View Retained Earnings P&L Pics. Retained earnings are defined as the cumulative earnings earned by the company till the date after adjusting for the distribution of the dividend or the other distributions to the investors of the company and it is shown as the part of owner's equity in the liability side of the balance sheet of the company. On the profit an loss account.
In other words, retained earnings is the amount of earnings that the stockholders are leaving in.
Profits give a lot of room to the business owner(s) or the company management to utilize the surplus money earned. It is the amount of profit kept by the company rather than paid as dividends. Retained earnings are often used for business reinvestment. This amount is adjusted whenever there is an entry to the accounting records that impacts a revenue or expense account.