Understanding your startup’s financial performance isn’t just about tracking revenue—it's about knowing how your business operates across every line item. And that’s where your income statement comes in.
Whether you're building your startup from Latin America, Europe, or Southeast Asia with a Delaware C-Corp in the U.S., the income statement (also known as the profit & loss or P&L statement) is your first financial checkpoint—and often the first thing investors or lenders will ask for.
👉 Book a free call with our legal & finance team and get help reading or preparing your income statement.
An income statement is one of the three essential financial statements every startup should track, alongside the balance sheet and the cash flow statement. It summarizes your revenue and expenses over a specific period (monthly, quarterly, or annually), showing whether your startup is operating at a profit or loss.
Startups, especially in their early stages, often have more expenses than revenue. That doesn’t mean the income statement isn’t useful—it’s crucial for understanding your burn rate, cost structure, and path to profitability. Even if you're pre-revenue, generating and reviewing this statement monthly can help you control costs and demonstrate financial discipline to potential investors.
Here’s why every startup founder should keep a close eye on this document:
Startups in different industries will naturally show different trends—for example, a SaaS company will have low COGS but high development costs, while an e-commerce business will likely show higher fulfillment expenses. The key is showing consistency and understanding the story behind your numbers.
Let’s break down the structure you’ll typically see:
💡 Formula recap:
Revenue – COGS = Gross Profit
Gross Profit – OPEX = Operating Income
Operating Income – Interest – Taxes = Net Income
If you're not using accounting software (yet), here’s a simplified 5-step process:
Step 1: Gather your data
Export transaction records from your bank account, Stripe, or sales platforms.
Step 2: Choose a format
Use a spreadsheet with columns for category, amount, and period. Tools like QuickBooks, Xero, or Wave can automate this step.
Step 3: Classify revenue and expenses
Group each line item (e.g., marketing, software, payroll) into standardized accounting categories.
Step 4: Calculate totals and net income
Use basic formulas to get gross profit, operating income, and net income.
Step 5: Review and double-check
Make sure all expenses are recorded, especially founder salaries, contractors, or overlooked subscriptions.
Still not sure how to structure it? 👉 Book a free call and we’ll walk you through your startup’s numbers.
Here are seven strategic uses of your income statement:
It’s important to understand how the income statement connects to the other two main financial reports:
No difference. "Income statement" and "Profit & Loss statement" are the same thing.
In the startup ecosystem, “P&L” is a more common shorthand, especially in founder-to-founder conversations. Meanwhile, “income statement” is typically preferred by accountants and in investor reports. Use whichever you feel more comfortable with—just make sure you're updating it monthly.
Too many founders wait until tax season or due diligence to think about their income statement. That’s risky. By tracking your income statement regularly, you build better habits, make informed decisions faster, and avoid fire drills when investors request your financials.
And if you’re not sure where to start, we’ve helped hundreds of founders like you—international teams, solo founders, and first-time entrepreneurs—get their books in order.