Build a Simple P&L Report by Dimension Using G/L Entries Analysis Mode in Business Central

Need a quick P&L by department or customer group, but don't want to set up a Financial Report or ask a developer? You can build one yourself in a few minutes from General Ledger Entries using Analysis mode.

Important: new versions only. Analysis mode is available in Business Central 2023 release wave 2 (version 23) and later. Adding columns from related tables (Step 3) needs version 26.2 or later. If you don't see the icons below, your version is too old.

Step 1: Open Analysis mode

Search for General Ledger Entries, then click the Enter analysis mode icon next to the search icon.

What you can do here:

• Group, filter and total your G/L entries without leaving Business Central
• Pivot the data like an Excel pivot table
• Save several analysis tabs for different reports

Note: Analysis mode only reads data. Nothing you do here changes your postings.

Step 2: Add or remove columns

In the Columns pane on the right, tick the fields you want to see and untick the ones you don't.

Step 3: Add a field that is not in the list

Some useful fields are not on the G/L Entries page, for example Income/Balance from the G/L Account card. You can still bring them in:

1. Click the small arrow next to the analysis tab name.
2. Choose Add columns from, then G/L Account (Via: G/L Account No. = No.).
3. Pick the field, for example Income/Balance, and click OK.

Step 4: Rearrange the columns

The new column is added at the end. Drag the column header left or right to place it where you prefer.

Step 5: Build the P&L with Pivot Mode

First, on the left under Filter list by, set your filters. Then turn on Pivot Mode at the top of the Columns pane and drag the fields as shown below.

Where	What to set	Example
Filter: Posting Date	Your reporting period	01/01/25..31/10/26
Filter: G/L Account No.	Your income statement accounts	6*|7*|8*|9*
Row Groups	G/L Account No.	One row per account
Values	Amount (LCY)	Shows as Sum(Amount (LCY))
Column Labels	Your dimension	Customergroup Code

You now have a P&L by account, with one column for each dimension value (LARGE, MEDIUM, SMALL). The column with no heading holds entries posted without that dimension.

Tips:

• Leave Column Labels empty if you only want a simple P&L without the dimension breakdown.
• Want it by month instead? Use Posting Date Month in Column Labels.
• Income shows as negative because G/L entries store credits as negative amounts.
• Click the save icon beside the view name to keep your filters for next time.

Step 6: Open the report in Excel

Click the arrow next to the analysis tab name, then Share > Open in Excel.

Summary

Analysis mode on General Ledger Entries lets you build a simple P&L by dimension yourself: choose your columns, add missing fields from the G/L Account, switch on Pivot Mode, and open the result in Excel. No coding and no report setup needed.

Have a question, or a report you'd like to build with Analysis mode? Drop a comment below.