Profit and Loss Template

A profit and loss statement is a summary of financial performance of a business over a certain amount of time. It shows the past performance of the business, and small businesses use the statement to track how their business is performing. The profit and loss statement’s job is to measure the profit or loss of a certain business over a period of time. Overall, the statement basically summarizes the income for a period and then subtracts the expenses incurred for the same period of time. The profit and loss template that is on this page is free to use, the template is customizable, and overall it’s easy-to-use.

Using the Profit and Loss Template

Making regular statements with the profit and loss template will help businesses to:

• Calculate their income and expenses when preparing their tax returns
• Compare projected performance with their actual performance
• Calculate how much money they’re really earning
• Use past performance to forecast future performance trends
• They can show business growth and financial health over time
• Detect problems in regard to expenses, sales, and margins within a reasonable amount of time
• Provide proof of income if they need to apply for a loan
• Compare performance against the industry benchmarks

These type of statements are frequently prepared for various management purposes. For example, large public companies are required by allow to publish annual profit and loss statements which all must comply with specific formats. Small proprietary companies, sole traders, and partnerships are not required by law to prepare a profit and loss statement with their tax return.

The best way businesses can use the profit and loss statement is through the management of their business. Declining profits, stagnant sales, increasing salaries, increased depreciation, and increased cost of goods are all potential major problems for businesses. To determine if their profits are in a good range, businesses can compare performance against a variety of industry benchmarks via a profit and loss template. This will show them how much they have to improve in order to reach their goals.

Good managers know how to incorporate a profit and loss template into their business. It can improve financial costs, operating reporting, optimize cash management, increase business value, and significantly reduce operating costs. There are no shortcuts to running a good businesses, and good managers need to know how to manage their costs appropriately.

Download: Profit and Loss Template