What Are the Types of Income Statements and How Are They Calculated (2024)

There are two different types of income statement that a company can prepare such as the single-step income statement and the multi-step income statement.

What Are the Types of Income Statements and How Are They Calculated (1)

There are two methods that businesses can use to prepare the income statement.

Firstly, you can use the single-step approach to prepare your income statement. Second of all, you can also prepare the income statement using the multi-step methodology.

Before choosing the right type of income statement for your business, you will need to understand your company's nature, types, and sizes.


Single-Step Income Statement

As the name suggests, a single-step income statement is a simplified version of the income statement compared to the multi-step income statement.

Net Profit= Total Revenue - Total Expenses

When preparing the single-step income statement, this statement displays the company's expenses and revenues without breaking down into further sub-categories. To calculate the single-step income statement's net income, you will have to subtract the company's total revenue from the total expenses.

The single-step income statement is commonly used by small-sized businesses or those in sole-proprietorship companies.

Comparatively to a multi-step income statement, the single-step income statement is more straightforward and relatively easier to prepare and understand.

Multi-Step Income Statement

The multi-step income statement is the standard format of an income statement prepared by big corporations and all publicly listed companies.

Three equations are used to derive the net income using the multi-step income statement. Companies that prepare their income statement using the multi-step approach will typically breakdown their revenues and expenses into operating and non-operating business activities.

The three accounting equations that are used to arrive at the net income are stated below:

Gross Profit= Net Sales - Cost of Goods Sold
Operating income = Gross Profit - Operating Expense
Net Income = Operating Income + Non Operating Items

Hence, the multi-step income statement is a more comprehensive financial report compared to the single-step income statement. It provides a more significant and in-depth analysis of a businesses' financial performances that is hugely beneficial for potential investors and external readers.

Generate Your Income Statement Using Deskera Books

Deskera Books is one of the accounting software that enables businesses to generate their income statement conveniently.

Here's the snapshot of Deskera Books' multi-step income statement.

What Are the Types of Income Statements and How Are They Calculated (2)

Thanks to automation, using Deskera Books enables you to sit back, relax, and let the automation work for you. There's no need to scratch your head and burn the midnight oil preparing the income statement manually.

All the accounts in the Profit and Loss Report will be auto-populated based on the business activities performed in the system. Therefore, it helps to reduce your manual workload and save time.

Visit Deskera's website today to find out more about Deskera's products, subscription plans, or even sign-up for the 30 days free trial.

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What Are the Types of Income Statements and How Are They Calculated (2024)

FAQs

What are the 3 types of income statements? ›

Types of Income Statements
  • Single-Step Income Statement.
  • Multi-Step Income Statement.
  • Common Size Income Statement.
  • Help in decision making.
  • Help in identifying trends.
  • Provide information to investors.
  • Help in tax planning.
Apr 4, 2023

How is income statement calculated? ›

You would use three formulas throughout the income statement:
  1. Step 1: Gross profit = net sales – cost of goods sold.
  2. Step 2: Operating income = gross profit – operating expenses.
  3. Step 3: Net income = operating income + non-operating income.

What are the major categories that are calculated on the income statement? ›

What Are the Four Key Elements of an Income Statement? (1) Revenue, (2) expenses, (3) gains, and (4) losses.

What are the forms of an income statement? ›

Single-step and multiple-step are two ways that companies complying with GAAP accounting standards can report income statements. Multiple-Step statements provide an in-depth look at a company's financial health, offering details about the company's wellbeing.

What are the 3 main types of financial statements and how do they differ? ›

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.

How are the 3 income statements related? ›

Net Income & Retained Earnings

Net income from the bottom of the income statement links to the balance sheet and cash flow statement. On the balance sheet, it feeds into retained earnings and on the cash flow statement, it is the starting point for the cash from operations section.

How do you calculate net income on an income statement? ›

The formula for calculating net income is:
  1. Revenue – Cost of Goods Sold – Expenses = Net Income.
  2. Gross Income – Expenses = Net Income.
  3. Total Revenues – Total Expenses = Net Income.
Feb 23, 2024

What are the two classifications of the income statement? ›

The two classifications that typically appear on an income statement are revenues and expenses. Revenues refer to the total amount of money that a company earns from the sale of its goods or services, as well as any other income generated by the business.

What is the income statement for dummies? ›

It uses the formula Assets = Liabilities + Equity. The income statement summarizes your company's financial transactions for a particular time period, such as a month, quarter, or year. It starts with your revenues and then subtracts the costs of goods sold and any expenses incurred in operating the business.

What is GAAP income statement? ›

GAAP is the set of accounting rules set forth by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) that U.S. companies are expected to follow when putting together their financial statements. The goal of GAAP is to ensure that a company's financial statements are complete, consistent, and comparable.

What are the three 3 most common financial statements? ›

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 3 financial statements and how are they connected? ›

The balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement each offer unique details with information that is all interconnected. Together the three statements give a comprehensive portrayal of the company's operating activities.

Are there 3 or 4 financial statements? ›

There are four main financial statements. 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.

Which 2 of the 3 financial statements is most important? ›

Another way of looking at the question is which two statements provide the most information? In that case, the best selection is the income statement and balance sheet, since the statement of cash flows can be constructed from these two documents.

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