Profit and Loss Statement

Use a Profit and Loss Statement to track your business's progress annually.

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The Profit and Loss Statement outlines a company's expenses, costs, and income for a specific timeframe.

What Is a Profit and Loss Statement?

A Profit and Loss Statement summarizes a company's total and net income, expenses, and costs for some time. This document can be for any period, but most businesses use it monthly, quarterly, or yearly.

Whether you've just launched a business or run a successful company, the Profit and Loss Statement serves to track a business's performance. With this information, it's easier to determine whether a particular period was profitable or if it resulted in a loss.

The Profit and Loss Statement allows businesses to figure out if their revenue can cover all expenses. Because the Profit and Loss Statement contains detailed information about a company's income, fees, and losses, businesses use it to identify sales trends and profit or loss drivers.

Other Names for the Profit and Loss Statement

Depending on your state, a Profit and Loss Statement may also be known as:

  • A Statement of Profit and Loss
  • Income Statement
  • Statement of Operations
  • Statement of Financial Results or Income
  • Earnings Statement
  • Expenses Statement

Who Needs a Profit and Loss Statement?

Every company needs a Profit and Loss Statement, one of the four primary financial statements. It helps companies figure out if they're spending more than they're earning and the owners' equity position.

Why Use 360 Legal Forms for the Profit and Loss Statement?

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Create your own documents by answering our easy-to-understand questionnaires to get exactly what you need out of your Profit and Loss Statement.

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How to Create a Profit and Loss Statement 360 Legal Forms?

Creating a Profit and Loss Statement can be a hassle, but it doesn't have to be. It's simple to make a Profit and Loss Statement on 360 Legal Forms. Provide the necessary information in the template, and you'll get a document in no time. 

Let 360 Legal Forms help with our extensive library of attorney-vetted legal forms. The process is fast and easy. All you have to do is fill out our easy-to-understand questionnaire. Once complete, simply download your form as a PDF or Word document from your secure online account.

What Information Will I Need to Create My Profit and Loss Statement?

To create your document, please provide:

  • Transaction listing: All accounting transactions and payments made using the business credit card
  • Petty cash listing: All accounting transactions for the petty fund
  • Income sources: All income transactions, whether by check, credit card, or another payment method
  • Sale information: Details about sales generated
  • Discount information: Details about discounts
  • Returns information: Details about the product returns
  • Software: Information about the accounting software used

Profit and Loss Statement Terms

  • Petty cash: An amount of money utilized for paying smaller expenses.
  • Other income: Sources of income not related to the company's main interest. This includes dividend income, earned interest, and one-time revenues.
  • Net income: Income left over after paying for everyday business expenses.

Profit and Loss Statement Signing Requirements

The Profit and Loss Statement is not a legal document and does not have to be signed or notarized – unless one is ordered by a court or another authority to sign it.

What to Do With the Profit and Loss Statement?

Keep the Profit and Loss Statement in your records together with other financial statements, so you always have the document at your disposal. Some other significant statements include the balance sheet and cash flow statement.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Profit and Loss Statement outlines all expenses, costs, and revenue made over a certain period. The balance sheet shows a company’s expenses, liabilities, and shareholders’ equity for a particular period. This document gives investors insight into the company’s operations and enables them to compare assets and liabilities.

All publicly-traded companies are required to file Profit and Loss Statements with the SEC. Doing so enables investors and regulators to scrutinize the company’s management and inspect its financial status. When drafting a Profit and Loss Statement, businesses in the United States follow GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). Depending on the state, some businesses might not have to use GAAP, while startups don’t necessarily need to provide a Profit and Loss Statement.

Some states require startups to create a Profit and Loss Statement. However, this document is drafted pro-forma. That means that it shows estimated numbers. When creating a Profit and Loss Statement, businesses must gather relevant documentation regarding the transactions. But new companies that don’t have these documents can estimate future income, expenses, and costs. 

Cookie jar accounting, one-time transactions, income manipulations, misinterpretations of expenses, and financial conditions are considered red flags in a Profit and Loss Statement. It Is easy to manipulate numbers, so if anything raises suspicion, it’s crucial to check all transactions once again. Compare all four major accounting statements to try and figure out mistakes. If you find an error on time, you might be able to correct it and prevent a significant financial loss.

The four major accounting statements are the Profit and Loss Statement, balance sheet, income statement, and cash Flow Statement. The balance sheet outlines revenues and liabilities for a particular period. A cash flow statement keeps track of the amount of cash flowing in and out of a company and the income statement is a breakdown of revenue, expenses, and income. 

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Applicable to all 50 states
Applicable to all 50 states

Our documents are vetted by lawyers and are applicable to all 50 states.