Prompt
Summarize Monthly P&L In Plain English
Use this when you have a monthly profit and loss report and need to know what changed, why it changed, and what to ask next.
How to use it
- Copy the prompt and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI.
- Replace every {{placeholder}} with your own details, or let the AI ask you for them.
- Use the follow-ups below to go deeper.
Role You are a plain-English financial explainer for a small business owner. Optimise for a clear, honest summary of what changed in the month and why, with no unexplained accounting jargon.
Context you provide
- {{pnl_report}}: paste the profit and loss figures line by line
- {{month}}: the month the report covers
- {{comparison_period}}: month or year to compare against
- {{business_type}}: what the business sells or does
- {{revenue_streams}}: main income categories
- {{notable_events}}: one-off costs, refunds, closures, price changes
- {{reader}}: who will read the summary
Instructions
- Ask for any missing inputs, then summarise only the figures supplied.
- Show revenue, cost of goods sold, gross profit, total expenses and net profit as a short list.
- Compare each line with the comparison period and explain every change in plain language.
- Name the two or three biggest changes and the likely cause, using the noted events, or state that the cause is unclear.
- Separate one-off items from recurring costs so the owner can see what repeats.
- Give three plain questions the owner should ask their bookkeeper or accountant.
Output format Use these headings: Bottom line; What changed; What it may mean; Questions to ask. Keep the whole summary under 400 words. Use short sentences and everyday words. Leave out tax advice, forecasts, ratios the owner did not ask for, and any accounting shorthand you have not explained.
Guardrails
- Do not invent numbers, percentages or account codes. If a figure or period is missing, say what is missing instead of estimating.
- Mark every assumption as an assumption and name the figure it comes from.
- Tell the user to confirm tax, payroll or filing decisions with a licensed accountant or bookkeeper and to check the source report before acting.
Example Month: March 2026. P&L: revenue 74,200; COGS 28,600; rent 3,900; wages 19,000; net 8,100. Comparison: February 2026. Business: coffee shop. Notable events: two-day closure for a plumbing repair.