Read your profit and loss and trial balance

The steps

Find it

1. Every screen is in the menu on the left. Under FINANCE, tap Reports. On a phone, open the menu with the button at the top left first.
2. The gallery holds every report. Filter it with Financial, Tax, Management and Compliance, or search by name.

Read the income statement

1. Tap the Income Statement card. It opens on your financial year to date, the same period the balance sheet uses.
2. To see one month, in From type 2026-09-01, and in To type 2026-09-30.
3. Tap Apply, then read down from Total Revenue through cost of sales and expenses to the profit for the period.
4. Tap PDF to export it for a bank or a funder. The period is printed on it, so the file still says what it covers.

Scenario: you want to compare with last year

1. Tap the Income Statement card.
2. Under COMPARE WITH, tap Same period last year. The report reloads at once, and each line gains last year's figure beside this year's.

Scenario: you want to check the books balance

1. Tap the Trial Balance card.
2. Check it reads Balanced: debits equal credits. That proves every posting balanced, not that every figure is in the right account.
3. Tap Show the postings behind Trade Receivables (Debtors Control) to see every line that makes up that balance.

Scenario: your year end arrives

1. Tap Annual Financial Statements. Ledgr drafts the year's statements from your books, the statement of financial position included.
2. Clear Outstanding matters for the preparer first, such as a missing registration number, directors or date of approval.
3. Tap Working papers (PDF) for the schedules behind the figures, to hand to whoever reviews them.

More detail is in the guide.

Check yourself

1. Which report is your profit and loss?

   • The balance sheet
   • The income statement
   • The trial balance
   Show the answer

   The income statement

2. The trial balance reads Balanced. What does that prove?

   • Every figure in your books is right
   • Your VAT return has been filed
   • Only that debits equal credits, since a wrong posting can still balance
   Show the answer

   Only that debits equal credits, since a wrong posting can still balance

3. Why does an exported report carry its period?

   • So a PDF in someone's inbox still says what it covers
   • So the period is locked against changes
   • So SARS can read it directly
   Show the answer

   So a PDF in someone's inbox still says what it covers