Free Excel Cash Book Template
Simple bookkeeping in Excel – free, easy to use and downloaded over 40,000 times.
Our free Excel cash book templates make it easy to record your business income and expenses. They are designed for sole traders, landlords, freelancers, charities and small businesses that want to keep their accounts up to date without using accounting software.
If you need a spreadsheet specifically for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, use our free MTD spreadsheet template instead. It is designed for sole traders who want to keep digital records in Excel and prepare the cumulative figures needed for quarterly MTD updates.
The Excel templates record business income, business expenses, and other money paid into and out of a bank or cash account, maintain a running balance, and summarise income and expenses for the year. You do not need bookkeeping experience to get started, and all three versions are free to download without signing up.
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The templates work from your bank transactions. If you use a personal account for business, enter only the income and expenses relating to the business.
What Does the Cash Book Template Do?
The simple cash book template provides one place to record cash transactions, including cash receipts, cash payments and the items shown on your bank statement. Enter each transaction by date, add a short description and allocate it to an income or expense category. Keep all the receipts and invoices as evidence of the figures entered.
Every month has its own worksheet. The spreadsheet calculates the running balance and monthly totals automatically, helping you compare the balance with your bank statement as part of a bank reconciliation. These totals can help you review your profit and provide information for your Self Assessment tax return or year-end accounts.
To learn more about how cash books work, read our complete cash book guide.
Who Is the Cash Book Template Suitable For?
The cash book suits a small business that receives payment at or soon after making a sale and pays expenses as they arise. It works particularly well for businesses that do not need to track many unpaid invoices and have one bank account with a manageable number of monthly transactions.
You may need a complete bookkeeping system if you sell goods or services on credit, hold stock, employ staff, own several fixed assets or need detailed financial reports. Accounting software may also be more practical when transaction numbers increase, or you have several bank accounts.
Cash Book Template Example
The example below shows how business transactions are entered for one month. Money received and paid is allocated to the appropriate account code, and you can check the running balance against the bank statement.
A worked example and separate instructions are also available if you would like to see the spreadsheet completed step by step.
Features of the Excel Cash Book Template
Each version includes:
- Free download with no sign-up required
- Records income, expenses and other cash transactions
- Can be used for a bank account or physical cash
- Use a separate copy for each bank or cash account
- A separate worksheet for every month
- A totals page showing monthly and annual income and expenses
- Customisable income and expense categories
- Drop-down lists for choosing account codes
- An automatically calculated running cash book balance
- A setup page for the business name, opening balance and categories
- A format designed to print each monthly worksheet on one page
Use a separate copy of the template for each bank account. Save regular backups so you don’t lose your records if the original file is damaged or deleted.
Which Cash Book Excel Template Should You Choose?
Three versions are available. All include the same cash book format and basic bookkeeping features, but they provide different numbers of transaction rows and income and expense categories.
| Standard | Extended | Self-Employed | MTD Self-Employed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Few transactions and categories | More transactions and categories | Sole traders using the UK tax year | Sole traders needing MTD |
| Income categories | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Expense categories | 8 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Transaction rows each month | 40 | 95 | 95 | 95 |
| Accounting period | Any 12 months | Any 12 months | 6 April to 5 April | 6 April to 5 April |
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free |
Standard Cash Book
The standard version suits businesses with fewer transactions. It provides three income categories, eight expense categories and 40 transaction rows per month.
Extended Cash Book
The extended version provides more space, with five income categories, thirteen expense categories and 95 transaction rows per month. Choose this version if the standard spreadsheet does not provide enough rows or categories.
Self-Employed Cash Book
The self-employed cash book template has the same capacity as the extended template but runs from 6 April to 5 April. It is designed for sole traders who want their records to follow the UK tax year.
MTD Spreadsheet Template
The MTD spreadsheet template runs from 6 April to 5 April and is designed for sole traders using Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. It records income and expenses, calculates quarterly and cumulative MTD figures, and can be used with compatible bridging software to submit updates to HMRC.
Using the Template for Making Tax Digital
You can use an Excel spreadsheet to keep your digital records for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, but the spreadsheet itself cannot submit information directly to HMRC.
Our MTD spreadsheet template is designed for sole traders who want to keep their records in Excel and prepare the cumulative income and expense figures needed for quarterly updates. You will still need compatible bridging software to send those figures to HMRC and complete your year-end submission.
The rules and start dates depend on your qualifying income. Read our Making Tax Digital for Income Tax guide to check when the requirements apply, or see our MTD spreadsheet template for the Excel version designed specifically for MTD.
Can VAT-Registered Businesses Use This Template?
Because this cash book does not record VAT separately, it is not suitable on its own for preparing VAT returns. VAT-registered businesses should use MTD-compatible accounting software or a VAT spreadsheet linked to compatible bridging software.
Download the Free Cash Book Templates
Choose the version that best matches the number of transactions and categories you need. By downloading a template, you agree to our licence agreement. The spreadsheets may be used for your own personal or business records but must not be shared, distributed or resold.
Standard Cash Book
Three income categories, eight expense categories and 40 transaction rows per month.
Extended Excel Cash Book
Five income categories, thirteen expense categories and 95 transaction rows per month.
Self-Employed Cash Book
Five income categories, thirteen expense categories and 95 transaction rows per month, covering 6 April to 5 April.
If a drop-down list doesn’t work, make sure you are using a current version of Excel. You can also open the templates in Google Sheets, although some formatting or features may differ.
Excel Cash Book FAQ
Is the Excel cash book template really free?
Yes, completely free. There is no sign-up, trial period or charge. Download the spreadsheet, save it to your computer, and use it as many times as you need.
Can I change the income and expense categories?
Yes. You can change the category names on the setup sheet to suit your business. The number of available categories and transaction rows is fixed, so choose the extended version if you need more.
Can I add extra rows to the Excel spreadsheet?
No. Adding rows may damage the formulas. The extended and self-employed versions provide 95 transaction rows per month for businesses needing more space.
Does the cash book template calculate profit?
The totals page summarises income and business expenses for the year and provides a simple profit or loss figure for the income statement. This provides a useful indication of profit, but you may still need year-end accounting adjustments.
Do I need accounting software instead?
A spreadsheet may be enough for a small business with simple records and relatively few transactions. Accounting software becomes more useful if you need invoicing, bank feeds, VAT records, payroll, credit control or more detailed reports.
Summary
Our free cash book templates provide a simple way to record income and expenses, monitor the bank balance and review annual totals. Choose the standard, extended, or self-employed version based on the number of transactions, categories, and accounting period your business needs.
Related Pages
Cash book
Petty cash book
Excel bookkeeping templates
Disclaimer: This template is provided for general bookkeeping purposes and is not a substitute for professional tax advice. Check that it suits your circumstances and review current HMRC requirements before submitting information.
