’t only about avoiding mistakes. It also allows you to improve your revenue by planning your finances, reporting, launches, and promotions better.

For example, launching a new app at the beginning of the first quarter ensures that all revenue from the launch is recorded in the same fiscal quarter. Financial tracking is not only simpler this way, but it is also more accurate and gives you a clearer picture of the post-launch performance.

It’s also important to know that if you launch a new product in November, you won’t receive a payment until January. If you need fast cash, then the App Store may not be for you.

Knowing when your payments are due is a positive thing for your cash flow because it lets you optimize your revenue timing. If a fiscal quarter ends on September 30th and payments are in by November 2nd, you can plan your budget accordingly to pay expenses and make investments.

When it comes to tax reporting, this is not only beneficial but crucial. For instance, if your fiscal month ends on March 31st, that helps you calculate exactly when you need to report income and expenses for that period. Accurate reporting prevents financial errors and compliance issues.

Conclusion

Getting in sync with Apple’s fiscal calendar allows you to stay on top of your revenue, plan launches like a pro, and keep your tax reporting smooth. It also means you’ll never be caught off guard by split sales or missed payouts. It’ll give you peace of mind and pave your way to success.

Are you selling your app? We help devs track revenue the smart way.

FAQ

When does Apple’s fiscal year start and end in 2025?

Apple’s fiscal year 2025 has already begun! It started on September 29, 2024, and it will end on September 27, 2025.

Why does Apple use a 4-4-5 calendar system?

The main reason Apple uses a 4-4-5 calendar system is to ensure consistency in financial reports. It’s easier to compare quarters when they are the same length, so this calendar model divides the year into four quarters, each with two 4-week months and one 5-week month.

How do I calculate my App Store payment date?

To calculate your App Store payment date, you need to find the end date of the fiscal month for which you want to calculate the payment and add 33 days to that end date. This is because Apple doesn’t pay out App Store payments at the end of the month but around 33 days after.

What happens in a 5-week month?

Every first month in Apple’s fiscal quarter is 5 weeks long due to the 4-4-5 calendar model. This happens because it helps align the fiscal calendar with the calendar year. The 5-week month is longer for an extra week, which affects the payment schedule.

Is the Apple fiscal calendar different from Google’s?

Apple’s fiscal calendar is not the same as Google’s. Apple uses a 4-4-5 calendar model, while Google follows a standard calendar that aligns with the calendar year. Apple’s fiscal year starts on the last week of September and ends on the last day of September, while Google’s fiscal year runs from January 1st to December 31st.