--- title: "Financial Report Template" space: "ERPNext" url: "https://docs.frappe.io/erpnext/financial-report-template" updated: "2026-02-26" --- ## What are Financial Report Templates? Financial Report Templates help create professional financial reports automatically that fit dynamic business needs. Instead of editing reports in Excel, one can set up a template and it will generate reports like Balance Sheets, Profit & Loss statements, and Cash Flow reports with just a few clicks. ## Main Components ### 1. Financial Report Template This is a report blueprint that defines: - **Template Name**: Descriptive name for identification (e.g., "Monthly P&L") - **Report Type**: Balance Sheet, Profit & Loss, Cash Flow, or Custom - **Rows**: The individual lines that make up the report ### 2. Financial Report Row (Child Table) Each row in template represents a line in the financial report: - **Display Name**: What appears in the report (e.g., "Total Revenue") - **Reference Code**: Short code for calculations (e.g., REV100) - **Data Source**: Where the numbers come from: - **Account Data**: Pulls balances from Chart of Accounts - **Calculated Amount**: Uses formulas to compute values based on other rows - **Visual Elements**: Blank lines or section headers for formatting - **Formatting**: Bold, colors, indentation for professional appearance ![Financial Report Template with Example Rows](/files/image4024b0.png) ### 3. Account Category Classification system for accounts that enables standardized filtering across companies. Examples: - **Cash and Cash Equivalents**: Bank accounts, cash, short-term deposits - **Trade Receivables**: Customer invoices and receivables - **Operating Expenses**: Office rent, utilities, salaries - **Revenue from Operations**: Sales and service income ![Example Account Category Setup](/files/image380ef8.png) ## How to Get Data for Report ### 1. Account Data - Pull from Chart of Accounts This gets actual balances from accounts. One can filter accounts by category or specific criteria. **Simple Example**: Get all cash balances - Set filter to: `Cash and Cash Equivalents` category - Choose balance type: `Closing Balance` (balance at end of period) **Advanced Example**: Get only sales-related expenses - Filter: Operating Expenses that contain "Sales" in the name - This might include: "Sales Commission", "Sales Travel", "Sales Training" **Balance Types Explained:** - **Opening Balance**: Balance at the start of the period - **Closing Balance**: Balance at the end of the period - **Period Movement**: How much changed during the period ![Account Data configuration screen showing filter options](/files/image382ef1.png) Easily check account coverage for rows to ensure all relevant accounts are included. ### 2. Calculated Amount Use this to add, subtract, or calculate percentages using other rows in template. **Simple Examples:** - **Total Assets**: `CURRENT_ASSETS + NON_CURRENT_ASSETS` - **Gross Profit**: `REVENUE - COST_OF_GOODS_SOLD` - **Profit Margin**: `(NET_PROFIT / REVENUE) * 100` **Smart Calculations** (prevents division by zero): - `(GROSS_PROFIT / REVENUE) * 100 if REVENUE != 0 else 0` ### 3. Visual Elements **Blank Line**: Add space between sections for better readability. Display name can still be given. Eg: Bold Text like "ASSETS" or "LIABILITIES" to organize report. **Column Break**: Create multi-column or horizontal layouts. Display name acts as the header for the new column. **Section Headers**: Used in conjunction with Column Breaks to separate different sections horizontally. Eg. Keep Totals aligned with each other in multi-column layouts. ![Finished report showing proper spacing and headers](/files/image54fa2a.png) ### How to Assign Categories to Accounts **Method 1: One by One** Go to Accounts -> update Account Category field **Method 2: Bulk Assignment** using Data Import Tool ## Making Reports Look Professional ### Text Formatting Make reports easy to read and professional: - **Bold Text**: Say for main headings like "TOTAL ASSETS" or "NET PROFIT" - **Italic Text**: Say for subtotals and calculated amounts - **Colors**: Highlight important figures (red for losses, green for profits) - **Indentation**: Create visual hierarchy (main items flush left, sub-items indented) - **Hide Empty Rows**: Don't show accounts with zero balances to keep reports clean - **Reverse Signs**: Show expenses as positive numbers (makes P&L easier to read) - **Include in Charts**: Select which rows to include in automatic chart generation ### Advanced Features Easily build advanced templates by adding calculated rows **Balance Validation**: Say add a check that Assets = Liabilities + Equity **Ratios**: - **Current Ratio**: Current Assets ÷ Current Liabilities - **Profit Margin**: Net Profit ÷ Revenue × 100 - **Debt Ratio**: Total Debt ÷ Total Equity ![Report with ratios and balance check highlighted](/files/image6c04be.png) ## Built-in Validations The system automatically checks your templates to prevent errors: ### What Gets Checked **Reference Codes**: - Must be unique (can't have two REV100 codes) - Must start with a letter and contain only letters, numbers, and underscores - Example: - ✅ REV100, ASSET1 - ❌ 100REV, ASSET-1 **Calculations**: - Checks that references to a row actually exist - Prevents circular references (A depends on B, B depends on A) - Makes sure parentheses match up: - ✅ `(A + B) * C` - ❌ `(A + B * C` **Account Filters**: - Verifies that account categories exist - Checks filter syntax is correct ## Ready-to-Use Templates ERPNext comes with professional templates to use immediately: ![Template selection screen showing available templates](/files/imagef36a3a.png) Customize these templates or create one from scratch. ## Getting Started Configure financial reports in three easy steps: 1. Ensure Account Categories are mapped to Chart of Accounts 2. Edit existing templates or create a new Financial Report Template 3. Check for account coverage, formatting, and calculations