Net Income
Net income, also known as net profit, is a measure of the profitability of a business. It is calculated by subtracting all of a company’s expenses, including operating costs, interest, taxes, and cost of goods sold (COGS), from its total revenue.
The formula for calculating net income is:
Net Income = Total Revenue – Total Expenses
Net income is a key figure in understanding a company’s financial health and profitability. It’s often the figure that people refer to when they talk about a company’s “bottom line” because it is typically the last line on the income statement.
If net income is a positive number, the company is profitable. If it’s negative, the company is losing money, which is often referred to as a net loss.
It’s worth noting that while net income is an important measure of a company’s profitability, it’s not the only one, and it’s possible for a company to have negative net income and still be cash flow positive due to non-cash expenses like depreciation and amortization.
Example of Net Income
Let’s consider a hypothetical company, XYZ Corporation.
Here is a simplified version of XYZ Corporation’s income statement for a particular year:
- Total Revenue: $1,000,000
- Cost of Goods Sold (COGS): $400,000
- Operating Expenses (salaries, rent, utilities, etc.): $300,000
- Interest Expenses: $50,000
- Taxes: $100,000
We can calculate the net income using the formula: Net Income = Total Revenue – Total Expenses. In this case, the total expenses include COGS, operating expenses, interest, and taxes. So,
Net Income = Total Revenue – (COGS + Operating Expenses + Interest Expenses + Taxes)
Substituting the given values:
Net Income = $1,000,000 – ($400,000 + $300,000 + $50,000 + $100,000)
= $1,000,000 – $850,000
= $150,000
So, the net income of XYZ Corporation for the year is $150,000. This means, after accounting for all costs and expenses, XYZ Corporation made a profit of $150,000. This is a simplified example; actual corporate income statements can be much more complex.
