What is a major advantage of the multi step income statement over the single step?
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A multi-step income statement classifies the revenues, expenses, losses, and gains into operating and non-operating sections (commonly known as heads). It’s an alternative to the single-step income statement that allows users of the statement to better determine the profitability of the company and how much of it is contributed by the core operations. As an example, let’s suppose a clothing manufacturing company has an overall net profit for a year. However, looking into the breakdown as provided by a multi-step income statement, the investor or creditor can see that the company is not doing so well on its core business operations. In fact, the business has made an operating loss for the year. The net income becomes diluted because the company has made a gain from selling real estate and recording it as non-operating revenue. Being able to break the income statement up into segments provides more insight into what is going on with the company and is a core attribute of the multi-step income statement. Throughout this series of financial statements, you can download the Excel template below for free to see how Bob’s Donut Shoppe uses the multi-step income statement (and others) to evaluate the performance of his business. Click here to download the Financial Statements template Components of a Multi-Step Income StatementThis consists of three key components: Gross ProfitThe gross profit is calculated by deducting the cost of good sold from total revenue. The gross profit relates to the core activity of a business and shows how profitable is a company in manufacturing its product. No other expenses are included at this point. Gross profit is a simple way of studying a business model for a company. Investors will use the gross profit margins to determine how profitable is the business model of the company. Creditors will use the gross profit to judge the general health of the company and whether it is able to pay back its obligations on time and as agreed upon. The formula is given below: Selling and General Admin Expenses The selling expenses are the costs that a company incurs for selling its product or services to the customer. These include freight charges, sales personnel salaries, marketing expenses, etc. that are directly attributable to the sale. Administrative expenses are the most general expenses and they can not be attributed to the sale of goods directly, but they are still part of the core operations. These expenses can include wages of admin staff, factory and warehouse rent, utilities, etc. The total operating expenses are a combination of both selling and admin expenses. These total expenses can then be subtracted from gross profit to arrive at the operating income. The formula is given below: Non-Operating ItemsThe two components explained above relate directly to the operations of the company. The third component of the non-operating head consists of all those revenue and expense items that do not contribute in any way to the core operations of a business. For an expense or income to be called a non-operating activity, it should be an extraordinary item that is not part of the company’s operations. Examples of a non-operating income include gain from the sale of an asset, gain incurred in foreign exchange dealings, dividend income, and profit from investments. An example of a non-operating expense is a lawsuit claim paid by the company. The sum of non-operating incomes and expenses is called a ‘non-operating item’. The formula to calculate the net income is: Advantages of a Multi-Step Income StatementThere are numerous benefits of using a multi-step income statement. Some of these a
Single Step vs Multi Step Income StatementThe key differences that are important to note are:
Types of Businesses using Multi-Step StatementsOften smaller companies will choose to use a single-step income statement due to its ease and simplicity. However, for larger public organizations a multi-step format is the most desirable due to it being more comprehensive and the fact that they are under greater scrutiny from regulators and auditors to do so as well. Even most larger privately owned businesses would need to create a multi-step income statement due to requirements from their banks and creditor who have loaned them lines of credit and would like to know in more detail the financial performance and health of the company. Multi-Step Income Statement ExampleAlthough Bob and his donut shop are still a small business and would not have otherwise been required to create a multi-step statement, he wants to take out a bank loan of $25,000. The bank has requested that Bob must present the income statement in a multi-step format to get a better picture of his business. Below is an example of Bob’s multi-step income statement: FAQs1. What is a multi-step income statement?A multi-step income statement is a financial statement that shows the various sources of revenue and the costs associated with producing that revenue. The statement then calculates the net income for a particular time. This type of income statement is also known as a ‘comprehensive income statement’. 2. How do you prepare a multi-step income statement?To prepare a multi-step income statement, you must first calculate the gross profit by subtracting the cost of goods sold from the revenue. You must then calculate the operating income by subtracting all the expenses from the gross profit. The final figure is the net income, which is calculated by subtracting all non-operating items from the operating income. 3. What is the difference between a single and multi-step income statement?The key difference between a single and multi-step income statement is that a single-step statement uses only one step to calculate the net income, whereas a multi-step statement uses numerous steps. A single-step income statement shows only net income, whereas a multi-step income statement also shows a gross profit. 4. What are the major sections of a multi-step income statement?The major sections of a multi-step income statement are the revenue, cost of goods sold, gross profit, operating expenses, operating income, and net income. 5. Why is the multi-step income statement generally accepted as the best format?The multi-step income statement is generally accepted as the best format because it provides a more comprehensive view of a company’s financial performance. The statement shows the various sources of revenue and the costs associated with producing that revenue. It then calculates the net income for a particular time. What is a major advantage of the multipleA primary advantage of the multiple-step format of the income statement over the single-step format is that the multiple-step format: classifies expenses by function. Managers may engage in classification shifting by: reporting operating expenses as nonoperating expenses to inflate reported operating income.
What is an advantage to using a multi step income statement quizlet?What is an advantage of using the multiple-step income statement? It highlights the components of net income.
Which is a benefit of using multi step?You can configure a multi-step form to help users complete complicated tasks. For example, instead of having a single, confusing online order form, configure a multi-step form. The multi-step form presents information from the online order form in multiple focused and concise screens.
What's the difference between singleA single-step income statement focuses on reporting the net income of the business using a single calculation. A multi-step income statement is more detailed and calculates the gross profit and operating income of the business using multiple calculations and an itemized breakdown.
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