Income Statement Examples Using GAAP & IFRS Methods

In the bottom section of your income statement, below your operating activities, create a section for your non-operating activities. Add your revenues and expenses from non-operating activities, including interest and the sale or purchase of investments. Gross Profit represents the difference between sales and the cost of goods sold (COGS).

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These items are important as they can significantly impact the overall financial results, even though they are not part of the regular business activities. Furthermore, the multi-step income statement provides clarity on operational efficiency versus non-operational financial activities. Operating income specifically highlights how well your core business is performing, unclouded by one-time gains or losses, or financing costs multiple step income statement example like interest.
Income Statement Examples
In return, the business spent money on various activities, including wages, rent, transportation, etc., leading to $14,200 in expenses. The business also gained $1,500 from the sale of an old van and incurred a $2,000 loss from a pending lawsuit. In the end, the main purpose of all profit and loss statements is to communicate the profitability and business activities of the company with end users. A multi-step income statement reports much of the same general information included in a single-step income statement, but it retained earnings balance sheet uses multiple equations to determine the net income, or profit, of the company. The single-step income statement offers a straightforward accounting of the financial activity of your business.

Multi Step Income Statement
- Input all revenue and sales into the appropriate row and delete as necessary for sales, services, or interest.
- It might have lost money from its operations but had a huge insurance settlement that pushed a profit to the bottom line.
- International financial reporting standards and practices do not prescribe a detailed format for the income statement.
- It is a detailed report unlike the single-step income statement and utilizes multiple accounting equations to calculate net profit for a business.
- Unlike the operating section, the non-operating section is not split into subcategories.
- With so many categories and segments, there’s a risk of drawing conclusions based on isolated data points without considering the statement as a whole.
It is possible that management could deliberately shift expenses out of the cost of goods sold category and into operating expenses in order to falsely imply an improvement in gross margins. This could be considered a form of financial statement fraud, and can only be perpetrated when the multi-step format is used, since readers are focusing on the content of the presented subtotals. Also, its compulsory for publicly traded companies to prepare the multi-step income statements based on the government’s requirements for statutory compliance. Investors also use the gross profit to determine the profitability of primary business activities and the general health of the company.
- In addition, interest income earned from capital lying in the bank is also part of a non-operating revenue portfolio.
- This statement shows how funds are sourced and used during the reporting period, which is crucial for accountability to donors, members, and regulatory bodies.
- Finally, after subtracting income tax expense, net income is calculated, reflecting the company’s overall profitability.
- It is very significant to view the comparative financial statements over time so that one can see and judge the trends and then possibly catch the misleading placement of the expenditures.
- It also provides a more detailed overview of the company’s financial position.
Operating Revenue

Small businesses with a simple operating structure, including Debt to Asset Ratio sole-proprietorships and partnerships, can choose between creating single-step or multi-step income statements. The ultimate measure of a business’s profitability, and the grand finale of the Income Statement, is Net Income. Often referred to as “the bottom line,” Net Income represents the total profit a business has earned after all revenues, expenses (both operating and non-operating), and taxes have been accounted for.


