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Comparing the lined items also indicates that Walmart is not spending anything on R&D and had higher SGA and total operating expenses than Microsoft. All expenses are linked to the non-core type of business activities, like interest paid on loan money. It starts with sales information, and then it also works down for computing the net income and eventually the earnings per share (EPS). It also gives an account of how the company can realize the net revenue by getting transformed into net earnings (Profit or loss).

Single-step income statements report the revenue, expenses, and profit (or loss) of a business during a specific period. The single-step income statement presents information in a simplified format. It uses a single subtotal for all revenue line items and a single subtotal for all expense line items, with a net profit or loss appearing at the bottom of the report. This format is most commonly used by businesses that have relatively simple operations, with few line items reported. It is most commonly produced by lower-end accounting software packages. A very small business like a sole proprietorship is more likely to prepare https://www.bookstime.com/.

How to Prepare a Multi Step Income Statement

For instance, the high gross Profit that is lowering the operating income also indicates higher expenses. In contrast, higher pre-tax Profit and lower post-tax Profit indicate loss of earnings to taxes and other one-time, unusual expenses. The correct option is (c) combines revenues and gains and subtracts https://www.bookstime.com/articles/single-step-vs-multi-step-income-statement from their expenses and losses, resulting in income from operations. Many companies like this format because it is simple and easy to prepare. Instead, individual expense accounts are combined into broad categories like selling expenses, general and administrative expenses, and cost of goods sold.

For example, suppose Liu’s Janitorial Supply sold plastic trash cans. During Year 1, sales of cans were $3,000,000, and these units cost $2,700,000. Oil is a critical component in plastics, and Liu passed along cost savings to his customers. Liu’s Year 2 sales were $1,000,000, and the cost of goods sold was $700,000. However, he should not despair, as his gross profit was $300,000 in each year, and the gross profit margin soared during Year 2. The gross profit margin in Year 1 was 10% ($300,000/$3,000,000), and the gross profit margin in Year 2 was 30% ($300,000/$1,000,000).

What is a Single Step Income Statement?

Put simply, a single-step income statement does not separate the expenses into categories like the cost of goods sold, operating expenses, non-operating expenses, or other expenses. All publicly-traded companies in the U.S. must adhere to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), which are accounting standards issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Many private companies elect to follow GAAP, even though they aren’t legally obligated to do so. In any case, GAAP gives companies the option of issuing either single-step or multiple-step income statements, depending on how they’re structured. Each type of income statement presents both advantages and disadvantages. A single-step income statement offers a simple accounting method for the financial activity of a business, making it easy to prepare and understand.