Tax Refund and Windfall Plan

Who this is for

Decide where a one-off sum goes before it lands. Give each part of it a job, and the sheet shows each part's share of the whole and what is still left to allocate.

Anyone expecting a tax refund, a work bonus, back pay, a cash gift, an inheritance or the money from a sale, who wants a plan for it in writing before it arrives.

What this helps you track

• The amount, where it is coming from and when you expect it
• A planned amount for each use, in the order you choose
• Each use as a share of the whole sum
• What is still unallocated, so the plan adds up exactly
• What actually happened to each part once the money arrived

How to use it

1. Write where the money is coming from, the amount, the date you expect it, a decide-by date that gives you time to think and where the money will wait until then.
2. Go down the uses, cross out any that do not apply and add your own; the order printed on the sheet is not a ranking.
3. Put a planned amount against each use and number them in the order you want to act on them.
4. Check the summary: left to allocate should reach nothing before the money arrives. The browser and workbook work it out; on paper, add the planned column and take it from the amount.
5. When the money arrives, record the actual amount and date for each line and tick it off.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Which should come first, debts, bills or savings?

That depends on your own situation, so the sheet does not rank them. If you are behind on bills or debts, a free, independent money advice service where you live can help you work out which to deal with first.

What if the amount is different from what I expected?

Change the amount at the top and adjust the planned figures until nothing is left to allocate. If it might be smaller, decide in advance which lines would be cut first and note that in the notes.

Why have a decide-by date?

Money sitting in an everyday account can drift into everyday spending. A date to finish the plan, and a separate place for the money to wait until then, gives you time to think without it disappearing. Choose whatever date suits you.

Can part of it be a treat?

Yes. There is a line for something for yourself. A plan can be easier to keep when part of the money goes on something you enjoy, and the amount is entirely yours to choose.