Example numbers are filled in. Replace them with yours.
Your monthly pay
From last year, pick your three slowest months. For each one, what was left after every other bill was paid?
A little cushion below your slowest month.
Your quarterly bonus
Leave blank to skip the bonus.
Ask your CPA for your real rate.
A cushion for slow months and surprises.
Pay yourself every month
$0
Enter what was left in your three slowest months.
This quarter
Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere. This is a planning tool, not tax advice.
About owner pay
Why base it on my slowest month?
A fixed pay only works if the business can cover it every month. Your slowest month is the honest test. Good months show up in your quarterly bonus instead.
Salary, draws, or distributions?
That depends on how your business is set up for taxes, so it's a question for your CPA. The habit of paying yourself a set amount on a schedule works the same no matter how the business is structured.
What if the number is too low to live on?
That's worth knowing. It tells you the business needs a pricing or cost fix, not more hours from you.
Why does steady owner pay matter to a lender or buyer?
When your pay jumps around, the profit on paper jumps with it, and nobody can tell what the business really earns. A steady number makes the business easier to read and easier to value.