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Statement of Cash Flows

How to Run the Statement of Cash Flows in QuickBooks Online

The Statement of Cash Flows shows how cash actually moved through your business over a period, split into operating, investing, and financing activities. It answers a question the Profit and Loss cannot: where the cash went, even in a month you were profitable. Here is how to run it in QuickBooks Online.

Steps

  1. Open the Statement of Cash Flows

    Go to Reports and, under the "Business overview" group, select "Statement of Cash Flows." It opens grouped into three sections: operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities.

    QuickBooks Online reports list with the Statement of Cash Flows highlighted under Business overview
  2. Set the report period

    Use the Report period dropdown to pick your range, such as This year to date, Last month, or a custom period. QuickBooks builds the statement using the indirect method: it starts from net income and adjusts for the changes in your balance sheet accounts.

    QuickBooks Online Statement of Cash Flows toolbar with the Report period dropdown open
  3. Read the three sections and the net change

    Expand operating, investing, and financing to see the accounts behind each. The three subtotals add up to the net cash increase or decrease for the period, which reconciles the cash balance at the start of the period to the cash balance at the end.

    QuickBooks Online Statement of Cash Flows showing operating, investing, and financing sections with a net change in cash

See also

Connect QuickBooks to Google Sheets to track cash flow month over month

Frequently asked questions

Why does my cash flow not match my Profit and Loss?

Profit includes non-cash items and unpaid invoices and bills; the Statement of Cash Flows strips those out and shows only cash that moved. That gap is exactly what the statement is meant to explain.

Does QuickBooks use the direct or indirect method?

QuickBooks Online produces the Statement of Cash Flows using the indirect method, starting from net income and adjusting for changes in balance sheet accounts.

How do I track cash flow across several months in one view?

The report shows one period at a time. To put multiple months side by side and keep them refreshing, pull the report into Google Sheets with Retriever. See the linked guide.

Tired of rebuilding reports? Need more customization?

Retriever pulls QuickBooks Online reports like this one into Google Sheets on a schedule. They refresh on their own, and once the data is in Sheets you can pivot, chart, and customize it far beyond QuickBooks' fixed report layouts.

See how Retriever works

Related report guides

Profit and Loss by MonthGeneral Ledger Trial Balance Aging Classic vs Modern View Reporting

Questions about this report? Reach out at aubrey@retrieverhq.com.