The Solar Return Chart is calculated for the exact time when the Sun transits the position it occupied in the natal chart. This time is close to the birthday but is not necessarily identical with the birthday, but can be a day or even two days earlier or later. Consequently, the solar return chart only changes once a year around the birtday.

If the settings use a sidereal zodiac, the solar return is calculated in relation to the sidereal position of the Sun. The date of the solar return can therefore differ from the tropical solar return chart.