Table of Contents

Revenue Vs Profit? What is the Key Difference?

What is Revenue?

Revenue is the total amount received or receivable or realized from the sale of goods or services.
Or
Revenue means the amount of the business earned by selling its products or providing services to customers. Revenue can be operating as well as non-operating. For example-

Amount received from the sale of goods
Rent received
Commission received
Interest received
Dividend received
Royalties received
Amount received from rendering services

Operating revenue- Operating revenue is the revenue that a business enterprise generates from its primary business activities.

Non-Operating Revenue- Non–operating revenue is the revenue earned by activities other than the primary activities of a business enterprise.

What is Profit?

The excess of revenues over its related expenses during an accounting year is profit.
Or
Profit is the excess of total revenues over total expenses(costs) of a business enterprise for an accounting period.

Profit = Revenue – Expenses

Normally profit categorized as-
1. Gross Profit
2. Net Profit
3. Operating Profit
4. Revenue Profit
5. Capital Profit

1. Gross Profit- Gross profit is the difference between Net revenue from operation over the cost of goods sold (COGS). Gross profit, also called gross income, is calculated by subtracting the cost of goods sold from(sales- sales return) net revenue.

Gross Profit = Net Sales – Cost of Goods Sold

Net Sales = Sales – Sales Return

Net Purchase = Purchase – Purchase Return

Cost of Goods Sold = Opening Stock + Net Purchase +Direct Expenses – Closing Stock

2. Net Profit- The net profit is the excess of revenue over expenses during an accounting year.

Net Profit = Gross profit + Other Income – Indirect Expenses

3. Operating Profit- Operating profit is the excess of operating revenue over operating expenses. Operating profit is the profit earned purely through the normal operating activities of the business concern.

Net operating profit = Net Profit after Tax+ Non-Operating Expenses – Non-Operating Incomes

Net operating profit = Gross Profit + Operating Income – Operating Expenses

4. Revenue Profit- Revenue profits are the profits that are earned in the normal course of business.
5. Capital Profit- Capital profits are the profits that do not arise from day to day operations of the business. Examples:

(i) Profit on sale of fixed assets.
ii) Premium received on issue of shares/debentures
(iii) Profit on re-issue of forfeited shares
(iv) Prior incorporation profits etc.

Revenue Vs Profit

The basic difference between Revenue and Profit is that Revenue means the amount received or receivable or realized from the sale of goods or services by the business in its ordinary course of operations whereas, Profit is the excess of total revenues over its related total expenses (costs) during an accounting period from the normal course of business activities (Operating activities) of a business enterprise.

Table Showing the Difference between revenue and profit

The difference between Revenue and Profit has been made on the following basis:

Meaning
Formula
Types
Position on Financial Statement
Dependency on Each other
Comparision

Basis	Revenue	Profit
Meaning	Revenue means the amount received or receivable or realized from the sale of goods or services.	Profit is the excess of total revenues over its related total expenses (costs) during an accounting period from the normal course of business activities (Operating activities) of a business enterprise.
Formula	Revenue = Quantity in Unit × Sale Price per Unit	Profit = Revenue – Expenses
Types	1. Operating Revenue, 2. Non-Operating Revenue	1. Gross Profit, 2 Operating Profit, 3.Net Profit
Position on Financial Statement	Revenue is found at the top of the income statement.	Net profit is found generally the last line on the income statement.
Dependency on Each other	Revenue is not dependent on Profit.	Profit is dependent on Revenue.
Comparision	Revenue is always more than profit.	Profit cannot be more than revenue.