> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://control-dev.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Compare actuals with plans and prior periods

> Put one or several plans, the previous period, or the same period last year next to the actuals, break the variance down by entity, local account, counterparty, or dimension, and show a plan in the open months.

Use **Compare** on a statement to see the actuals next to a plan or an earlier period, with the difference in its own column. The comparison keeps the statement's period, entities, dimension filters, and currency, so a variance is between like and like.

## Where you can compare

**Compare** is in the toolbar of the **Actuals** view of the P\&L, Functional P\&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, and custom reports, for example [**P\&L actuals**](https://app.control.dev/financial-statements/pnl/actuals) (Profit & Loss → Actuals).

| Comparison | What the extra columns show |
| - | - |
| **Plan** | The plan's value for the same months, and the difference. Up to four plans can be compared at once. |
| **Previous period** | The period immediately before each column: the previous month, quarter, or year. |
| **Same period last year** | The same month, quarter, or year one year earlier. |

Plans show their plan and version name, for example **FY 2026 budget · Reforecast Q3**. Several plans appear in the order of the list; the picker says **list order = column order**. Plan values are shown in the group currency.

## Add a comparison

1. Open the statement in **Actuals** and choose the period, entities, and dimension filter you want to review.
2. Select **Compare**.
3. Choose **Plan** and pick a budget or forecast, or choose **Previous period** or **Same period last year**. Select **Add another plan** to compare a second plan.
4. Close the popover. The actual, the comparison, and the difference appear for every period column.

## Break the variance down

Open **Breakdown** in the toolbar to add row levels under each account: one row per **Entity**, **Local account**, **Counterparty**, or **Dimension item**. The levels work while a plan is compared, so you can see which entity, ledger account, supplier, or cost centre explains a variance.

* A plan written at the group account level shows a value on the account row and blank plan cells on the rows beneath it. A plan written per entity or per local account shows its values on those rows too.
* Counterparty rows sit directly under the account while a plan is compared; item-group levels are not available.
* While several plans are compared, only dimension item levels are available.
* Dimension rows defined in the layout stay in place when a plan is compared.

## Show a plan in the open months

When the accounting source has closed some months and not others, the column headers split into **Actuals · closed through** the last closed month and **Open**. Select the **Open** header and pick a plan to fill the open months with its values instead of the incomplete bookkeeping; choose **Current bookkeeping** to show the ledger again. On the Cash Flow, the plan continues from the ledger balances at the close date, so the year reads as actuals to date plus the plan.

Row splits need the open months and the plan comparison to use the same plan. Comments are not available on cells that show plan values; see [Comment on financial statements](https://control-dev.mintlify.site/product-docs/reporting/statement-comments.md). Which months count as closed is explained in [Closed accounting periods](https://control-dev.mintlify.site/product-docs/integrations/closed-periods.md).

## See why the plan has its number

When a compared plan's cell has an explanation written in the budget, the statement cell shows it under **Budget explanation** when you select the cell. The explanation is read-only here; change it in the budget as described in [Explain budget values and attach source files](https://control-dev.mintlify.site/product-docs/budgets/explain-budget-values.md).

## Keep the comparison in a link or a saved view

The comparison is part of the page address, so a copied link opens the same comparison. Saved views keep it as well.

## Limits

* Up to four plans at a time. Only plans whose period overlaps the statement's months are offered.
* **Previous period** and **Same period last year** cannot be combined with the entity pivot.
* Plans are compared in the group currency, so switch the statement to the group currency to read the difference.

## Next steps

* [Comment on financial statements](https://control-dev.mintlify.site/product-docs/reporting/statement-comments.md) to ask about a variance on the cell where it appears.
* [Plan and review a budget](https://control-dev.mintlify.site/product-docs/budgets/plan-and-review.md) to create the versions you compare.
* [Drill down from a financial statement](https://control-dev.mintlify.site/product-docs/reporting/drill-down.md) to reconcile the actual side of a variance.


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