How Do the Four Basic Financial Statements Work Together? (2024)

Understanding the information contained in your balance sheet, income statement, statement of retained earnings and statement of cash flows is crucial for your business to survive. These four financial statements and how to construct them can help you share information to create an interlocking picture of your business’s financial health. This picture changes daily as each transaction affects one or more of your financial statements. You can update and analyze your financial statements to identify changes in your cash flow and net income.

Statement of Cash Flows

The statement of cash flows takes some of its information from the balance sheet and the income statement. Balance sheet cash transactions are transferred to the statement of cash flows. For example, buying new equipment with cash increases your long-term balance sheet items and appears as a cash outflow on the statement of cash flows. Income statement expenses paid in cash are listed on the statement of cash flows as a cash outflow. When completed, the statement of cash flows reveals how much cash your business took in and how it was used.

Income Statement

The income statement shows your sales revenue, operating expenses and net income for a specific time period, according to Corporate Finance Institute. Sales revenue is broken down into cash and credit sales. The amount of your cash sales is included with the cash account on the balance sheet and are listed on the statement of cash flows. The income statement expenses paid with cash and cash payments made to vendors are included on the statement of cash flows. The net income shown on the income statement is the difference between the balance sheet debits and credits.

Statement of Retained Earnings

The statement of retained earnings uses the net income reported on the income statement to show how much profit your business kept, according to Accounting Tools. The ending retained earnings balance from the previous accounting period is used as the beginning balance for the current retained earnings statement. The net income taken from the income statement is added to the retained earnings beginning balance. After you subtract any dividends you paid, the ending balance shows whether your business profit increased or decreased compared to previous accounting periods.

Balance Sheet

The balance sheet is a snapshot of the balance in each account resulting for your cash and accrual transactions. These transactions are reported on your other basic financial reports. The cash sales reported on the income statement are added to the balance sheet cash account. The credit sales are added to your accounts receivables. The balance of the retained earnings is included in the owner’s equity section found on the balance sheet. The balance sheet accounts fluctuate depending on type of business transaction. Present the four financial statements in order when meeting with potential investors.

How Do the Four Basic Financial Statements Work Together? (2024)

FAQs

How do the four financial statements work together? ›

All four accounting financial statements accurately portray the company's overall financial situation. The income statement records all revenues and expenses. The balance sheet provides information about assets and liabilities. The cash flow statement shows how cash moves in and out of the business.

What are the 4 basic financial statements What is the purpose of 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 basic financial statements and how are they related to each other? ›

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 4 components of the financial statements? ›

The components of Financial Statements are the building blocks that together form the Financial Statements and help understand the business's financial health. And consists of an Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement, and Shareholders' Equity Statement.

How do financial statements work? ›

On the top half you have the company's assets and on the bottom half its liabilities and Shareholders' Equity (or Net Worth). The assets and liabilities are typically listed in order of liquidity and separated between current and non-current. The income statement covers a period of time, such as a quarter or year.

How do you combine financial statements? ›

7 Steps: Preparing Consolidated Financial Statements
  1. Step 1: Understand the Purpose and Scope. ...
  2. Step 2: Identify Reporting Entities. ...
  3. Step 3: Gather Financial Information. ...
  4. Step 4: Eliminate Intra-Group Transactions. ...
  5. Step 5: Adjust for Unrealized Gains or Losses. ...
  6. Step 6: Combine Financial Statements.

What are the four financial statements Quizlet? ›

On which of the four major financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, statement of cash flows, statement of retained earnings) would you find the following item?

Which of the 4 financial statements do you think is the most important and useful in predicting a company's success? ›

The balance sheet is particularly important as it provides a snapshot of a company's financial position at a specific moment in time, empowering a business owner or manager to establish the company's most important ratios such as solvency versus liquidity that are particularly important for debt management.

Which of the four financial statements should be prepared first? ›

The income statement should always be prepared before other statements because it provides an overview of the company's revenue and expenses during a specific period. This information is used in preparing other reports such as balance sheets and cash flow statements.

Why are financial statements important? ›

The purpose of financial statements is to allow businesses to understand their financial standing. This provides a summary of previous financial data which can help businesses to make informed decisions. This data can also inform other individuals or companies which may potentially have a state in the business.

What are the basic financial statements include all of the following? ›

Correct answer : Option (e) Statement of Cash Flows is the correct answer because the basic financial statements include Income Statement, Statement of Retained Earnings, Balance Sheet, and Statement of Cash Flows, but does not include the Statement of Changes in Assets.

What are the main three financial statements briefly describe each of their roles? ›

The income statement illustrates the profitability of a company under accrual accounting rules. The balance sheet shows a company's assets, liabilities, and shareholders' equity at a particular point in time. The cash flow statement shows cash movements from operating, investing, and financing activities.

What is the summary of financial statements? ›

Financial statements are written records that convey the business activities and the financial performance of a company. The profit and loss (P&L) statement is a financial statement that summarizes the revenues, costs, and expenses incurred during a specified period.

How do financial statements help in decision making? ›

As financial statements are regularly generated by a business and a strict format is followed, it makes it easy for investors to compare and contrast thereby allowing for easy decision-making. Investors do not want to undertake big risks as they risk losing everything they invest in your business.

What is an example of a financial statement? ›

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.

When should financial statements be combined? ›

For example, combined financial statements would be useful if one individual owns a controlling financial interest in several entities that are related in their operations. Combined financial statements might also be used to present the financial position and results of operations of entities under common management.

How are balance sheet and income statement connected? ›

The balance sheet shows the cumulative effect of the income statement over time. It is just like your bank balance. Your bank balance is the sum of all the deposits and withdrawals you have made. When the company earns money and keeps it, it gets added to the balance sheet.

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