The Comparative Income Statement is a powerful tool designed to help you track your organization's financial health over time. By placing different periods side-by-side, you can easily identify trends, monitor growth, and spot financial inconsistencies.
How the Report Works
The Comparative Income Statement follows the same familiar layout and filtering logic as our standard Income Statement, with the added ability to layer in historical data for direct comparison.
The "Base Period" Rule
The foundation of your report is the Base Period, which is defined by the Date Picker.
Column One: The Base Period will always be the first column in your report.
The Anchor: All variances ($ and %) are calculated against this base period.
Date Options: You can select standard ranges (This Month, Last Quarter, Year to Date) or set a Custom Range.
Example: If today is January 15 and you select This Month to Date, your base period (Column 1) will reflect data from Jan 1–15.
Adding Comparisons
To see historical data, use the Compare Filter. This allows you to add extra columns based on your base period.
Comparison Types
You can choose to step backward by Months, Quarters, or Years. The report automatically calculates these periods relative to your Date Picker selection.
| Base Period (Date Picker) | Comparison Selection | Resulting Columns |
|---|---|---|
| Last Year (2025) | Years (2 periods) | 2025, 2024, 2023 |
| This Quarter | Quarters (2 periods) | Current Qtr, Prior Qtr, 2 Qtrs Ago |
| This Month to Date | Months (3 periods) | Current MTD, Dec (Full), Nov (Full), Oct (Full) |
Using Custom Comparison Periods
If you need to compare two specific, non-sequential ranges, select Custom Period in the Compare filter.
Note: You can define one custom comparison period to measure against your base period. Multiple custom comparison periods are not supported at this time.
Customizing Your View
Once your periods are set, you can refine how the data is displayed using the Customize Panel.
Variance ($): Shows the dollar difference between the base period and prior periods (Enabled by default).
Variance (%): Shows the percentage change between periods.
Standard Filters: Just like the standard Income Statement, you can still filter by Account, Fund, or Tag, and toggle between Cash and Accrual accounting.
Column Behavior
To ensure the mathematical accuracy of your variances, comparison columns are fixed. They cannot be individually hidden or reordered. To change the number of columns, simply adjust the "number of periods" in your Compare filter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why can't I see my budget columns in this report?
To simplify the interface and focus on historical trends, the redesigned Comparative Income Statement focuses exclusively on Actuals.
To see Actuals vs. Budget, please use the Budget to Actual Report.
To see Annual Budgets alongside your current activity, use the Standard Income Statement.
Q: If I change my Date Picker, what happens to my comparison columns?
They update automatically! Because comparison periods are "relative," changing your base period from "Last Year" to "This Year" will shift all your comparison columns forward accordingly.
Q: Can I compare this year's "Month to Date" against the same full month last year?
Yes. By setting your Date Picker to "This Month to Date" and your comparison to "Years," the report will show your current partial month next to the prior year's full month for context