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The Global Insight

What do you need to know about preparing an income statement?

Author

Christopher Davis

Updated on February 21, 2026

To prepare an income statement, small businesses need to analyze and report their revenues, expenses and the resulting profits or losses, for a specific reporting period. The income statement, also called a profit and loss statement, is one of the major financial statements issued by businesses, along with the balance sheet and cash flow statement.

How do I create an income statement for my business?

To create an income statement for your business, you’ll need to print out a standard trial balance report. You can easily generate the trial balance through your cloud-based accounting software. Trial balance reports are internal documents that list the end balance of each account in the general ledger for a specific reporting period.

How to forecast an income statement and balance sheet?

This hypothetical finance case requires students to use various ratios and assumptions to forecast an income statement and balance sheet. The stock price for the company and new issues of common stock are then projected based on these statements. Keywords: Income statement, Balance Sheet, Forecasting Stock Price, P/E Ratio, Teaching Case.

How to calculate pre tax income on an income statement?

Calculate Your Income Subtract the selling and administrative expenses total from the gross margin. This will give you the pre-tax income. Enter the amount at the bottom of the income statement. 8. Include Income Taxes To calculate income tax, multiply your applicable state tax rate by your pre-tax income figure.

How often do small businesses have to report their income?

Businesses typically choose to report their income statement on an annual, quarterly or monthly basis. Publicly traded companies are required to prepare financial statements on a quarterly and annual basis, but small businesses aren’t as heavily regulated in their reporting.

How to calculate net income on an income statement?

To determine your business’s net income, subtract the income tax from the pre-tax income figure. Enter the figure into the final line item of your income statement. 10. Finalize the Income Statement