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Xero Balance Sheet report: what it shows and key settings

The Balance Sheet shows what the business owns and owes on a date: bank, debtors, assets, creditors, loans and equity. Directors, lenders and investors often want it as at each month end.

Sample Balance Sheet report for a demo company, as sent by Reportpost
A sample Balance Sheet for a demo company, as Reportpost sends it.

What it shows

  • Assets: bank, debtors (accounts receivable), other current and fixed assets
  • Liabilities: creditors, tax, loans
  • Net assets and equity, including Current Earnings and Retained Earnings

Where to find it in Xero

Reporting > All reports > Balance Sheet.

Settings worth knowing

  • Report date, plus Compare with for earlier month, quarter or year ends
  • Filter by a tracking option (Xero keeps a filtered balance sheet in balance through the Tracking Transfers account)

Things to watch out for

  • There's no side-by-side comparison of tracking options on the balance sheet, only a filter.
  • A filtered balance sheet is only as good as the tracking on balance sheet items.

Getting it by email on a schedule

Xero can't email reports on a schedule, so the usual routine is to export the report and attach it by hand. Reportpost sends the Balance Sheet as at the end of the period, with up to 11 comparison dates, on cash or accrual basis, as PDF, Excel or CSV. Choose weekly, every two weeks, monthly or quarterly, and the recipients. You can try the demo without connecting Xero.

Related: Emailing the Xero balance sheet automatically and Xero year-end checklist.

Other Xero reports

Xero reportProfit and LossWhat the Xero Profit and Loss report shows, where to find it, the settings that matter (comparisons, tracking, cash or accrual) and how to email it every month.Xero reportAged Receivables SummaryWhat the Xero Aged Receivables Summary (aged debtors) shows, how to read the ageing columns, key settings and how to get it emailed every week.Xero reportAged Payables SummaryWhat the Xero Aged Payables Summary (aged creditors) shows, its ageing and grouping options, common gotchas, and how to have it emailed before each payment run.Xero reportBank SummaryWhat the Xero Bank Summary report shows (cash received and spent per bank account), its options and gotchas, and how to send it automatically each week or month.Xero reportTrial BalanceWhat the Xero Trial Balance shows, its comparison and grouping options, the gotchas, and how to send it to your accountant at month end.Xero reportExecutive SummaryWhat the Xero Executive Summary includes (cash, profit, balance sheet and key ratios), its options and limits, and how to email it every month.Xero reportBudget SummaryWhat the Xero Budget Summary report shows, how budgets are set up in Budget Manager, and how to send the budget summary on a schedule.Xero reportBudget vs ActualHow to compare actuals with your budget in Xero (Budget Variance), what to look for, and how to have a budget vs actual report emailed every month.Built from your Xero dataCash Flow Statement (indirect)Xero only has a direct-method cash flow statement. How the indirect method works and how Reportpost builds one from your Xero data and emails it.Xero reportUnpaid InvoicesHow to get a list of unpaid invoices from Xero (Aged Receivables Detail), what it shows, and how to have the list emailed every week.Xero reportInvoices RaisedHow to list the invoices raised in a period in Xero (Receivable Invoice Summary or Detail), the options and gotchas, and how to email the list automatically.Xero reportDraft InvoicesHow to keep track of draft invoices in Xero, why they matter at month end, and how to have a list of drafts emailed to you so nothing is left unapproved.Xero reportUnpaid BillsHow to get a list of unpaid bills from Xero (Aged Payables Detail), what it shows, and how to have the list emailed to you the day before each payment run.

Next month's pack could send itself.

Reportpost emails your Xero reports on a schedule, as PDF, Excel or CSV. 14 days free, no card.

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