Accounts Profit & Loss - Quick Start 2025

Run the Accounts Profit & Loss [base] Workbook which is View only to get started quickly.

This Workbook runs over GL Profit & Loss accounts and includes multiple Worksheets which present a variety of P&L formats. This will allow you to instantly  understand your P&L, see trends, compare to budget etc.

Each Tab showcases a different P&L report or chart style.

1. Find  a P&L Report or Chart Style
2. Learn how to Customise to your business
3. Create your very own Workbooks 

Video

1. Find a P&L Report or Chart Style  

First select the Worksheet that best matches the report style you want:

• Report - choose from a Classic P&L, Simple P&L or add Comparisons to other date ranges to see Month to Date v Year to Date, Actual v budget etc.
• Pivot - choose to show data in Rows v Columns, use for a Monthly P&L etc.
• Chart - bring your data to life in a Chart
• Dashboard - combine a number of any of the above along with KPI's on one page

To access any report you can click the Report name at the bottom of the screen. The highlighted or in-focus worksheet has a green line under the tab name. If there are more Worksheets than fit on the screen you can get fast access to the list using the down arrow on the tab line

Report

The Accounts Profit & Loss [base] Workbook includes a number of Worksheets that use the "Report" style. These appear with an icon that looks like a list against the name.

Worksheets that use the Report (List) style include:

Classic P&L

A Traditional P&L running over a single date range:

• Row Fields - P&L by GL Account including the Account Numbers
• Column Fields - Actual v Budget with $ Variance and Variance %
• Format - Classic this shows:
  • Sub-totals for Gross Profit | Operating Profit | Net Profit 
  • Income and Expenses all display as Positive numbers so good to use for month-end presentations

Classic MTD v YTD

A Traditional P&L comparing results over different date ranges:

• Row Fields - P&L by GL Account including the Account Numbers
• Columns - uses Comparison date ranges
  • Last Year v This Year
  • Month do Date v Year to Date
  • Actual v Budget with $ Variance and % Variance
• Format - Classic this shows:
  • Sub-totals for Gross Profit | Operating Profit | Net Profit 
  • Income and Expenses all display as Positive numbers so good to use for month-end presentations

Mth v Mth

A very interesting P&L to see high-level performance month on month, year on year and against budget all in the one very compact report. Great to see seasonality, spot trends and drill down to Accounts to investigate issues:

• Rows - Months
• Columns - uses Comparison feature to display
  • Last Year v This Year with Variances
  • Actual v Budget with $ Variance and % Variance
• Format - Classic this shows:
  • Sub-totals for Gross Profit | Operating Profit | Net Profit 
  • Income and Expenses all display as Positive numbers

Simple P&L

A Simple P&L running over a single date range:

• Row Fields - P&L Account level including the Account Number
• Column Fields - Actual v Budget with $ Variance and Variance %
• Format -Simple this shows:
  • No Sub-totals for Gross Profit or Operating Profit  only a Simple Grand Total for Net Profit 
  • Sub-totals are a Simple sum of Income, Cost of Goods Sold and Expenses
  • Income displays as Positive and Expenses all display as Negative numbers
  • Use Simple Format for internal P&L analysis for more flexibility and better drill down
  • Use Simple Format as a basis to report on only segments of the P&L or not in Traditional P&L format

Pivot

The Accounts Profit & Loss [base] Workbook includes a variety of Worksheets using Pivot type,  choose these to show different data dimensions in Rows v Columns.  Pivot style Worksheets appear with an icon that looks like this against the Tab name. 

The following Pivot style Worksheets are all based on a similar structure:

• Rows - P&L by GL Account 
• Columns - Months or Quarters
• Metrics - Displaying $ Actual only or include Budgets or Prior periods
• Format - Classic this shows:
  • Sub-totals for Gross Profit | Operating Profit | Net Profit 
  • Income and Expenses all display as Positive numbers so good to use for month-end presentations

Tabs that use the Pivot style include:

P&L by Month

• Metrics - Displaying $ Actual only

P&L by Month This Year v Last Year (P&L by Mth TY v LY)

• Metrics - Displaying $ Actual This Year compared to Last Year with Variance %
• Rows - Collapsed to just show High Level Summary , click on a Row to Expand to see GL Accounts

P&L by Month This Year v Budget (P&L by Mth TY v Budget)

• Metrics - Displaying $ Actual This Year compared to Budget with Variances
• Rows - Collapsed to just show High Level Summary , click on a Row to Expand to see GL Accounts

P&L by Quarter

• Columns - Quarters
• Metrics - Displaying $ Actual, $ Budget. $ Variance and % Variance

Chart

The Accounts Profit & Loss [base] Workbook includes a variety of Worksheets using Chart type,  choose these to bring your data alive. These appear with an icon that looks like a bar chart against the name.

Below are a few examples of different Chart types but there are many more available:

Profit Chart

• Mixed Chart Type
  • Months shown in bars
  • Profit is then shown as a cumulative line
• Format -Simple 

Income Bar Chart

• Stacked Bar Chart
  • Filtered for Income only
  • Stacked by GL Income accounts to show the  makeup of Income each month
  • Months shown as bars
• Format -Simple 

Dashboard

Dashboards can combine a number of different reports types and chart types along with KPI's on one page. These appear with an icon that looks like four squares against the Tab name, these indicate the Dashoard is made up from a number of Widgets.

Overview Year to Year

• Mixed Chart Type - Months Year on Year  in Bars and YTD Cumulative as a Line
• KPI Widgets - highlighting Key numbers (YTD Income, Expenses & Profit) v Prior Year

Overview Year to Budget

• Mixed Chart Type - Months. Actual v Budget in Bars and YTD Cumulative as a Line
• KPI Widgets - highlighting Key numbers (YTD Income, Expenses & Profit) v Budget

Learn how to Customise to your business

The Base Reports and Charts are View only so any changes cannot be Saved. However the Base Reports can be customised as follows:

1. Order by  - to change sort order

2. Filter - to add focus 
3. Drill Down - to see more detail
4. Date Range - to select and change Transaction Date 
5. Analyze By - to change data displayed in rows
6. Group by - to add a subtotal
7. Pivot On - to change Columns in a Pivot

8. Analyze by and Group by - to Change Charts

1. Order by - to change sort order

Change the order of Rows e.g. sort by GL Account Number instead of by Account Name.

• Click on a column to do a simple sort; or
• Click on the Order By icon to add multiple sort orders

2. Filter - to add focus 

Focus on one aspect of your business by setting Filters. In our example we have set a Filter on the Class (Department) field and selected only the Golf Shop. The P&L is now just for this one Department/Division.

• Click on the Filters tab (Red Funnel icon) to display Filters across the top; or 
• Click on the Hamburger icon (Top left) to display Filters as a Side Panel 
• Add a Filter field using the +
• Select the Field to Filter on e.g. Class Name
• Click on the Class Name filter box then select Golf Shop 
• Click the red Apply Filters button to run the filter

3. Drill Down - to see more detail

Drilldown to more detail by clicking on a row.

• Click on a Row (GL Account) to Drill down to see transaction journals
• Click on Drilldown Tab (Green Drill icon) to see Next Drill down level
• Use Drill up to go back one level or Roll-up to go back to the top
• Setup your own custom drill down sequence using the Edit button
• Note: Drilldown works best on Reports rather than Pivot types

4. Date Range - to select and change Transaction Date 

Change the Transaction Date Range for the entire WorkBook once using the Date picker at the top and it will apply this across ALL Worksheets that have this Date field linked.

• Click on the + icon on the to Add a  Filter
• Select or search for the Field to Filter on e.g. Transaction Date
• Click on Transaction Date field
• Select or enter e.g. LM = Last Month, TM = This Month, LW = Last Week
• Click red Apply Filters button

5. Analyze By - to change data displayed in rows

Change the level of detail displayed in rows using the Analyse By field. Suggest change from GL Account to one of the GL Header Levels  to see a more summarised P&L.  Below the Salaries and other labour expenses are all grouped together under Employee Expenses. GL Header Levels are setup within your accounting system in most systems (except Xero).

• Click on the Analyze by field
• Select another dimension to display that field in the rows e.g. select GL Account Levels (Headers), or select Classes, Divisions, Locations etc.

6. Group by - to add a subtotal

Add a Group by (sub-total) to organise your data in other ways.  This works best using the "Simple" P&L format in the View Only Workbook.  Select Group by Class to see a mini P&L by each Divisions/Department.

• Ensure Format is set to Simple
• Click on the Group by field
• Select another dimension to subtotal by e.g. by Class 
• For more Advanced Grouping change to Edit mode

7. Pivot on - to change Columns in a Pivot

Changing the columns in a Pivot report is extremely powerful and lets you easily see your business from a whole new perspective.

Change columns in the P&L by Month Workbook using the "Pivot On" field from Months to Class or Class Level to create a Divisional/Class P&L.

• Using  Pivot Type worksheet e.g. P&L by Mth
• Click the "Pivot On" field to select another dimension to display in columns 
• Columns could be Weeks, Years, Divisions, Location etc

8. Analyze by and Group by - to Change Charts

Quick changes can also be made to view only Chart Types.

• Using a Chart e.g.  Income Bar Chart which is a Monthly Stacked Bar Chart
• Select Analyse by to select another field on the X Axis e.g. Class / Division / Location
• Select Group by Quarter or Week instead of Month