What is Financial Reporting (2024)

Financial reporting (definition)

Financial reporting aims to track, analyse and report your business income. This helps you and any investors make informed decisions about how to manage the business.

These reports examine resource usage and cash flow to assess the financial health of the business.

Types of financial reports

1. Provide information to investors

Investors want to know how cash is being reinvested in the business, and how efficiently capital is being used. Financial reporting helps investors decide whether your business is a good place for their cash.

2. Track cash flow

Where is your business’s money coming from and where is it going? Is the business making a profit or a loss? The answers to these show how well your business is performing, and whether it can cover its debts and continue to grow.

3. Analyse assets, liabilities and owner's equity

By monitoring these, and any changes to them, you can work out what to expect in the future, and the growth potential for the business.

Financial reports adhere to a group of taxation, accounting and legal requirements, called the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). This is so a business’s finances can be understood all over the world – a necessity with the increase of global companies and international shareholders. The US is currently an exception to this as companies there are required to use the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

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Disclaimer

This glossary is for small business owners. The definitions are written with their requirements in mind. More detailed definitions can be found in accounting textbooks or from an accounting professional. Xero does not provide accounting, tax, business or legal advice.

What is Financial Reporting (2024)

FAQs

What is financial reporting in simple words? ›

Financial reporting is the process of producing financial statements that disclose an organization's financial status to stakeholders, including management, investors, creditors and regulatory agencies.

What is financial reporting quizlet? ›

Financial Reporting is the process of: communicating financial information to external financial statement users. Financial info includes: Financial statement and other reports such as press releases, annual reports and management forcasts.

What is good financial reporting? ›

High-quality financial reporting provides information that is useful to analysts in assessing a company's performance and prospects. Low-quality financial reporting contains inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete information.

What is the general purpose of financial reporting? ›

General purpose financial reports provide information about the financial position of a reporting entity, which is information about the entity's economic resources and the claims against the reporting entity.

What are the 5 steps of financial reporting? ›

Defining the accounting cycle with steps: (1) Financial transactions, (2) Journal entries, (3) Posting to the Ledger, (4) Trial Balance Period, and (5) Reporting Period with Financial Reporting and Auditing.

What is financial reporting system in accounting? ›

Financial reporting and analysis involves the collection and monitoring of financial data about a company, including its income, costs, profits, capital, and cash flow. This information is used to guide strategic decisions and ensure compliance with taxation requirements.

What is the difference between financial statements and financial reporting? ›

Financial reporting and financial statements are often used interchangeably. But in accounting, there are some differences between financial reporting and financial statements. Reporting is used to provide information for decision making. Statements are the products of financial reporting and are more formal.

What is financial reporting in management accounting? ›

Financial reporting looks at how your company has performed financially in the past weeks, months and years. Management reporting aims to predict the future financial performance of a company and what operational decisions need to be made.

What is an example of a financial report? ›

An example of financial reporting would be a company's annual report, which typically includes the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. The report may be released to the public, regulators, and/or creditors.

How to write a financial summary? ›

How to write a financial statement
  1. Write an introduction. ...
  2. Detail expenses. ...
  3. Outline financial projections. ...
  4. Include individual financial statements. ...
  5. Determine the break-even point. ...
  6. Include a sensitivity analysis. ...
  7. Feature a ratio analysis. ...
  8. Include funding requests where necessary.
Mar 19, 2024

Is financial reporting a skill? ›

Some of the key finance officer skills include financial analysis, budget management, accounting, financial reporting, risk management, and communication skills.

What are the three purposes of financial reporting? ›

The key objectives of Financial Reporting are to provide information about the financial position, performance and changes in financial position of an enterprise, assist in making economic decisions, and assess cash flow prospects.

What are 5 elements of financial statements? ›

The major elements of the financial statements (i.e., assets, liabilities, fund balance/net assets, revenues, expenditures, and expenses) are discussed below, including the proper accounting treatments and disclosure requirements.

What is the purpose of the financial report quizlet? ›

The objective of general-purpose financial reporting is to provide financial information about the reporting entity that is useful to present and potential equity investors, lenders, and other creditors in decisions about providing resources to the entity.

What is the objective of financial reporting Quizlet? ›

provide financial information about the reporting entity that is useful to existing and potential investors, lenders and other creditors in making decision about providing resources to the entity.

What is a financial accounting quizlet? ›

Financial Accounting. Providing information about the financial resources, obligations, and activities of an economic entity that is intended for use primarily by external decision makers-investors and creditors. Financing Activities.

Which of the following is the objective of financial reporting quizlet? ›

The purpose of the objective of financial reporting is to prepare a balance sheet, an income statement, a statement of cash flows, and a statement of owners' or stockholders' equity.

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