What is budgetary control?

Budgetary control is a system in which income and spending are compared with a company's budget to make sure the plans are being followed. It allows companies to adjust their spending as necessary to make a profit.

Every company has a budget, and at times, that budget needs to be revised to account for spending and an increase or decrease in income. In essence, budgetary control compares actual results with budgets. If discrepancies are found, key players within a company have two choices. They can either control the spending of the company or revise the original budgets. Budgetary control helps to coordinate and organize a company's financial activities.