yCalculator

Working Capital Calculator

Last updated: April 2026

Current Assets

£

Money owed by customers.

£
£
£

Current Liabilities

Money owed to suppliers.

£

Due within 12 months.

£

VAT, PAYE, Corporation Tax.

£
£

Liquidity Metrics

Current assets£100,000
Current liabilities£60,000
Working capital£40,000
Current ratio1.67x
Quick ratio1.17x
Cash ratio0.33x

adequate working capital position

  • Your current ratio is within a broadly healthy range for many SMEs.

Ratio Gauges

Current ratio1.67x · adequate

Benchmark: 1.5-2.0x

Quick ratio1.17x · adequate

Benchmark: 1.0-1.5x

Cash ratio0.33x · adequate

Benchmark: 0.2-0.5x

Ratio Benchmarks

RatioYour figureBenchmarkAssessment
Current1.67x1.5-2.0xadequate
Quick1.17x1.0-1.5xadequate
Cash0.33x0.2-0.5xadequate

Industry Note

Working capital benchmarks vary by industry. Retailers often have lower current ratios because they collect cash quickly. Service businesses typically need higher ratios due to slower collection. Compare your ratio to industry peers rather than generic benchmarks.

What is working capital?

Working capital is the difference between a business's current assets and current liabilities. It represents the funds available to run day-to-day operations. Positive working capital means the business can cover its short-term obligations; negative working capital is a warning sign of potential liquidity problems.

What is a good current ratio?

A current ratio of 1.5 to 2.0 is generally considered healthy for most businesses. You have £1.50 to £2.00 of current assets for every £1.00 of current liabilities. Below 1.0 means current liabilities exceed current assets, which can indicate liquidity risk. Above 3.0 may indicate idle cash that could be put to work.

What is the difference between current ratio and quick ratio?

The quick ratio, also called the acid test ratio, excludes inventory from current assets because inventory may not be quickly convertible to cash. It gives a more conservative view of liquidity. For businesses with high inventory such as retailers or manufacturers, the quick ratio is often a more useful measure than the current ratio.

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