Tasks of the balance sheet

What do you need a balance sheet for?

The balance sheet is purposeful, ie there is no such thing as a balance sheet per se, but rather it is always drawn up on specific occasions. It is therefore not possible to name any overarching tasks in the balance sheet that apply to all balance sheets.

Annual balance

The following tasks arise for the annual balance sheet, which is periodically drawn up on the basis of commercial and tax law regulations:

Proof of success

• The success report, ie the success of the company, must be disclosed in accordance with commercial or tax law regulations. It should be noted, however, that it can be influenced by suitable accounting and valuation measures.

Capital statement

• The capital statement, ie the balance sheet should identify the capital build-up, e. B. by comparing equity and debt and provide evidence of capital maintenance, z. B. through suitable valuation and depreciation measures.

Statement of assets

• The statement of assets, ie the assets should be able to be ascertained through a precise breakdown and identification of the asset accumulation, e. B. by comparing fixed assets and current assets.

Liquidity report

• The liquidity report, ie the company's liquidity situation, should be disclosed with the help of the balance sheet, which is not unproblematic, see also the liquidity analysis.

According to the German Commercial Code, the annual balance sheet generally has the task of providing the entrepreneur or the addressee of the balance sheet with information about the development and situation of the company. This already follows from Section 238, Paragraph 1, Clause 2 of the German Commercial Code (HGB). More specifically, Section 264 (2) of the German Commercial Code (HGB) for corporations requires the presentation of the asset, financial and earnings position.