{"id":25538,"date":"2025-12-17T12:46:25","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T12:46:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/?p=25538"},"modified":"2026-04-16T10:42:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T10:42:16","slug":"income-statement-vs-balance-sheet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/income-statement-vs-balance-sheet\/","title":{"rendered":"Income Statement vs Balance Sheet: Find Out the Difference"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/\",\n  \"@type\": \"Article\",\n  \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n    \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n    \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/income-statement-vs-balance-sheet\/\"\n  },\n  \"headline\": \"Income Statement vs Balance Sheet: Find Out the Difference\",\n  \"description\": \"Learn the key differences between the income statement and the balance sheet in 2026. Understand the meaning of each with an example. Read now!\",\n  \"image\": {\n    \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n    \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/income-statement-vs-balance-sheet-V1.jpg\",\n    \"width\": \"1200\",\n    \"height\": \"700\"\n  },\n  \"author\": {\n    \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n    \"name\": \"Moon Invoice Team\"\n  },\n  \"publisher\": {\n    \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n    \"name\": \"Moon Invoice\",\n    \"logo\": {\n      \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n      \"url\": \"https:\/\/cdn.mooninvoice.com\/image\/images\/home_images\/mi-animated-logo-new.svg\",\n      \"width\": \"254\",\n      \"height\": \"47\"\n    }\n  },\n  \"datePublished\": \"2025-12-17\",\n  \"dateModified\": \"2025-12-17\"\n}\n<\/script><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Should I do an income statement or a balance sheet first?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"First, prepare the income statement (profit & loss statement), then the balance sheet. The reason is that it represents net income, a crucial input for the balance sheet when updating the retained earnings. The balance sheet uses the ending retained earnings figure; the income statement comes first.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What are the three statements in accounting?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The three main financial statements in accounting are the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Which is more crucial, a balance sheet or an income statement?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"An income statement reflects a company\u2019s economic performance, while the balance sheet determines a company\u2019s financial condition. Both statements are equally valuable, and it is not possible to justify which one is more important.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<h2>What Is an Income Statement?<\/h2>\n<p>An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/how-to-prepare-income-statement\/\">income statement<\/a> (also known as a profit and loss statement) is a financial statement that presents a company&#8217;s overall financial health. The document presents the company\u2019s revenue, expenses, and the profit &amp; loss statement. This presentation is for a specific time period, typically monthly, quarterly, or yearly. Therefore, this profit &amp; loss statement is primarily useful for evaluating business performance.<\/p>\n<p>There are specific components that together create a complete income statement. Each of these components represents a specific value used to indicate company performance. The following are the key elements of the income statement:<\/p>\n<h3>Revenue<\/h3>\n<p>Revenue refers to the total amount that a company earns from the sales of products or services. It is categorized into operating revenue and non-operating revenue. Operating revenue refers to revenue generated from the company&#8217;s core operations. Non-operating revenue refers to income from activities other than operations.<\/p>\n<h3>Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)<\/h3>\n<p>The direct cost that the company incurred at the time of producing goods or delivering services. It covers material, labor, and production costs.<\/p>\n<h3>Expenses<\/h3>\n<p>Covers all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/how-to-categorize-expenses\/\">types of expenses<\/a> incurred by the company in its operations. It includes rent, utilities, marketing, etc. Asset depreciation is also covered in this section.<\/p>\n<h3>Operating Income<\/h3>\n<p>Operating income is the profit a business earns from its core operations. To <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/operating-income\/\">calculate operating incom<\/a>e, subtract operating expenses from gross profit.<\/p>\n<h3>Earning Before Tax (EBT)<\/h3>\n<p>Total profit earned by the company before paying any taxes. This financial metric represents the company&#8217;s earnings after deducting all expenses except taxes.<\/p>\n<h3>Net Income (Profit or Loss)<\/h3>\n<p>The final income that the company earns after deducting the total expenses from the total revenue.<\/p>\n<p>The key equation of the income statement is as follows:<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Net Income = Total Revenue &#8211; Total Expenses<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Sample Income Statement<\/h2>\n<p>A typical income statement structure comprises sections that begin with the company\u2019s name, date &amp; address.<\/p>\n<p>The first section presents revenue; the second, cost of goods sold; the third, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/operating-expenses\/\">operating expenses<\/a>; and the fourth, operating profit. The last section shows the company\u2019s net income.<\/p>\n<p>For a better understanding of an income statement, let&#8217;s look at an income statement example. Suppose a furniture manufacturing company named Oaklin Furniture manufactures and sells furniture. Its income statement sample is as follows:<\/p>\n<div style=\"height: 10px;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"determinant-table-div\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; padding: 20px; border-radius: 5px;\">\n<p><!-- Title and Subtitle --><\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\">\n<h3 style=\"margin: 0; font-weight: bold;\">Oaklin Furniture<\/h3>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 5px 0 0 0; font-weight: normal;\">Income Statement as of December 31, 2025<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<table class=\"determinant-table table table-bordered\" style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Particulars<\/b><\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Amount ($)<\/b><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody><!-- Revenue --><\/p>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Revenue<\/td>\n<td><center>$2,250,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)<\/td>\n<td><center>$620,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Gross Profit (Revenue &#8211; COGS)<\/b><\/td>\n<td><center>$1,630,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<p><!-- Operating Expenses --><\/p>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\" colspan=\"2\"><b>Operating Expenses<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Rent<\/td>\n<td><center>$40,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Salaries<\/td>\n<td><center>$200,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Marketing<\/td>\n<td><center>$20,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Total Operating Expenses<\/b><\/td>\n<td><center>$260,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Operating Income (EBIT) (Gross Profit &#8211; Total Operating Expenses)<\/b><\/td>\n<td><center>$1,370,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<p><!-- Other Income & Expenses --><\/p>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\" colspan=\"2\"><b>Other Income &amp; Expenses<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Interest Expense<\/td>\n<td><center>$15,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Miscellaneous Income<\/td>\n<td><center>$5,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Total Other Income &amp; Expenses<\/b><\/td>\n<td><center>$10,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Earnings Before Tax (EBT)<\/b><\/td>\n<td><center>$1,360,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Income Tax Expense<\/td>\n<td><center>$90,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Net Income \/ Net Earnings<\/b><\/td>\n<td><center>$1,270,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cta-sc\">\n<p class=\"cta-ttl\"><span id=\"Generate_Invoices_In_the_Blink_of_an_Eye!\" class=\"ez-toc-section\"><\/span>Turn Your Manual Efforts into a Smart Approach<\/p>\n<p class=\"cta-cnt\">More than 1.7M users worldwide are already managing their business finances digitally. Do you want to be the next?<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn\">Try Moon Invoice Now<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Advantages &amp; Drawbacks of Income Statement<\/h2>\n<p>An income statement is one of the primary documents for understanding a company\u2019s fiscal performance. Although it offers many benefits, it also has numerous limitations. Following the key merits and demerits:<\/p>\n<h3>Advantages<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 20px;\">\n<li>Showcases the overall gain and loss of the company along with revenue and operating expenses.<\/li>\n<li>Helps investors gain quick insight into the company\u2019s overall profitability.<\/li>\n<li>Allows professionals to quickly analyze areas that need improvement.<\/li>\n<li>Helps predict future income and plan budgets by reflecting past performance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Disadvantages<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 20px;\">\n<li>The income statement uses accrual accounting; therefore, it does not reflect actual cash flows.<\/li>\n<li>Financial analysis may be affected by the accounting methods and policies used.<\/li>\n<li>Complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed, as some figures are based on assumptions and estimates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What Is a Balance Sheet?<\/h2>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/balance-sheet\/\">balance sheet<\/a> is a statement that presents a company\u2019s assets, liabilities, and owners&#8217; equity for a specified period. Creditors and investors utilize this document to determine what the company owns (assets) and what it owes (liabilities).<\/p>\n<p>This financial document demonstrates the company\u2019s risk profile and its ability to service its debt. Thus, it helps investors make informed decisions. Additionally, they can create financial ratios using the balance sheet, such as quick ratios and debt-to-equity ratios.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The key component of the balance sheet is as follows:<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Assets<\/h3>\n<p>Assets are the company&#8217;s property. There are two types of assets: current assets, which are for the short term. The other is non-current assets held for more than 1 year. The key examples are vehicles, property, investments, and intangibles. Effective asset management helps optimize resources to maximize returns.<\/p>\n<h3>Liabilities<\/h3>\n<p>Every amount the company owes constitutes a liability. The company\u2019s loans, payable taxes, employees&#8217; wages, and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/accounts-payable-process\/\">accounts payable<\/a> fall under it. Liabilities also encompass obligations to provide goods or services to the customer.<\/p>\n<h3>Equity<\/h3>\n<p>Equity represents the total company\u2019s worth that the owner or shareholders can hold after subtracting total liabilities from the company\u2019s total assets. Shareholders&#8217; equity is for corporations, whereas owners&#8217; equity is for sole proprietorships\/partnerships.<\/p>\n<p>The key question of the balance sheet is as follows:<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Assets = Liabilities + Equity<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Balance Sheet Sample<\/h2>\n<p>A typical balance sheet comprises three sections. The topmost section represents assets, which are further classified into current and non-current. Next, liabilities appear in the middle section. This is further divided into different subcategories reflecting wages, payable debt &amp; other long-term liabilities. The bottommost section addresses equity, with subcategories of liabilities.<\/p>\n<p>Let us examine the balance sheet example using the previous Oakline Furniture company.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height: 10px;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"determinant-table-div\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; padding: 20px; border-radius: 5px;\">\n<p><!-- Title and Subtitle --><\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\">\n<h3 style=\"margin: 0; font-weight: bold;\">Oaklin Furniture<\/h3>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 5px 0 0 0; font-weight: normal;\">Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2025<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<table class=\"determinant-table table table-bordered\" style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Particulars<\/b><\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Amount ($)<\/b><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody><!-- Assets --><\/p>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\"><b>Assets<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Current Asset<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Inventory<\/td>\n<td><center>$45,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Cash &amp; Cash Equivalent<\/td>\n<td><center>$150,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Prepaid Expenses<\/td>\n<td><center>$30,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Total Current Assets<\/b><\/td>\n<td><center>$225,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Non-Current Assets<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Long-term Investments<\/td>\n<td><center>$70,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Property, Plant &amp; Equipment (PPE)<\/td>\n<td><center>$150,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Total Non-Current Assets<\/b><\/td>\n<td><center>$220,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Total Assets (Current + Non-Current)<\/b><\/td>\n<td><center>$445,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<p><!-- Liabilities --><\/p>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Current Liabilities<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Accounts Payable<\/td>\n<td><center>$150,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Accrued Expenses<\/td>\n<td><center>$20,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Total Current Liabilities<\/b><\/td>\n<td><center>$170,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Non-Current Liabilities<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Long-term Loan<\/td>\n<td><center>$30,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Deferred Tax Liability<\/td>\n<td><center>$25,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Total Non-Current Liabilities<\/b><\/td>\n<td><center>$55,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Total Liabilities<\/b><\/td>\n<td><center>$225,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<p><!-- Equity --><\/p>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\"><b>Equity<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Owner\u2019s Capital<\/td>\n<td><center>$80,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Retained Earnings<\/td>\n<td><center>$140,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Total Equity<\/b><\/td>\n<td><center>$220,000<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Advantages &amp; Drawbacks of Balance Sheet<\/h2>\n<p>Just like an income statement, there are various advantages and disadvantages associated with a balance sheet.<\/p>\n<h3>Advantages<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 20px;\">\n<li>Supports the decision-making process regarding investment and resource allocation.<\/li>\n<li>Helps assess liquidity and analyze the company\u2019s ability to meet its obligations.<\/li>\n<li>Establishes transparency and ensures appropriate accountability to stakeholders and regulatory bodies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Disadvantages<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 20px;\">\n<li>Applying paint and wallpaper to the walls<\/li>\n<li>Replacing a damaged appliance with a new appliance<\/li>\n<li>Fixing the minor electrical faults<\/li>\n<li>Replacing the cabinet hardware<\/li>\n<li>Replacing the faucets &amp; showerhead<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Income Statement vs Balance Sheet: Find Out the Difference<\/h2>\n<p>Having defined both terms, we now turn to the core of our topic. Differences between the income statement and the balance sheet arise from several factors, including purpose, the elements they present, and their temporal scope.<\/p>\n<p>However, the major difference is that the income statement focuses on the company\u2019s fiscal performance, whereas the balance sheet focuses on its fiscal position.<\/p>\n<p>An income statement presents the inflows and outflows of cash for the business. On the other hand, the balance sheet comprises details of the company\u2019s assets, liabilities &amp; equity. It refers to your business&#8217;s current economic position.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, if we focus on the balance sheet vs the income statement, they differ from a compliance &amp; reporting perspective. An income statement is useful for tax and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mooninvoice.com\/financial-reporting-software\">financial reporting<\/a> &amp; also to ensure compliance with accounting standards like IFRS or GAAP. On the other hand, the balance sheet is more useful to track loan covenants and other financial ratios.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here is the tabular structure showing the income statement and balance sheet differences:<\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"height: 10px;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"determinant-table-div\">\n<table class=\"determinant-table table table-bordered\" style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><b>Aspect<\/b><\/th>\n<th><b>Income Statement<\/b><\/th>\n<th><b>Balance Sheet<\/b><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Represent What?<\/td>\n<td><center>Shows financial health<\/center><\/td>\n<td><center>Shows financial position<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Major Question<\/td>\n<td><center>Did the business make money?<\/center><\/td>\n<td><center>What does the business own and owe?<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Key Components<\/td>\n<td><center>Revenue, COGS, Expenses, Net Profit\/Loss<\/center><\/td>\n<td><center>Liabilities, Assets, Equity<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Time Duration<\/td>\n<td><center>Covers a period (monthly, quarterly, yearly)<\/center><\/td>\n<td><center>Snapshot at a specific date<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>When Prepared?<\/td>\n<td><center>Before Balance Sheet<\/center><\/td>\n<td><center>After Income Statement<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>What Does it Help?<\/td>\n<td><center>Profit analysis, cost control, budgeting<\/center><\/td>\n<td><center>Liquidity and solvency<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Equation<\/td>\n<td><center>Net Income = Revenue \u2013 Expense<\/center><\/td>\n<td><center>Assets = Liabilities + Equity<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Nature<\/td>\n<td><center>Dynamic (performance over time)<\/center><\/td>\n<td><center>Static (position at a point)<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Metrics<\/td>\n<td><center>Ratios like current ratio, debt-to-equity<\/center><\/td>\n<td><center>Ratios like gross margin, P\/E<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cta-sc\">\n<p class=\"cta-ttl\"><span id=\"Generate_Invoices_In_the_Blink_of_an_Eye!\" class=\"ez-toc-section\"><\/span>Want to Evaluate Your Business Financial Game?<\/p>\n<p class=\"cta-cnt\">It&#8217;s quite easy with Moon Invoice. Ensure accuracy, speed, and standardization for every $.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn\">Grab Your Free Access Today<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Closing Lines<\/h2>\n<p>We conclude our discussion of the income statement vs the balance sheet. To get insight into the complete financial overview of your company, always consider both statements. Relying solely on a single statement will never lead to correct <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/budgeting-and-forecasting\/\">budgeting and forecasting<\/a>, or even decision-making.<\/p>\n<p>Hope you had a productive review of your knowledge while having the balance sheet and income statement example. Also, digitalizing your business finances is another important focus.<\/p>\n<p>Want to experience it? <a href=\"https:\/\/web.mooninvoice.com\/#\/signup\">Sign up for Moon Invoice<\/a> now!<\/p>\n<h2>FAQs<\/h2>\n<div id=\"1-link-25538\" class=\"sh-link 1-link sh-hide\"><h3 onclick=\"showhide_toggle('1', 25538, 'Should I do an income statement or a balance sheet first?', 'Should I do an income statement or a balance sheet first?'); return false;\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span id=\"1-toggle-25538\" class=\"sh-toggle\" data-more=\"Should I do an income statement or a balance sheet first?\" data-less=\"Should I do an income statement or a balance sheet first?\">Should I do an income statement or a balance sheet first?<\/span><\/h3><\/div><div id=\"1-content-25538\" class=\"sh-content 1-content sh-hide\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\nFirst, prepare the income statement (profit &amp; loss statement), then the balance sheet. The reason is that it represents net income, a crucial input for the balance sheet when updating the retained earnings. The balance sheet uses the ending retained earnings figure; the income statement comes first.<\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<div id=\"2-link-25538\" class=\"sh-link 2-link sh-hide\"><h3 onclick=\"showhide_toggle('2', 25538, 'What are the three statements in accounting?', 'What are the three statements in accounting?'); return false;\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span id=\"2-toggle-25538\" class=\"sh-toggle\" data-more=\"What are the three statements in accounting?\" data-less=\"What are the three statements in accounting?\">What are the three statements in accounting?<\/span><\/h3><\/div><div id=\"2-content-25538\" class=\"sh-content 2-content sh-hide\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\nThe three main financial statements in accounting are as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Income statement<\/li>\n<li>Balance sheet<\/li>\n<li>Cash flow statement<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/div>\n<div id=\"3-link-25538\" class=\"sh-link 3-link sh-hide\"><h3 onclick=\"showhide_toggle('3', 25538, 'Which is more crucial, a balance sheet or an income statement?', 'Which is more crucial, a balance sheet or an income statement?'); return false;\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span id=\"3-toggle-25538\" class=\"sh-toggle\" data-more=\"Which is more crucial, a balance sheet or an income statement?\" data-less=\"Which is more crucial, a balance sheet or an income statement?\">Which is more crucial, a balance sheet or an income statement?<\/span><\/h3><\/div><div id=\"3-content-25538\" class=\"sh-content 3-content sh-hide\" style=\"display: none;\">An income statement reflects a company\u2019s economic performance. The balance sheet determines a company&#8217;s financial condition. Therefore, both statements are equally valuable, and it is not possible to justify which one is more important.<\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Is an Income Statement? An income statement (also known as a profit and loss statement) is a financial statement that presents a company&#8217;s overall financial health. The document presents the company\u2019s revenue, expenses, and the profit &amp; loss statement. This presentation is for a specific time period, typically monthly, quarterly, or yearly. Therefore, this&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/beta.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/income-statement-vs-balance-sheet\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Income Statement vs Balance Sheet: Find Out the Difference<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":26030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-custom-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[649,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-payment-processing-methods","category-uncategorized","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25538"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/beta.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26031,"href":"https:\/\/beta.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25538\/revisions\/26031"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.mooninvoice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}