Company Financial
Statements & Adjustments
SCI, SFP, the 9 notes and every common adjustment - what goes where and why.
Financial statements questions are the longest in the exam. Book a session to work through them with Dineo.
Book Now →The SCI is like your payslip for the year - it shows all your income and expenses and what you are left with at the end. The SFP is like a photograph of your financial position on one specific day - it shows everything you own (assets) and everything you owe (liabilities). One measures performance over time. The other is a snapshot at a point in time.
| SCI (Income Statement) | SFP (Balance Sheet) | |
|---|---|---|
| Also called | Statement of Comprehensive Income | Statement of Financial Position |
| Shows | Income and Expenses for the year | Assets, Equity and Liabilities at year-end |
| Ends with | Net Profit after Tax | Total Assets = Total Equity and Liabilities |
| Time period | For the year ENDED ... | AS AT (a single date) |
| Contains | Income, expenses, profit. NO assets or liabilities. | Assets, equity, liabilities. NO income or expenses. |
The Golden Rules to Keep in Your Head
The SCI works from the top down - each section removes another layer of cost or adds another type of income until you reach Net Profit. Memorise the order. Know which items belong in each section and which are excluded entirely.
Critical Placement Rules
Consumables and Stationery - Expense vs On Hand
Quick Distinction
In the SCI (expense)
Consumable stores
Stationery
= amount USED during the year
In Note 4 - SFP (asset)
Consumables on hand
Stationery on hand
= amount NOT YET USED
Example: Salaries (R120 000 + R8 000 accrued) = R128 000. Writing the calculation earns you method marks even if the number itself is wrong. Never just write a bare number without showing how you got there.
Tricky Placements to Know
The SFP shows one summarised number per line. The notes show the detail behind each number. Even if the exam does not ask you to write a specific note, you still need to know what goes in it so you can calculate the correct total for the SFP.
Interest Income
- Interest on fixed deposit
- Interest on current account
- Interest on overdue debtors
- Interest on savings account
Interest Expense
- Interest on loan
- Interest on overdraft
- Interest on overdue creditors
Fixed Assets
- CV at beginning
- + Additions (purchases)
- - Disposal at CV
- - Depreciation for year
- = CV at end → SFP
Inventory
- Trading stock
- Consumable stores on hand
- Stationery on hand
Trade & Other Receivables
- Trade debtors
- Less: Provision for bad debts
- Accrued income
- Prepaid expenses
- SARS income tax (if overpaid)
- Deposit paid
Cash & Cash Equivalents
- Bank (positive balance only)
- Cash float
- Petty cash
- Savings account
- Fixed deposit (maturing <1 yr)
Ordinary Share Capital
- Authorised (number only)
- Issued: opening shares
- + Shares issued (at issue price)
- - Shares repurchased (at average)
- = Closing balance
Retained Income
- Opening balance
- + Net profit after tax
- - Repurchase extra (above avg)
- - Interim dividends
- - Final dividends
- = Closing balance
Trade & Other Payables
- Trade creditors
- Accrued expenses
- Income received in advance
- Shareholders for dividends
- SARS income tax (if underpaid)
- PAYE / Medical / Pension
The Links You Must Know
Even if the question only asks you to complete Notes 5 and 9, you still need to process adjustments for depreciation (Note 3), inventory (Note 4), interest (Notes 1 and 2), and retained income (Note 8) to get the correct totals elsewhere. Never skip the thinking just because a note is not explicitly asked.
Bad Debts Written Off
Bad Debts Recovered
Provision for Bad Debts
Consumable Stores on Hand
Sales and Returns Corrections
Selling price: Sales + Bank or Debtors. Cost price: Cost of Sales + Trading Stock. If the question gives you one, use the mark-up formula to find the other. Missing either half of this adjustment will cost marks.
Income and expenses must be recorded in the year they BELONG TO - not necessarily when cash moves. If you paid next year's rent this year, this year's SCI should not include it. If you earned income this year but have not received it yet, the SCI must include it. That is what these adjustments are for.
Accrued Income
ASSET - Note 5Income has been earned this year but NOT received yet. We have received too little.
+ Add to Note 5 as accrued income
Income Received in Advance
LIABILITY - Note 9Cash has been received for income that belongs to NEXT YEAR. We have received too much.
+ Add to Note 9 as liability
Prepaid Expense
ASSET - Note 5An expense has been paid for that belongs to NEXT YEAR. We have paid too much.
+ Add to Note 5 as prepaid
Accrued Expense
LIABILITY - Note 9An expense belongs to this year but has NOT been paid yet. We have paid too little.
+ Add to Note 9 as accrued expense
| Account | Classification | Appears in | Effect on SCI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accrued income | Asset | Note 5 | Increases income |
| Prepaid expense | Asset | Note 5 | Reduces expense |
| Income received in advance | Liability | Note 9 | Reduces income |
| Accrued expense | Liability | Note 9 | Increases expense |
The Memory Trick
This is the most important rule for this section. Accrued expenses, prepaid expenses, accrued income and income received in advance are NOT income or expense accounts in the SCI. They are balance sheet accounts only. They affect the SCI by adjusting the underlying income or expense line - but they themselves go to Notes 5 or 9 on the SFP.
Quick Reference
The Rules That Never Change
SCI only has
Income and Expenses. NO assets or liabilities ever.
Interest income
Goes AFTER Operating Profit. Not in operating income.
Dividends
Note 8 and Note 9 only. Never in the SCI.
Note 5 assets
Accrued income, prepaid, SARS overpaid, deposits.
Note 9 liabilities
Accrued expenses, income in advance, dividends, SARS underpaid.
Show workings
Always in brackets on the SCI face. Part marks awarded.
Financial statements take
practice to get right.
The formats, notes and adjustments all need to work together. Book a session with Dineo to work through a full question from start to finish.