The profit and loss (P&L) statement is a financial statement that summarizes a company's revenues, costs, and expenses incurred during a specified period. What is the Profit and Loss Statement (P&L)? A profit and loss statement (P&L), or income statement or statement of operations, is a financial report that provides a summary of a company’s revenues, expenses, and profits/losses over a given period of time.

Understanding the Context

Profit and Loss are two major financial concepts which help us understand vast variety of things from daily budgeting to complex economical models. Profit and Loss also help us estimate the market price of a commodity and to assess how profitable a firm is. Learn how to write a profit and loss statement with step-by-step instructions, expert tips, free templates, and helpful examples. What is Profit and Loss Statement?

Key Insights

The Profit and Loss Statement (P&L) is a financial statement that starts with revenue and deducts costs and expenses to arrive at net income, the profitability of a company, in a specified period. A profit and loss statement, also called an income statement or P&L statement, is a financial document that summarizes the revenues, costs, and expenses incurred by a company during a specified period. A profit and loss (P&L) statement details a business’s revenue and expenses over a period of time. Statements are commonly based on a year, but they can also be made quarterly, depending on... An income statement or profit and loss (P&L) account[1][note 1] is one of the financial statements of a company and shows the company's revenues and expenses during a particular period.

Final Thoughts

A profit and loss statement, formally known as an income statement or simply as a P&L, tracks the amount of profit that remains after a business subtracts all of its costs from its revenue during a specific accounting period, typically monthly, quarterly, and annually. A P&L statement is a financial report that summarizes a company’s revenue, expenses and profit or loss over a fiscal year or quarter. When you read a P&L statement, you’ll see whether the company is generating sales, managing expenses and earning a profit.