Why profit is what it is — line by line
The profit of a period or a product is not a single number. The breakdown opens the path from sales to net profit line by line: referral fees, FBA fees, other Amazon deductions, return cost, storage, ad spend and COGS. Each line carries its share of sales next to it, so which line is eating the profit is not up for debate.
One number does not end the argument
"Margin is 6%" tells you where you are, not what to do. The next question is always which line is responsible, and a single figure cannot answer it.
With every deduction shown as a percentage of sales, the biggest lever is obvious at a glance — and so is the line that is normal and should be left alone.
Lines that stay out of the calculation are written down too
Sales tax collected by Amazon does not belong in profit. But silently dropping it leaves a gap between this screen and Amazon’s own report, and that gap costs an afternoon to investigate.
So it is stated under the breakdown: excluded from net, with the amount. Nothing is removed without saying so.
At period, product and order level
The same breakdown opens for a period, for a single product and for one order. The categories do not change, so the three levels can be compared without translating between them.
Frequently asked questions
Why is sales tax excluded from profit?
In marketplace facilitator marketplaces Amazon collects and remits it. The money passes through your account with no effect on you; including it would inflate both revenue and cost.
Can I see the breakdown for a single order?
Yes. The same categories open at order level, so an unusual order can be explained without rebuilding the calculation.