<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (December 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (December 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> An income statement or profit and loss account (also referred to as a profit and loss statement (P&L), statement of profit or loss, revenue statement, statement of financial performance, earnings statement, operating statement, or statement of operations) is one of the financial statements of a company and shows the company's revenues and expenses during a particular period . It indicates how the revenues (money received from the sale of products and services before expenses are taken out, also known as the "top line") are transformed into the net income (the result after all revenues and expenses have been accounted for, also known as "net profit" or the "bottom line"). The purpose of the income statement is to show managers and investors whether the company made or lost money during the period being reported . </P> <P> One important thing to remember about an income statement is that it represents a period of time like the cash flow statement . This contrasts with the balance sheet, which represents a single moment in time . </P>

What are the two basic categories of items on an income statement