The elements of financial statements — AccountingTools (2024)

What are the Elements of Financial Statements?

The elements of financial statements are the general groupings of line items contained within the statements. These groupings will vary, depending on the structure of the business. Thus, the elements of the financial statements of a for-profit business vary somewhat from those incorporated into a nonprofit business (which has no equity accounts).

Examples of the Elements of Financial Statements

The main elements of financial statements are as follows:

  • Assets. These are items of economic benefit that are expected to yield benefits in future periods. Examples are accounts receivable, inventory, and fixed assets.

  • Liabilities. These are legally binding obligations payable to another entity or individual. Examples are accounts payable, taxes payable, and wages payable.

  • Equity. This is the amount invested in a business by its owners, plus any remaining retained earnings.

  • Revenue. This is an increase in assets or decrease in liabilities caused by the provision of services or products to customers. It is a quantification of the gross activity generated by a business. Examples are product sales and service sales.

  • Expenses. This is the reduction in value of an asset as it is used to generate revenue. Examples are interest expense, compensation expense, and utilities expense.

Of these elements, assets, liabilities, and equity are included in the balance sheet. Revenues and expenses are included in the income statement. Changes in these elements are noted in the statement of cash flows.

Related AccountingTools Courses

Accountants’ Guidebook

Bookkeeping Guidebook

The Interpretation of Financial Statements

The elements of financial statements —  AccountingTools (2024)

FAQs

What are the elements of the financial statement? ›

The 10 elements are: (1) assets, (2) liabilities, (3) equity, (4) investments by owners, (5) distributions to owners, (6) revenues, (7) expenses, (8) gains, (9) losses, and (10) comprehensive income. The 10 elements of financial statements defined in SFAC 6 describe financial position and periodic performance.

What are the elements of financial accounting PDF? ›

The key elements of financial reports are assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, and expenses. Assets are resources controlled by an entity from past events that provide future economic benefits. Liabilities are debts or obligations owed by an entity. Equity represents the government's net assets in the entity.

What are the elements of financial performance? ›

Financial performance is a complete evaluation of a company's overall standing in categories such as assets, liabilities, equity, expenses, revenue, and overall profitability.

Which of the following is an element of the financial position of an entity? ›

The Statement of Financial Position is a formal statement which shows the financial condition of the entity as at a certain date. It includes information on the three elements of financial position - assets, liabilities and equity.

What are the elements of finance? ›

Most financial management plans will break them down into four elements commonly recognised in financial management. These four elements are planning, controlling, organising & directing, and decision making.

Which all are elements of financial statement except? ›

Answer and Explanation: Correct answer : Option (e) Statement of Cash Flows is the correct answer because the basic financial statements include Income Statement, Statement of Retained Earnings, Balance Sheet, and Statement of Cash Flows, but does not include the Statement of Changes in Assets.

What are the elements of the financial accounting system? ›

The basic elements of a financial accounting system include: - Rules for determining what, when, and the amount that should be recorded. - A framework for preparing financial statements. - Controls to determine whether errors may have arisen in the recording proce.

What are the elements of balance sheet and income statement? ›

Components: The balance sheet records assets, shareholders' equity, and liabilities. An income statement records gross revenue, operating expenses, COGS, gross profit, and net income.

What are the three position elements of the financial statement? ›

It is possible to summarize the three elements which, as a whole, generate the balance sheet for a company as the following: Assets. Liabilities. Shareholders' Equity.

What are the two methods of accounting? ›

What are the types of accounting methods? There are two primary methods of accounting— cash method and accrual method. The alternative bookkeeping method is a modified accrual method, which is a combination of the two primary methods.

Which of the following is not one of the elements of financial statements? ›

Answer: B) Balance sheet.

Explanation: The balance sheet is not a basic element of financial statements. It is one of the financial statements that reports assets, liabilities and equity. Losses and revenue are elements of an income statement.

Which element are shown in a set of financial statements? ›

1.2 The elements shown in a set of financial statements are: Assets, equity, liabilities, income and expenses.

What does financial statement consist of? ›

The three main types of financial statements are the balance sheet, the income statement, and the cash flow statement. These three statements together show the assets and liabilities of a business, its revenues, and costs, as well as its cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities.

What are the seven key elements that the financial statements comprise? ›

Your financial plan should include seven key elements (which we will cover in more detail below): your profit and loss statement, operating income, cash flow statement, balance sheet, revenue projection, personnel plan, as well as your business ratios and break-even analysis.

What are the elements of the financial system? ›

This course serves as an introduction to the financial system. It breaks down the financial system into its six elements: lenders & borrowers, financial intermediaries, financial instruments, financial markets, money creation and price discovery.

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