4-4-5 Calendar

A 4-4-5 calendar splits a fiscal year into four quarters of 13 weeks, each made of periods of 4, 4 and 5 weeks, so every period starts on the same weekday and quarters can be compared week for week. This generator makes 4-4-5, 4-5-4 and 5-4-4 calendars for any fiscal year: choose the weekday the year ends on, and whether it is the last one in the month or the one nearest the month end, and it lists every period and week, shows which years have 53 weeks, and tells you which fiscal week any date falls in. The retail 4-5-4 preset follows the National Retail Federation’s rule (the year ends on the Saturday nearest 31 January) and matches every 53-week year NRF lists: 2006, 2012, 2017 and 2023. Download the year as a PDF to print or a CSV with every week for a spreadsheet.

100% private — everything runs in your browser. The calendar is worked out on your device; nothing is uploaded.

How to make a 4-4-5 calendar

1. Pick a preset (retail 4-5-4, or a 4-4-5 year ending in December) or set your own rule.
2. Choose the pattern (4-4-5, 4-5-4 or 5-4-4), the month and weekday the year ends on, and whether it is the last one or the nearest one.
3. Type the fiscal year: the table lists the 12 periods and the box shows the 53-week years nearby.
4. Check which fiscal week a date is in, then download the PDF or the CSV of every week.

What you can use it for

• A retail or restaurant reporting calendar
• Comparing sales week for week with last year
• Planning payroll, inventory counts and closes on period ends
• Checking whether next year has 53 weeks
• Sharing period dates with a team in a spreadsheet

Retail 4-5-4 calendar for fiscal 2027

Period	Month	Quarter	Weeks	Starts	Ends
1	February	Q1	4	Sun, Jan 31, 2027	Sat, Feb 27, 2027
2	March	Q1	5	Sun, Feb 28, 2027	Sat, Apr 3, 2027
3	April	Q1	4	Sun, Apr 4, 2027	Sat, May 1, 2027
4	May	Q2	4	Sun, May 2, 2027	Sat, May 29, 2027
5	June	Q2	5	Sun, May 30, 2027	Sat, Jul 3, 2027
6	July	Q2	4	Sun, Jul 4, 2027	Sat, Jul 31, 2027
7	August	Q3	4	Sun, Aug 1, 2027	Sat, Aug 28, 2027
8	September	Q3	5	Sun, Aug 29, 2027	Sat, Oct 2, 2027
9	October	Q3	4	Sun, Oct 3, 2027	Sat, Oct 30, 2027
10	November	Q4	4	Sun, Oct 31, 2027	Sat, Nov 27, 2027
11	December	Q4	5	Sun, Nov 28, 2027	Sat, Jan 1, 2028
12	January	Q4	4	Sun, Jan 2, 2028	Sat, Jan 29, 2028

NRF rule: the fiscal year ends on the Saturday nearest 31 January and is named by the year it starts in. Fiscal 2027 has 52 weeks; fiscal 2028 has 53, ending Saturday, February 3, 2029.

53-week years, 2020–2045

Fiscal year rule	53-week years
Retail 4-5-4 (NRF): Saturday nearest 31 January, named by the year it starts	2023, 2028, 2034, 2040, 2045
Last Saturday of December, named by the year it ends	2022, 2028, 2033, 2039, 2044
Saturday nearest 31 December, named by the year it ends	2020, 2025, 2031, 2036, 2042

NRF lists 2006, 2012, 2017 and 2023 as 53-week years; the tool matches all four and every 52-week year in NRF’s calendars from 2013 to 2027.

How a 4-4-5 year is built

The tool finds the year-end date from your rule, counts the weeks back to the previous year end (52 or 53), and fills 12 periods with your pattern: 4-4-5, 4-5-4 or 5-4-4 weeks, three periods to a quarter. In a 53-week year the extra week is added to the last period. Periods are named after the calendar month they mostly fall in.

More for planning

ISO week numbers for any date: Week Number. The calendar year on one page: 2027 Calendar. Any month of any year: Calendar Maker.

Frequently asked questions

What is a 4-4-5 calendar?

A fiscal calendar in which each quarter has 13 weeks, split into periods of 4, 4 and 5 weeks. 4-5-4 and 5-4-4 put the 5-week period in the middle or first. Every period ends on the same weekday, which makes week-for-week comparisons easy.

What is a 53-week year?

52 weeks are 364 days, so the year end drifts by a day each year (two after a leap day). When it has drifted far enough, the fiscal year gets a 53rd week. Over any 400 years, 71 fiscal years have 53 weeks.

Which retail years have 53 weeks?

Under the NRF 4-5-4 rule, 2006, 2012, 2017 and 2023 had 53 weeks, as NRF lists them; by the same rule the next are 2028, 2034, 2040, 2045. 2027 has 52 weeks: Sunday, January 31, 2027 to Saturday, January 29, 2028.

How does NRF decide on a 53rd week?

NRF lays out 52 weeks; if four or more days of January are left over, it adds a 53rd week. That is the same as ending the year on the Saturday nearest 31 January, which is the rule this tool uses for the preset.

Where does the 53rd week go?

This tool adds it to the last period, so the fourth quarter has 14 weeks. Some companies place it elsewhere or restate the year for comparisons; check your own policy.

What is the difference between “last” and “nearest”?

“Last Saturday of December” always ends the year in December. “Saturday nearest 31 December” can end it up to three days into January, so year ends stay closer to the calendar month end.

Can I find the fiscal week for a date?

Yes. Type a date: for example 26 November 2027 is in week 43 of fiscal 2027, period 10 (November), Q4 on the retail 4-5-4 calendar.

Is this accounting advice?

No. It is a date planner. Your fiscal year rule comes from your company’s policy and your accountant.

Is my information uploaded?

No. Everything is worked out in this browser, and the files you download are made on your device.