How to create a P&L from YNAB

Using YNAB for business but need to organize the information into a Profit & Loss statement?

I’m Cortney Kaveh, YNAB Certified Coach and I specialize in helping small business owners get organized through cash flow planning.

Here I will walk you through how to extract your YNAB numbers so you can create a P&L (without using Quickbooks):

1. Go to the front of your budget and make sure the Category groups and category expenses read & show how you want them to appear for 2024.

Hide anything that isn't relevant. You can also rename category groups to more closely match the headings your accountant is looking to see, and then drag items around if needed. There may be a difference in how you "like" to see the information presented in YNAB on a day to day basis, vs what the accountant might like to see. Ask your accountant how they would like to you group your expenses (ie: software, supplies/materials, professional fees, meals, etc)

2. Go to the reflect tab, click Income V Expense, and select the range of Jan 2024-Dec 2024.

Expand everything so you can see the breakdown. Export to CSV. Then format the page. Maybe Bold the Category Groups, highlight the Total column, you decide. It's not going to look pretty as the CSV file, so you'll need to format it.

3. If you don’t already have a P&L template, find one you like. Here’s a simple free one from Conta. If you’ve never created your own Profit & Loss Statement, here are simple instructions.

Do you need help getting your business finances organized? Establishing financial rythyms? Paying yourself more?