# Financial Statements on Google Sheets

Bkper integrates with Google Sheets so you can prepare financial statements with live data from your books. This lets you simplify periodic reporting obligations and gain a clear view of your business's financial position and performance — all in a format you can safely share with your team.

![A Balance Sheet on Google Sheets populated with data from a Bkper book](https://bkper.com/docs/_astro/bkper-balance-sheet.CucHtBxE.png)

The working example in this guide models a small team launching an online subscription-based service. It includes a **Bkper sample book** covering just over two years of operations and a **Google Sheets report** that presents a **Balance Sheet**, an **Income Statement**, and **Retained Earnings** — giving insight into both the financial position and the performance of the business.

## Concepts covered in the example

**Shareholders** — The [Shareholders](https://app.bkper.com/b/#transactions:bookId=agtzfmJrcGVyLWhyZHITCxIGTGVkZ2VyGICAwMWc48ELDA&query=group%253A) group contains transactions related to the distribution of shares. Two shareholders are founders; two others buy in at par value plus a premium.

**Investment** — The [Capital Contributions](https://app.bkper.com/b/#transactions:bookId=agtzfmJrcGVyLWhyZHITCxIGTGVkZ2VyGICAwMWc48ELDA&query=group%253A) group tracks investment transactions.

**Reimbursement** — The [Reimbursements](https://app.bkper.com/b/#transactions:bookId=agtzfmJrcGVyLWhyZHITCxIGTGVkZ2VyGICAwMWc48ELDA&query=group%253A) group records expenses paid by founders before the business generated revenue.

**Payment Gateway** — The [Accounts Receivable](https://app.bkper.com/b/#transactions:bookId=agtzfmJrcGVyLWhyZHITCxIGTGVkZ2VyGICAwMWc48ELDA&query=group%253A) group represents a payment gateway that handles customer billing.

**Gross Margin / Net Income** — The [Gross Margin](https://app.bkper.com/b/#transactions:bookId=agtzfmJrcGVyLWhyZHITCxIGTGVkZ2VyGICAwMWc48ELDA&query=group%253A) group captures revenue from operations minus cost of goods sold. [Net Income](https://app.bkper.com/b/#transactions:bookId=agtzfmJrcGVyLWhyZHITCxIGTGVkZ2VyGICAwMWc48ELDA&query=group%253A) includes all income and expenses.

**Retained Earnings** — The [Retained Earnings](https://app.bkper.com/b/#transactions:bookId=agtzfmJrcGVyLWhyZHITCxIGTGVkZ2VyGICAwMWc48ELDA&query=group%253A) at the end of the covered period reflect a profit from 2023 and a loss in 2024.

> **Note**
> Payroll in this example is simplified to salary expenses only.
## The financial statement

**Balance Sheet** — The Google Sheet fetches the [Balance Sheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew/edit#gid=488070461) as of December 31, 2024, alongside the previous year, showing Assets, Liabilities, and Equity and how they evolved over the period.

**Income Statement** — The sheet also fetches an [Income Statement](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew/edit#gid=726307163) covering the performance for 2024 and 2023.

**Retained Earnings** — The [Retained Earnings](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew/edit#gid=177175078) tab tracks the Profit and Loss evolution across periods.

## Prerequisites

To follow this guide you should have some experience with Google Sheets and Bkper, along with a basic understanding of bookkeeping or accounting principles.

You will need:

- A [Bkper book](https://app.bkper.com/b/#transactions:bookId=agtzfmJrcGVyLWhyZHITCxIGTGVkZ2VyGICAwMWc48ELDA) — the foundation for organizing and consistently tracking all transactions and balances.
- A [Google Sheets](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew) report — where Bkper data is transformed into financial statements.
- The [Bkper Add-on for Google Sheets](https://gsuite.google.com/marketplace/app/bkper/360398463400) — the integration that connects both platforms.

## How it works

The Bkper Add-on for Google Sheets integrates both services, enabling direct retrieval of financial data from your Bkper book into your spreadsheet.

![Diagram showing data flow from a Bkper book to a Google Sheets financial statement](https://bkper.com/docs/_astro/financial-statements-flow._53cQn-y.png)

A financial statement connected to a Bkper book updates automatically as new transactions change account balances. The data is fetched using OAuth2 authentication. The Bkper Add-on and Bkper Functions are open-source projects built on the BkperApp library for Google Apps Script, which accesses the Bkper API.

You can fetch financial data through the [Bkper Add-on wizard](https://bkper.com/docs/guides/google-sheets/first-report.md) or by writing [Bkper Functions](https://github.com/bkper/bkper-sheets#functions-reference) directly in your spreadsheet.

## Statement details

**Sheet FS 2024** — The **bookid** in cell [C6](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew/edit#gid=0&range=C6) identifies the source book. The **dates** in cells [C8](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew/edit#gid=0&range=C8) and [C9](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew/edit#gid=0&range=C9) define the reporting period.

**Sheet Balance Sheet** — Bkper Formulas in cells [B7](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew/edit#gid=488070461&range=B7) (2024) and [D7](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew/edit#gid=488070461&range=D7) (2023) pull in the balance data. Here is what the dynamic formula looks like:

```
=BKPER_BALANCES_TOTAL('FS 2024'!C6, 1, "group:'Net Assets' on:"& C6, 5, FALSE, FALSE)
```

These formulas are **dynamic** — changing the bookid or dates on the FS 2024 tab causes the entire statement to adjust. This makes it straightforward to template and standardize reports across multiple books and clients.

**Tab Income Statement** — The Income Statement uses Bkper Formulas in cells [B7](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew/edit#gid=726307163&range=B7) and [Q7](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew/edit#gid=726307163&range=Q7) for extended P&L data, and [O8](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew/edit#gid=726307163&range=O8) and [AD8](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew/edit#gid=726307163&range=AD8) for P&L totals. Fetching the same data in both extended and totals formats provides a natural way to audit for discrepancies.

**Tab Retained Earnings** — This tab demonstrates how a wide range of reports can be derived from balance values. Cells [G9](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew/edit#gid=177175078&range=G9) and [G10](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew/edit#gid=177175078&range=G10) hold the Bkper Formulas for retained earnings totals, including comparisons across different periods.

## Try it yourself

The best way to learn is to experiment with your own copy of this working example.

Copy the [Bkper book template](https://app.bkper.com/b/#transactions:bookId=agtzfmJrcGVyLWhyZHITCxIGTGVkZ2VyGICAwMWc48ELDA) and the [Google Sheets template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GTFJAk3ZXpuxSiXxoTEX012LDNoQMdbEHkKukVborew), then [install the Bkper Add-on](https://gsuite.google.com/marketplace/app/bkper/360398463400). [Record some transactions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9iF8wsjI5w) in your book, then open your copy of the financial statement. On the **FS 2024** tab, update the [bookid](https://bkper.com/docs/guides/using-bkper/books.md#bookid) to match your copied book, and adjust the start and end dates to cover the period of your transactions.

![Google Sheets showing where to update the bookid and date range on the FS 2024 tab](https://bkper.com/docs/_astro/bkper-financial-statement-instructions.BmBzZsjJ.png)

> **Note**
> It can take up to 24 hours for Google Sheets to recognize the Bkper Functions on a copied spreadsheet.
## Collaboration

This guide links directly to specific data in both the Bkper book and the Google Sheet — pointing you to exact values without any searching. This same approach works when collaborating with your team. Share links to specific cells, accounts, or transaction queries with clients, bookkeepers, CPAs, and auditors to communicate financial context with precision.

> **Caution: Disclaimer**
> This article is intended as an example and should not be considered professional advice. We recommend working with a local professional — such as a tax advisor or accountant — to ensure compliance with local regulations. Using this guide does not establish a professional-client relationship.