1. Finance
  2. Budget & Expense Management

Budget Variance

Percentage

The difference between the budgeted amount for any category and the actual amount spent. Allows companies to track their financial performance and make necessary adjustments if they're overspending or underspending.

Formula

Budgeted Amount - Actual Amount Spent

Example

If the budget for marketing was $1 million and the actual spent was $800,000, the budget variance would be $200,000.