FinBoardHelp

Add calculated lines and formulas to a FinBoard report

By Vaishnav GuptaUpdated

Use a mapping when you want to change where a QuickBooks Online account appears in a report. Use a formula when you want to calculate a value from report lines that are already displayed. They solve different problems and work well together in the same workbook.

When to use a mapping

Mappings organise accounts into the headings your audience needs. For example, you might map several product revenue accounts to Product Revenue, or group fulfillment accounts under Product Fulfillment Costs.

Keep ordinary account mappings on the same side of the statement: income and other income can be grouped together, and COGS, expenses, and other expenses can be grouped together. Do not use a mapping to place income and expense accounts on one ordinary line. For a measure that combines them, use a formula or ask FinBoard to set up a calculated KPI.

For the full mapping workflow, see Regroup Accounts.

When to use a formula

Use a Google Sheets formula for a presentation calculation, subtotal, ratio, or variance that is not an account assignment. For example:

Product Contribution = Product Revenue - Product Fulfillment Costs

This combines a revenue line and a cost line without changing either account’s mapping.

Add the formula

  1. Create or open the FinBoard report in Google Sheets.
  2. Insert a row or column where you want the calculation to appear.
  3. Enter a formula that references the report values. If Product Revenue is in B12 and Product Fulfillment Costs is in B24, the formula is =B12-B24.
  4. Label the row clearly, such as Product Contribution.

Use the actual cell references in your workbook; report layouts can differ. When you refresh, FinBoard updates the QuickBooks-fed values while your manually inserted formula rows and columns remain in place. The formula then recalculates from the refreshed values.

Calculated KPIs

If the calculation should be a reusable KPI rather than a workbook-only formula, FinBoard can support a calculated KPI. Custom calculated KPIs currently require FinBoard-assisted setup. Describe the measure, the lines it should use, and how it should be presented so the team can configure it correctly.

For a worked example that separates account mapping from a cross-side calculation, see Build and reuse a custom monthly P&L.

Validate the calculation

Before sharing the report, check that the formula references the intended rows and returns the expected amount for a known period. Refresh the report once, then confirm that the QuickBooks-fed values update and the calculated line still uses the correct cells.

If you change the report structure later, review the formula references again. Inserted or moved rows can change what a formula includes.