What’s included in the profit and loss - standard report
Description

The Profit and loss report, also known as an Income Statement, provides a summary of your business’s financial performance. It calculates total sales and deducts associated expenses.

It helps business owners, managers, and investors assess profitability and make informed decisions.


What’s on the Profit and loss - Standard report?

Expand the sections below to view more information.

▼ Sales

The Sales section includes all nominal accounts related to revenue. The accounts displayed vary depending on the business type:

  • Product-based businesses – Revenue from selling goods
  • Service-based businesses – Revenue from providing services (for example, consultations)
  • Project-based businesses – Revenue from one-time projects, including transactional accounts
  • Recurring revenue businesses – Income from ongoing sales of goods or services, such as:
    • Subscription fees
    • Renting or leasing assets
    • Licensing content

Sales income includes both paid and outstanding invoices based on accrual accounting.

▼ Direct Expenses (Cost of Sales)

Direct expenses are the costs of producing your goods and services, such as:

  • Raw materials
  • Labour costs
  • Manufacturing overhead
  • Service-related costs such as employee wages and supplies

Managing direct expenses effectively helps maintain profit margins.

▼ Gross Profit or Loss

Here's hoe gross profit works:

Total Sales minus Direct Expenses equals Gross Profit.

If expenses exceed sales, a Gross Loss appears.

▼ Percentage Profit (Gross Profit Margin)

Gross Profit Margin measures how much of your revenue exceeds direct expenses. It's calculated as:

(Gross Profit ÷ Total Sales) × 100

A higher percentage indicates efficient revenue generation, while a lower percentage suggests high production costs or pricing issues.

▼ Overheads (Indirect Expenses)

Overheads are the costs of running your business that don't come from producing goods or services, such as:

  • Wages for non-sales employees
  • Rent and utilities
  • Advertising and marketing costs
  • Business travel expenses

You'll also sometimes see suspense accounts under overheads.

▼ Net Profit

Net Profit represents the overall profitability after deducting all expenses:

Gross Profit minus Overheads equals Net Profit.

A positive net profit indicates financial success, while a negative net profit signals a loss. You use the net profit to work out your tax.

▼ Net Profit Margin

Net Profit Margin measures net income as a percentage of total sales:

(Net Profit ÷ Total Sales) × 100

This helps investors and business owners evaluate profitability.

▼ Totals and Year-to-Date (YTD) Tracking

Businesses can track their Net Profit as a cumulative YTD value, especially for tax purposes.

▼ Category Percentage Totals

You can show each category's totals as a percentage of its subsection.

Calculation:

(Ledger Account Balance ÷ Subsection Total) × 100

This feature is available when you select the Show Accounts option.


What’s not on the Profit and loss - Standard report?

The report doesn't include:

  • Draft and pro forma invoices
  • Gratuities collected and paid
  • Sales and income taxes
  • Payments and receipts
  • Income such as grants or owner cash injections
  • Purchases of significant equipment or assets
  • Loans taken or repaid
  • Owner drawings
  • Investments

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Run the Profit and Loss - Standard report