As your model grows in complexity, clarity becomes just as important as accuracy. That's why this chapter introduces a step often overlooked in technical modeling: clean output formatting.

While the "Income Statement Assumptions" tab contains all the raw calculations and inputs, it's not presentation-friendly. It's busy, dense, and not designed for stakeholders who simply want to understand financial performance at a glance.

The solution is a clean income statement output tab.

This tab should:

• Mirror the structure of a traditional income statement;

• Include only the key rows relevant for valuation and performance analysis;

• Pull in data dynamically from the assumption tabs via direct cell references;

• Be formatted clearly for printing or exporting to PDF.

By separating logic from presentation, you reduce the risk of errors and make the model more accessible for non-technical users. This is especially valuable when sharing your analysis with colleagues, investors, or advisors.

When building this tab:

• Use consistent column widths and fonts for legibility;

• Add clear row labels (e.g., "Revenue", "COGS", "EBITDA", "Net Income");

• Freeze headers or use top-aligned formatting for year-over-year comparisons.

This "clean sheet" becomes your go-to reference when calculating UFCF, WACC inputs, or building visual dashboards.

By the end of this step, you'll have a tidy, reliable income statement that not only supports your model's logic—but communicates it clearly to others.