Financial Statement & Reporting
What is Financial Statement
Financial statements (or financial reports) are formal records of the financial activities and position of a business, person, or other entity.
Relevant financial information is presented in a structured manner and in a form which is easy to understand. They typically include four basic
financial statements accompanied by a management discussion and analysis:
A balance sheet or statement of financial position, reports on a company's assets, liabilities,
and owners equity at a given point in time.
An income statement—or profit and loss report (P&L report), or statement of comprehensive income, or statement of revenue & expense—reports on a company's income, expenses, and profits over a stated period. A profit and loss statement provides information on the operation of the enterprise.
These include sales and the various expenses incurred during the stated period.
A statement of changes in equity or statement of equity, or statement of retained earnings,
reports on the changes in equity of the company over a stated period.
A cash flow statement reports on a company's cash flow activities, particularly its operating,
investing and financing activities over a stated period.
A comprehensive income statement involves those other comprehensive income items which are not
included while determining net income.
What is Included in Financial Reporting?
Financial reporting includes the following: External financial statements (income statement, statement of comprehensive income, balance sheet, statement of cash flows, and statement of stockholders' equity)
The notes to the financial statements.