The Elements of the Statement of Cash Flows - dummies (2024)

The purpose of the statement of cash flows is to show cash sources and uses during a specific period of time — in other words, how a company brings in cash and for what costs the cash goes back out the door. Therefore, the statement of cash flows contains certain components of both the income statement and the balance sheet.

The statement of cash flows has three different sections classifying all cash receipts and payments:

  • Operating: The sources and uses of cash in the operating section come from revenue, expenses, gains, losses, and other costs.

  • Investing: This section shows sources and uses of cash from debt and equity purchases and sales; purchases of property, plant, and equipment; and collection of principal on debt.

  • Financing: You report activities such as long-term liability (paying or securing loans beyond a period of 12 months from the balance sheet date) and equity items (sale of company stock and payment of dividends) in the financing section.

    The Elements of the Statement of Cash Flows - dummies (1)

Explanatory notes accompany the financial statements and contain information that isn’t readily available through review of the figures on the statements. They show how or why a company handles various transactions. For example, notes to the financial statements tell the reader what type of method the company uses to depreciate its assets.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Maire Loughran is a certified public accountant who has prepared compilation, review, and audit reports for fifteen years. A member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, she is a full adjunct professor who teaches graduate and undergraduate auditing and accounting classes.

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The Elements of the Statement of Cash Flows  - dummies (2024)

FAQs

What is cash flow statement answers? ›

Answer: A Cash Flow Statement is a statement showing inflows and outflows of cash and cash equivalents from operating, investing and financing activities of a company during a particular period. It explains the reasons of receipts and payments in cash and change in cash balances during an accounting year in a company.

What are the elements of a statement of cash flow? ›

A company's cash flow is the figure that appears in the cash flow statement as net cash flow (different company statements may use a different term). The three main components of a cash flow statement are cash flow from operations, cash flow from investing, and cash flow from financing.

What is the cash flow statement simplified? ›

A cash flow statement is a regular financial statement telling you how much cash you have on hand for a specific period. While income statements are excellent for showing you how much money you've spent and earned, they don't necessarily tell you how much cash you have on hand for a specific period of time.

How do you explain cash flow to dummies? ›

Cash flow refers to generating or producing cash (cash inflows) and using or consuming cash (cash outflows). You should think of cash flow as the lifeblood of your business, and you must keep that blood circulating at all times in order avoid failure.

What is the main purpose of this cash flow statement? ›

The primary purpose of the statement is to provide relevant information about the agency's cash receipts and cash payments during a period.

How to solve cash flow questions? ›

Free Cash Flow = Net income + Depreciation/Amortization – Change in Working Capital – Capital Expenditure. Operating Cash Flow = Operating Income + Depreciation – Taxes + Change in Working Capital. Cash Flow Forecast = Beginning Cash + Projected Inflows – Projected Outflows = Ending Cash.

What is the most important line on the statement of cash flows? ›

Operating Activities

It's considered by many to be the most important information on the Cash Flow Statement. This section of the statement shows how much cash is generated from a company's core products or services.

What are 5 elements of financial statements? ›

The major elements of the financial statements (i.e., assets, liabilities, fund balance/net assets, revenues, expenditures, and expenses) are discussed below, including the proper accounting treatments and disclosure requirements.

What is a basic example of cash flow? ›

Examples of cash flow include: receiving payments from customers for goods or services, paying employees' wages, investing in new equipment or property, taking out a loan, and receiving dividends from investments.

What is a summarised cash flow statement? ›

A cash flow statement is a financial statement that summarises the amount of cash that enters and leaves your business, giving you more information about the amount of working capital that's available over a given period.

What is cash flow for kids? ›

Playing CASHFLOW for Kids teaches them how to make money work for them. Using fun, real-world examples, kids get to practice investing—acquiring assets and dealing with the perils of liabilities.

What is a cash flow statement quizlet? ›

Statement of Cash Flows. Shows the changes in cash for the same period of time as that covered by the income statement. The cash flow statement shows all sources of cash and all of the uses of cash. Provides information about cash receipts (inflows) and cash payments (outflows).

What are the three types of cash flow statements? ›

The three categories of cash flows are operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities. Operating activities include cash activities related to net income. Investing activities include cash activities related to noncurrent assets.

What is cash flow in business? ›

Cash flow is a measurement of the amount of cash that comes into and out of your business in a particular period of time. When you have positive cash flow, you have more cash coming into your business than you have leaving it. When you have negative cash flow, the opposite is true.

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