FAQs
The three main types of financial statements are the balance sheet, the income statement, and the cash flow statement. These three statements together show the assets and liabilities of a business, its revenues, and costs, as well as its cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities.
What are the 5 financial statements? ›
The five key documents include your profit and loss statement, balance sheet, cash-flow statement, tax return, and aging reports.
What are the 3 main financial statements called? ›
The income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows are required financial statements. These three statements are informative tools that traders can use to analyze a company's financial strength and provide a quick picture of a company's financial health and underlying value.
What are the four 4 major financial statements briefly describe each? ›
They are: (1) balance sheets; (2) income statements; (3) cash flow statements; and (4) statements of shareholders' equity. Balance sheets show what a company owns and what it owes at a fixed point in time. Income statements show how much money a company made and spent over a period of time.
What are the 4 standard financial statements? ›
For-profit businesses use four primary types of financial statement: the balance sheet, the income statement, the statement of cash flow, and the statement of retained earnings.
What is the most important financial statement? ›
The income statement will be the most important if you want to evaluate a business's performance or ascertain your tax liability. The income statement (Profit and loss account) measures and reports how much profit a business has generated over time.
What are the financial statements required by GAAP? ›
The Four Financial Statements Required for GAAP Compliance
There are four different financial statements that GAAP requires companies to report: income statement (or P&L statement), balance sheet, cash flow statement/statement of cash flows, and the statement of owner's equity.
What are the golden rules of accounting? ›
1) Debit what comes in - credit what goes out. 2) Credit the giver and Debit the Receiver. 3) Credit all income and debit all expenses.
What are the 4 components of the financial statements? ›
Financial statements can be divided into four categories: balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and equity statements.
In what order do you complete financial statements? ›
Financial statements are prepared in the following order:
- Income Statement.
- Statement of Retained Earnings - also called Statement of Owners' Equity.
- The Balance Sheet.
- The Statement of Cash Flows.
There are four basic types of financial statements used to do this: income statements, balance sheets, statements of cash flow, and statements of owner equity.
What does GAAP stand for? ›
Generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, are standards that encompass the details, complexities, and legalities of business and corporate accounting. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) uses GAAP as the foundation for its comprehensive set of approved accounting methods and practices.
How to read a balance sheet for dummies? ›
The balance sheet is broken into two main areas. Assets are on the top or left, and below them or to the right are the company's liabilities and shareholders' equity. A balance sheet is also always in balance, where the value of the assets equals the combined value of the liabilities and shareholders' equity.
What are 5 elements of financial statements? ›
The major elements of the financial statements (i.e., assets, liabilities, fund balance/net assets, revenues, expenditures, and expenses) are discussed below, including the proper accounting treatments and disclosure requirements.
What are the basics of financial statements? ›
The financial statements are used by investors, market analysts, and creditors to evaluate a company's financial health and earnings potential. The three major financial statement reports are the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. Not all financial statements are created equally.
How do the four financial statements flow together? ›
Finally, it is important to note that the income statement, statement of retained earnings, and balance sheet articulate. This means they “mesh together” in a self-balancing fashion. The income for the period ties into the statement of retained earnings, and the ending retained earnings ties into the balance sheet.
What are the 5 elements of the financial statements? ›
The major elements of the financial statements (i.e., assets, liabilities, fund balance/net assets, revenues, expenditures, and expenses) are discussed below, including the proper accounting treatments and disclosure requirements.
What are the 5 financial statement analysis? ›
What are the five methods of financial statement analysis? There are five commonplace approaches to financial statement analysis: horizontal analysis, vertical analysis, ratio analysis, trend analysis and cost-volume profit analysis. Each technique allows the building of a more detailed and nuanced financial profile.
What are the 5 steps of financial reporting? ›
Defining the accounting cycle with steps: (1) Financial transactions, (2) Journal entries, (3) Posting to the Ledger, (4) Trial Balance Period, and (5) Reporting Period with Financial Reporting and Auditing.
How many basic financial statements are there? ›
There are four basic types of financial statements used to do this: income statements, balance sheets, statements of cash flow, and statements of owner equity.