Free Cash Flow Calculator
The real cash left over.
Calculate free cash flow from revenue, operating costs, taxes, and capex — the cash a business actually has left after running and maintaining itself.
What this tool does
Free cash flow combines operating cash flow with capital expenditure and working capital changes to show the actual cash remaining after a business or entity covers its operating costs, tax obligations, and investments in assets and working capital. This calculator takes revenue, operating expenses, taxes paid, capital expenditures, and working capital change as inputs, then calculates operating cash flow, free cash flow, and FCF margin. The result illustrates how much cash is genuinely available after these outflows—a figure that differs from accounting profit. Revenue and operating expenses typically drive the result most significantly; large capital expenditure or working capital swings can also materially affect the outcome. This tool models scenarios ranging from early-stage business planning to established operations, though it assumes inputs reflect actual cash movements rather than accrual accounting adjustments, and does not account for debt servicing, dividend payments, or non-operating items.
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Formula Used
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Disclaimer
Results are estimates for educational purposes only. They do not constitute financial advice. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Free Cash Flow (FCF) is cash available after operating expenses, taxes, and capital expenditures. For businesses, it's the truest measure of financial health - more reliable than accounting profit. For personal finance, FCF is income left after all regular outflows, available for investment or discretionary spending.
Revenue 500,000, operating expenses 300,000, taxes 30,000, capex 40,000, working capital change 10,000: operating cash flow 170,000, FCF 120,000, FCF margin 24%. Healthy businesses typically show 15-25% FCF margins; tech/software often 30-40%; capital-intensive industries 5-15%.
The tool works for personal cashflow too. Revenue = income. Operating expenses = living costs. Taxes = all tax paid. Capex = home improvements, major purchases. Working capital change = change in savings cushion. Result shows real discretionary cash - often different from what salary suggests.
Run it with sensible defaults
Using revenue of 500,000, operating expenses of 300,000, taxes paid of 30,000, capital expenditures of 40,000, the calculation works out to 120,000.00. The defaults are meant as a starting point, not a recommendation.
The levers in this calculation
The inputs — Revenue (Annual), Operating Expenses, Taxes Paid, Capital Expenditures, and Working Capital Change — do not pull with equal force. Not every input has equal weight. Adjusting one input at a time toward extreme values shows which ones move the result most.
How the math works
Operating cash flow = revenue - operating expenses - taxes. FCF = OCF - capex - working capital change. Margin = FCF / revenue.
What to do with a low result
A disappointing result is information, not a judgement. Pick the single input that dragged the figure down most and focus the next quarter on that one factor. Breadth-first improvement rarely works; depth-first on the worst input usually does.
What this doesn't capture
The score is a composite of the inputs you provide. Life context — job security, family obligations, health, housing — doesn't appear in the math but shapes the real picture. Use the number as a prompt, not a verdict.
££500,000 - ££300,000 - ££30,000 - ££40,000 = 120,000.00.
Inputs
This example uses typical values for illustration. Adjust the inputs above to match a specific situation and see how the result changes.
Sources & Methodology
Methodology
The calculator computes free cash flow by subtracting five components from annual revenue: operating expenses, taxes paid, capital expenditures, and change in working capital. This calculation models the cash available to a business after covering day-to-day operations and investments in assets and working capital. The free cash flow margin is then derived by dividing the result by revenue, expressing free cash flow as a percentage of total revenue. The model assumes constant values for each input and treats all figures as actual cash movements. It does not account for non-cash charges, financing costs, interest payments, timing differences between cash flows, or variations in working capital efficiency. Results reflect a simplified snapshot based on the inputs provided.
References
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does FCF matter more than profit?
What's a good FCF margin?
How do I use this personally?
What is working capital change?
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