"Quarter" is a word with several meanings. On the one hand, this is the name of a part of an urban area bounded by intersecting streets, on the other hand, it is a unit of time. The second term is actively used in accounting and characterizes the reporting period during the calendar year. This article is dedicated to him.
Astronomical year
For chronology, a period of time is used, which corresponds to the phase of the revolution of the planet Earth around the Sun. This period is 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 51 seconds. In the Julian and Gregorian calendars, the duration of the time cycle is 365 days.
It is customary to add a day every four years to avoid shifting the vernal equinox. The extra hours, minutes, and seconds add up, making the year a leap year. Then a new date appears in the calendar - February 29.
The year is divided into 12 months. During the revolution of the Earth, due totilt of its axis to the plane of the ecliptic, the seasons change. For convenience, in Russia they are counted from the first day of a particular month: autumn - from September 1; winter - from December 1, spring - from March 1, summer - from June 1.
And how many quarters are there in a year, and for what purpose did this unit of measure appear?
Origin of the term "quarter"
The word is of Latin origin and has become part of the German language. It literally translates as "a quarter". The very meaning of the term seems to carry the answer to the question of how many quarters are in a year. There are four of them, because we are talking about the fourth part.
In the Russian Federation, this period is usually denoted by Roman numerals: IV, III, II, I. And in English-speaking countries (including the USA) - Arabic numerals, before which the Latin letter Q is written. For example, Q4. This unit of measurement is used in economic statistics and accounting to sum up the interim results of the year.
How long is a quarter
There are also four seasons, and each one lasts 3 months. Does this mean that the concepts of "season" and "quarter" are identical? And under what circumstances is this possible? Indeed, the quarter also lasts 3 months. But he counts from the beginning of the year and beyond - in order, regardless of the season. We would observe a complete coincidence when celebrating the New Year, for example, on the first of March.
This could also have happened among the ancient Slavs, who celebrated the transition of the calendar in the fall. new to themthe year counted from the first of September.
So, how many quarters are there in a year? There are four of them, let's name them by months (there are three of them) and compare them with the seasons.
| I (Q1) | January - March | December - February (winter) |
| II (Q2) | April - June | March-May (spring) |
| III (Q3) | July - September | June - August (summer) |
| IV (Q4) | October - December | September - November (Autumn) |
Why is it necessary to divide into quarters
Having decided how many quarters a year, you should figure out why and to whom such a division is necessary. Any production needs planning of its activities and summing up. For this, statistics are used, as well as financial statements.
During the financial year, it is necessary to be able to draw intermediate conclusions and correct certain indicators. A month is too short a period of time for that. Therefore, quarters have become an established tradition in the world.
The number of months in them is the same, but there are no days. The least of them are in the first quarter - 90. In a leap year - 91. The same number in the second quarter. Most of the days in the next two - 92. This brings certain inconveniences, so the world community has been discussing the possibility of a different financial calendar for more than a century.
But so far no alternative has been created, because the modern Gregorian calendar is closest to the astronomical one.
Interesting facts
In Soviet times, some industries started the financial year in October, but over time this tradition has become obsolete, as it introduced confusion.
In accounting, when summing up, they use the concepts of "reporting period". We are talking about the terms during which you can submit a report, for example, to the tax office. So, all indicators for three months should be submitted within 20 days from the end of the quarter, otherwise pen alties will follow.
