Home Depot’s fiscal year looks like Walmart’s but the employee experience is nothing alike
Home Depot and Walmart both run fiscal years from February through January. They both use retail-style fiscal calendars. They both pay associates on biweekly schedules. On paper, the structure looks identical. But the way Home Depot ties its fiscal calendar to employee compensation is actually quite different, and understanding those differences matters if you work there or recently left.
The biggest difference is what is on the other side of the fiscal calendar. Walmart has employee discounts, Success Sharing at Home Depot works differently, and the way bonuses connect to fiscal quarters creates a system that rewards (or frustrates) associates in ways that are unique to this company. The Home Depot fiscal calendar is the backbone of all of it.
Home Depot FY2026 dates and structure
Home Depot’s fiscal year ends on the Sunday closest to January 31. Here are the key dates:
- FY2026 start date: February 2, 2025
- FY2026 end date: February 1, 2026
- FY2027 start date: February 2, 2026
- FY2027 end date: January 31, 2027
- Calendar structure: 4-5-4 retail calendar, 52 weeks (standard year)
- Quarterly breakdown: Each quarter contains 13 weeks, divided into periods of 4, 5, and 4 weeks
Note that Home Depot labels its fiscal years based on when they end. So “FY2026” actually refers to the year ending in early 2026, covering February 2025 through January 2026. If you started working at Home Depot in March 2026, you are in FY2027 from the company’s perspective. This naming convention trips up a lot of new hires and even some seasoned associates.
How Home Depot’s fiscal calendar compares to competitors
Home Depot and Lowe’s follow nearly identical fiscal year structures. Both end in late January or early February, and both use similar 4-5-4 calendars. The real differences between these two competitors show up in compensation.
Lowe’s gives associates a 10% employee discount on merchandise. Home Depot gives you zero merchandise discount, which is the single most surprising fact about working there. Instead, Home Depot compensates through other mechanisms tied to the fiscal calendar:
Success Sharing bonuses are calculated based on your store’s fiscal half-year performance. The program pays out twice per year, once after the first half (Q1-Q2) and once after the second half (Q3-Q4). In February 2026, Home Depot raised the threshold for Success Sharing from 90% to 95% of plan, and cut the minimum payout from 50% to 25%. That change has been controversial, particularly during a stretch of weak housing market performance.
ESPP (Employee Stock Purchase Plan) lets you buy Home Depot stock at a 15% discount. Purchase windows align with fiscal periods.
Homer Fund emergency grants, worth more than $300 million since 1999, are available year-round and are not tied to fiscal periods. But funding levels are reviewed on the fiscal calendar cycle.
If you want to understand all the ways Home Depot compensates associates without a traditional discount, the Home Depot employee benefits page has the full breakdown. The Home Depot employee discounts page also explains why there is no merchandise discount and what you get instead.
Home Depot’s biweekly pay schedule
Associates at Home Depot are paid biweekly on Fridays. That gives you 26 paychecks per year. Pay periods run from Monday through the following second Sunday.
You can view your pay stubs, tax documents, and manage your direct deposit through MyTHDHR at mythdhr.com, specifically through the Self-Service section under Pay and Taxes. If you are having login trouble, the Home Depot login portals page covers MyTHDHR, MyApron, and Kronos.
When a scheduled Friday payday falls on a federal holiday (like the July 4th observed holiday or Christmas), Home Depot processes pay on the prior Thursday. Direct deposits will usually hit your account on that earlier date.
Two months each year will include three paychecks instead of two. The specific months depend on your pay cycle, but it is worth marking them in your own calendar. That third paycheck in a month is often the easiest money to redirect toward savings or debt.
Key dates tied to the Home Depot fiscal calendar
Success Sharing payout (twice per year): Calculated after each fiscal half. The first payout covers Q1-Q2 (roughly February through July), and the second covers Q3-Q4 (August through January). Payouts typically arrive several weeks after each half closes.
Open enrollment (fall): Benefits enrollment for the next plan year runs in the fall, usually October. Changes take effect at the start of the new fiscal year in February. The Home Depot employee benefits page covers health insurance, 401(k) matching (up to 5%), and the ESPP.
PTO changes: Home Depot recently shortened the vacation eligibility wait from 1 year to 6 months. Your vacation accrual resets at your anniversary date, not the fiscal year-end, which is different from some other retailers. Check the Home Depot PTO policies page for the full schedule.
Performance reviews and raises: Annual reviews align with the fiscal year cycle. Raises process after your fiscal-year review, typically in the spring.
W-2 forms: These follow the standard calendar year (Jan-Dec), not the fiscal year. Current associates access them through MyTHDHR under Self-Service, then Pay and Taxes. Former associates use the separate Former Associates portal on mythdhr.com. Details are on the Home Depot W-2 page and the former employee W-2 page.
Why the February fiscal year start matters for quitting
If you are thinking about leaving Home Depot, the fiscal calendar should factor into your timing. Quitting before the end of a fiscal half means you may forfeit your Success Sharing bonus for that period. If your store was on track to hit its targets, walking out in the last few weeks of a fiscal half could cost you money.
On the other hand, quitting in February or March (right after a fiscal half closes) lets you collect any earned bonuses and start fresh somewhere else. The Home Depot quitting process page covers resignation steps, final paycheck timing, and rehire eligibility.
For state-specific rules about when your final paycheck must arrive, check the Home Depot final paycheck laws page.
Bottom line
The fiscal year at Home Depot runs from early February through late January, using a 4-5-4 retail calendar with four 13-week quarters. Associates are paid biweekly on Fridays, 26 times per year. Bonuses, benefits enrollment, and performance reviews all follow the fiscal calendar, while W-2s and tax obligations follow the standard January-to-December calendar year.
For questions about your pay or HR issues, contact myTHDHR@homedepot.com or call 1-866-698-4347. The full Home Depot HR contact guide has escalation paths for specific issues. And for a complete overview of everything available to Home Depot associates, visit the Home Depot employee resource hub.