Statement of Profit or Loss
The Statement of Profit or Loss is the second of LedgerBuk’s three financial pillars. It shows how much your business earned and spent over a period of time — and whether you came out ahead or behind.
Purpose
Section titled “Purpose”This report answers: “Did we make money this month/quarter/year?”
The idea is simple: Revenue − Expenses = Profit (or Loss)
If your revenue is higher than your expenses, you made a profit. If not, you had a loss. Either way, knowing the numbers helps you take action.
Accessing the Report
Section titled “Accessing the Report”- Navigate to Reports → Profit & Loss
- Select the date range (annual, quarterly, monthly, or custom)
- The report generates automatically
Reading the Report
Section titled “Reading the Report”Revenue (Money Coming In)
Section titled “Revenue (Money Coming In)”| Account | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sales Revenue | KES 180,000 |
| Service Revenue | KES 20,000 |
| Interest Income | KES 500 |
| Total Revenue | KES 200,500 |
Expenses (Money Going Out)
Section titled “Expenses (Money Going Out)”| Account | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cost of Goods Sold | KES 60,000 |
| Salaries & Wages | KES 40,000 |
| Rent Expense | KES 12,000 |
| Utilities | KES 3,000 |
| Marketing | KES 5,000 |
| Depreciation | KES 2,000 |
| Interest Expense | KES 1,500 |
| Miscellaneous | KES 500 |
| Total Expenses | KES 124,000 |
The Bottom Line
Section titled “The Bottom Line”Total Revenue: KES 200,500Total Expenses: KES 124,000────────────────────────────────────Profit for the period: KES 76,500 ✓ ProfitIf expenses exceed revenue, this line will show a loss instead.
Choosing the Right Period
Section titled “Choosing the Right Period”You can view this report for different time frames depending on what you need:
| Period | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Monthly | Keep a regular pulse on how the business is doing |
| Quarterly | Share with partners or management |
| Annually | Tax preparation, year-over-year comparisons |
| Custom | Analyze a specific project, season, or promotion |
How It Connects to Other Reports
Section titled “How It Connects to Other Reports”- Balance Sheet → When you close a period, the profit (or loss) shown here transfers to Retained Earnings on the Balance Sheet
- Cash Flow Statement → The Cash Flow starts with the profit from this report, then adjusts for things that affected profit but didn’t involve actual cash
- Trial Balance → Run this first to ensure your books are balanced before generating the Profit & Loss