Earnings Statement Overview: FAQs and Tips
An earnings statement has several names: income statement, net income statement, statement of earnings, etc. Whatever you may choose to call it, it is an essential document for both employees and businesses. In this day and age, tracking finances correctly is more crucial than ever before. An accurate earnings statement can help you understand your money closely and allow you to make well-considered decisions to earn rich dividends.
In this article, we discuss essential FAQs about earnings statements. We will also understand why they are indispensable for modern-day professionals and companies.
What is an Earnings Statement?
It is essentially a document outlining the income an employee has earned at a particular time. Organizations also build such statements detailing how much income they have garnered in a given duration.
Who Creates Income Statements?
If you are a salaried employee, your employer will issue them at the end of every pay period. It is your paystub and will showcase your payment in the period in full detail. If you are a self-employed professional, you might have to build the statements by yourself. You can invest in a software application, employ the services of an accountant, or make a paystub online.
Companies create earnings statements for themselves to share with investors. Depending upon the size of the business, it is handled by the finance team, outsourced to a third-party consultant or accountant. The entrepreneur could also perform this task on their own in a small business setup.
What gets Included in a Net Income Statement for an Employee?
Here are the components of an employee’s pay record:
- Personal information such as name, address, bank details, marital status, etc.
- The pay period for which the statement is issued
- Number of days or hours for which worked
- Gross pay before any deductions get done
- Deductions such as taxes, health insurance, other benefits, etc. Both voluntary and compulsory deductions get included
- Contributions made by the employer, like social security, retirement, medical benefits, etc.
- How many sick and vacation days an employee has taken in the period
- Net pay obtained after subtracting the deductions from the gross pay
What gets Included in a Net Income Statement for an Organization?
Here are the components of a company’s earnings record:
- Duration for which the statement was created
- The total revenue earned by the business
- Any other income earned by the business, for example, through the sale of equipment
- Total expenses incurred in the duration. It includes everything from salaries to transport costs and commissions. Secondary expenditure like interest also gets included here. Overheads and costs of new acquisitions are significant since they get thoroughly scanned by investors. The expenses reflect whether an organization is managed responsibly.
- Losses, if any, for instance, through sales made with losses
- Net income obtained by subtracting the expenses and losses from the revenue and gains
Do Earning Statements follow a Fixed Format?
While they differ in format across organizations, most statements contain the same information. They need to be accurate, clear, and easy to generate for every pay period. If you employ an online paystub generator like StubCheck.com, you get a professional, easy-to-understand template for your income statements. Professionals can rely on it to be legally accepted and conform to prevalent industry standards in any given pay period.
Why do you need a Statement of Earnings?
An income statement for an employee shows the breakdown of their income in a pay period. It also shows the deductions in your income and lets you picture what you are earning through the year. In case of bookkeeping errors, you can intimate the accounting department to resolve the issue. Employees might even spot some other mistakes, such as missed overtime pay.
For organizations, these statements are beneficial tools to let investors analyze the profitability of the business. A complete perspective on the income in a given period permits you to track the revenue collected versus the expenses incurred. It reflects the net profit or loss in the period. This information is critical for investors to discuss the strategies presently employed in the company and whether to bring about a change vis-a-vis sales, distribution, marketing, etc. Earning statements usually go along with other financial tools like cash flow statements and balance sheets.
How frequently are Earnings Statements Issued?
Employees typically receive them at the end of every pay period. It could be monthly, quarterly, bi-monthly, etc. Businesses issue statements of earnings at the end of a quarter throughout the year.
Final Word
Earning statements are among your most critical financial papers. It is sensible to inspect them whenever you receive them to rule out any errors. Not checking the income statement can prove to be an expensive mistake. While using a free paystub maker, it is best to ensure that it is updated with the latest tax norms so that your generated records are valid.
Employees aside, companies also need to create accurate earnings statements to reflect the state of the business. It is vital for the entire stakeholder universe and ensures transparency of communication and strategic planning for the future.
* * *