The purpose of profit and loss account is to ascertain
Answer Details
The purpose of a profit and loss (P&L) account is to show the financial performance of a business over a specific period of time, usually a month or a year. It helps to determine the net profit or loss of a company by showing the total revenue earned and the total expenses incurred during the period.
The P&L account starts with the gross profit, which is calculated by subtracting the cost of goods sold (COGS) from the total revenue. Gross profit shows the amount of money the company made from its sales before any other expenses are taken into account.
Next, the P&L account lists all the expenses incurred by the company during the period, such as wages, rent, utilities, advertising, and other operating costs. These expenses are subtracted from the gross profit to arrive at the net profit or net loss.
The net profit or loss is the final result of the P&L account and shows whether the company made a profit or suffered a loss during the period. If the net profit is positive, it means the company had more revenue than expenses and made a profit. If the net profit is negative, it means the company had more expenses than revenue and suffered a loss.
In conclusion, the purpose of a P&L account is to determine the net profit or loss of a company by showing the total revenue earned, the total expenses incurred, and the difference between the two.