Budgeting
You can create a new budget from a template, from a template file or as an empty budget, and KOSMA opens it.
A template gives a new budget its structure, so you do not start from an empty grid. You need any licence except **Free**, and you must be signed in. An expired trial counts as **Free**. The same applies when you are a guest in a shared project: you can create a budget there even if you cannot edit its existing budgets.
In Budgeting, choose **New Budget** in the **Project** menu (⌘N on a Mac, Ctrl+N on Windows). KOSMA opens **New Budget**.
You can also start from the budget dropdown at the top left of Budgeting, above **Categories**. It shows the name of the current budget. Click it, choose **Manage Budgets** at the bottom of the list, then click  **Budget** in the **Budgets Manager**.
In a project you own that has no budget yet, KOSMA opens **New Budget** on its own when you open the project, except in the demo project. In any project without a budget, KOSMA shows  **Budget** in place of the dropdown. Click it to open **New Budget**.
In the field at the top of the dialog, replace the proposed name, such as New Budget 3, with your own.
Choose a genre under **Category** and a country under **Country**. Here, **Category** means the genre of a template, not the categories in your budget. The list starts with **All**, followed by the genres of the online catalogue, such as **Feature Film**, and finally **Custom Budgets** for your own templates. Genres always appear in English, whatever your interface language. Your choice under **Category** stays until you close KOSMA.
**Country** starts with **All**, followed by the templates' country codes in alphabetical order, such as `AT`, `DE` or `INT`. `INT` marks a template that isn't specific to one country. When you switch **Category** to **Custom Budgets**, KOSMA sets **Country** back to **All**.
Click a template in the list. Each row shows the **Template** name, an **Info** text and the template's language under  **Language**. You can sort by all three columns. The list opens in the order of the catalogue, and **No Template** stays first however you sort. The **Info** text names what a template is for, such as the funding body. Use **Info** and **Country** together to find the template for your production.
Choose **No Template** to start with an empty budget.
A template from the online catalogue shows  **Downloaded** when it is already on this computer, or  **Online — not yet downloaded** when it is not. KOSMA downloads a template when you create a budget from it.
Without an internet connection, you can use only **No Template**, your own templates and the catalogue templates that are already downloaded.
To use a template someone sent you as a file, click  **Load File** and choose the `.kost` file. KOSMA also loads template files from KOSMA 2, but not spreadsheets such as Excel files. KOSMA switches **Category** to **Custom Budgets** and selects the template. This switch is temporary: when you open the dialog again, **Category** shows the one you last chose yourself.
KOSMA copies the whole template into the new budget: the structure and its accounts, fringes, taxes, currencies and variables. You enter your own figures. The new budget is not linked to the template, so later changes to the template do not change your budget.
Click **Ok**. KOSMA converted some catalogue templates from older Excel budgets. For one of these, KOSMA first shows **Template Converted from Excel**:
This template was converted from an Excel file and may not fully correspond to the original. You are responsible for verifying that all rates (fringes, supplements, effects, etc.) are up to date.
Click **Ok** in this dialog. KOSMA creates the budget and opens it.
You can change or delete only your own templates, under **Custom Budgets**. Double-click a name to rename the template, or edit its **Info** or **Language** cell in place. You cannot hide a template or delete **No Template**. To save a budget as your own template, see [save a budget as a template](/kb/article/save-a-budget-as-a-template).
KOSMA deletes your template at once, without asking, on this computer and on the server. This cannot be undone.
To delete a template, click  **Delete custom template from list** in its row.
KOSMA loads only KOSMA budget templates. If the file is not a KOSMA template, KOSMA shows:
“{file name}” is not a KOSMA template file.
If the file is a template for another module, KOSMA shows:
“{file name}” is not a budget template.
If the file is a saved budget, KOSMA shows:
“{file name}” is a budget file, not a budget template.
Ask the sender for the budget template as a `.kost` file.
On a **Free** licence, you cannot create a budget, in your own project or as a guest. When you point at the button, KOSMA shows:
This dataset is locked because your Free licence does not allow editing it. Upgrade your licence — or ask your team admin, if your licence comes from a team.
To change your licence, see [upgrade your licence](/kb/article/upgrade-your-licence).
If you are not signed in, KOSMA shows:
This dataset is read-only because you are not signed in. Log in again to make changes.
Sign in again. See [work offline or in local-only mode](/kb/article/work-offline-or-in-local-only-mode).
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