An Introduction to Financial Statements (AQA GCSE Business)
Revision Note
The Purpose & Importance of Financial Statements
Business produce a range of financial statements each year in order to
Meet legal requirements
Companies must submit financial statements to Companies House each year
Support decision making
Managers use financial statements to measure performance and set objectives
Communicate with stakeholders
Shareholders use financial statements to assess the performance of their investment
Employees, suppliers and lenders use financial statements to determine the stability of the business
The two most important financial statements are:
The Income Statement
The Statement of Financial Position
Diagram: The income statement and the statement of financial position
The two main financial statements are the income statement and the statement of financial position
The income statement
This statement summarises business income and costs, and identifies the profit or loss made over a period of time (usually a year)
The statement of financial position
This statement identifies business assets and liabilities, and identifies the capital used to fund the business at a specific point in time
Examiner Tip
A common misconception is that the statement of financial position summarises performance over the year. It is actually a snapshot of a point in time, which businesses report on final day of the accounting year.
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