Profits which arise from carrying on trades, professions and vocations cannot usually be worked out by simply adding together the cash receipts of the business and deducting expenses paid out. This would show the business’ cash flow, but it would not usually be a proper measure of its profits. To arrive at the profits it is necessary to draw up accounts using the methods which accountants have developed for dealing with income that has been earned but not received, expenses which have been incurred but not paid or paid but not fully used, and so on. And the profits arrived at using these methods (the commercial profits) have to.
