> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://control-dev.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Financial statement reporting

> Choose the right financial statement and understand how Control calculates P&L, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow values.

Control provides separate statements for period performance, financial position, and cash movement. Choose the statement based on the question you need to answer.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Profit & Loss" icon="chart-line" href="/product-docs/reporting/pnl">
    Review income and expenses generated during a selected period.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Balance Sheet" icon="scale-balanced" href="/product-docs/reporting/balance-sheet">
    Review cumulative asset, liability, and equity balances as of a date.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Cash Flow" icon="money-bill-transfer" href="/product-docs/reporting/cash-flow">
    Explain the movement from beginning cash to ending cash.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## How the statements differ

| Statement     | Question it answers                      | Included account types                                  | Time behavior                                                                |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| P\&L          | What income and expenses occurred?       | Income Statement                                        | Activity within the selected period                                          |
| Balance Sheet | What do we own, owe, and hold in equity? | Asset, Liability, and Equity                            | Cumulative balance by default; optional period-change view                   |
| Cash Flow     | Why did cash increase or decrease?       | P\&L values, Balance Sheet movements, and cash accounts | Movement during the selected period, reconciled to beginning and ending cash |

<Info>
  A one-month P\&L column shows that month's activity. In the default **Period-end balance** view, a one-month Balance
  Sheet column shows the full balance as of that month-end—not only transactions posted during the month.
</Info>

## Shared reporting workflow

Each statement connects a layout editor with an actuals view:

1. Organize the relevant group accounts into statement rows and groups.
2. Add formulas for subtotals or derived rows.
3. Open actuals and select the period, entity, dimension, and currency scope.
4. [Review whether the accounting periods are closed](/product-docs/integrations/closed-periods).
5. [Drill into a material value](/product-docs/reporting/drill-down) to reconcile it to supporting accounts and transactions.

Editing a layout changes how Control presents and calculates the report. It does not change source-system transactions or their account mappings.

## Choose a more specific operating view

Use a [Functional P\&L](/product-docs/reporting/functional-pnl) when a standard account-based P\&L does not match how management reviews functions, departments, or cost centers. Functional P\&L still uses Income Statement accounts, but it can apply dimension criteria to individual layout nodes.

## Next steps

* [Build and review a P\&L](/product-docs/reporting/pnl)
* [Drill down from a financial statement](/product-docs/reporting/drill-down)
* [Build and review a Balance Sheet](/product-docs/reporting/balance-sheet)
* [Build and review a Cash Flow statement](/product-docs/reporting/cash-flow)