Free Excel Cash Book Template
Running a small business? Keep your income and expenses organised with our simple Excel cash book template. Designed for sole traders, charities, freelancers, and small businesses, it’s free to download and ready to use.
It is based on the business bank account transactions. If you do not have a separate business account, you can post the transactions related to it from your personal account. It is not suitable to track sales and purchase invoices or if you are VAT registered.
As a bookkeeper, I am often asked: What is the best free bookkeeping software for producing accounting reports? But everything I have reviewed is either a trial, too complicated to use or unsuitable for most companies. For this reason, I decided to design a template that is available as a free download at the end of this page.
What is a Cash Book?
The first thing we must consider is what a cash book is. A cash book records all the money coming into and going out of your business, also known as income and expenditure, from either the bank or cash. It is the simplest form of bookkeeping and a good way to record cash transactions.
There are several different cash books, from a single-column cash book to a triple-column cash book. Our template is a single-column cash book that allows you to record all the figures and analysis for different account codes.
The totals page will show the income and expenditure for the whole year and is the basis of the profit and loss account or income statement.
Alternatives to using a Free Cash Book Template
As your business grows, you may find that a cash book is insufficient to keep the business records. If you keep stock, give credit to customers or have assets, accounting software would be better to set up from the start.
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Below is a comparison of Excel vs accounting software.
| Feature | Excel Cash Book Template | Accounting Software |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Monthly/annual subscription |
| Ease of Use | Simple for small volumes of data | May take time to learn |
| Automation | Manual Entry | Automates invoicing, bank feeds, reports |
| Accuracy | Dependent on correct formulas | Reduces errors with built-in checks |
| Reports | Limited | Real-time reports on profit, cash flow |
| Tax Compliance | Manual calculations | Integrates with HMRC MTD |
| Accessibilty | On one device (or Google Sheets) | Cloud-based, access anywhere |
| Scalability | Best for very small businesses | Grows with your business needs |
| Security | Relies on your own backups | Cloud storage with secure encryption |
| Best For | self-employed, charities | Growing businesses for automation |
Cash Book Template options
We have created three versions of the cash book template. The first version includes three income sales categories, eight expense purchase categories that you can name, and forty transaction lines per month. It is enough for most accounts and ideal if you are a small sole trader or charity. It is suitable for either self-employed or limited companies.
Our extended version is now absolutely free to help your business even more. Each month has a separate worksheet, which allows you to see the totals for the month. There is also a totals page which provides the profit and loss by month and a total for the whole year. It helps provide figures for either self-assessment tax or for an accountant for the year-end.
The extended version is for businesses that want to record more transactions or details, with five sales categories and thirteen purchase categories, and ninety-five transaction lines.
If you’re unsure which one is right for you, refer to the table below. You can also download the standard version first and see if it works for you.
| Cash Book | Standard Version | Extended Version |
|---|---|---|
| Income Codes | 3 | 5 |
| Expenses Codes | 8 | 13 |
| Transaction lines | 40 | 95 |
| Charge | Free | Free |
Our final cash book is designed for self-employed individuals and runs from the tax year, making it easier to report the figures for self-assessment.
Free Excel Cash Book Template Example
We have produced a free Excel cash book template example based on a small computer firm so that you can see it in use for yourself, along with instructions. The page provides details on how the template was set up and the bank statement used to generate the figures.
The link is available at the bottom of this page.
Cash Book Instructions
Although it is simple to use, you need to follow the setup instructions to ensure that your bookkeeping records are set up and ready to go. A complete example with instructions is available.
Using the cash book example will allow you to post some cash transactions for both cash receipts and cash payments. Looking at the totals page will show the cash book balance. It will allow you to review how it works and see if it is suitable for your small business.
If you need any help or advice, please email me.
Features of the Excel Cash Book Template
- Free to download and use as many times as you want.
- Easy-to-use cash book format.
- 1 worksheet for each month plus a total page for the whole year.
- Profit and Loss are shown month by month and total for the year.
- If you have more than 1 bank account, use a separate Excel template for each account.
- You can name income and expenditure codes; some examples can be found in the instructions, making it easy for different businesses.
- A dropdown list of account codes to make posting easier.
- Running total of your bank balance to ensure that your figures are correct.
- All the worksheets are printed on a single page.
- Suitable for small businesses or personal bank accounts.
- Easy to input all the information.
- Full instructions are given, as well as an example.
Bank Reconciliation
At the end of each month and year, it is worth checking that the cash book Excel template is equal to the bank statement; this is called a bank reconciliation. It will ensure that you have posted all the cash transactions that appear on the statement.
If there is a difference, check item by item that the figures are correct and that nothing has been missed in the cash book.
Separate Business Bank Account
If you are using your personal account for business transactions, it is worth opening a business bank account. Here are the reasons why:
- Keeps personal and business finances separate
- Easier to see how much money the business has
- Quicker to reconcile statements
- You will not miss any business expenses
- A legal requirement if you are a limited company
One account worth considering is Tide; they offer a free account that you can upgrade as your business grows. It integrates with some of the top software, including Xero or QuickBooks.
Cash Book Ledger
The bookkeeping template makes an outstanding cash book ledger showing income and expenditure. There are other ledgers within accounts, including sales, purchases and the general ledger. As a small business or for personal use, the cash book template may be enough to run the accounting system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we add more rows and columns?
Unfortunately, due to the coding in the spreadsheet, it is not possible to add additional content. Check to see which version you are using. If it is the extended version, then it is not suitable for the business.
I’m Self-employed. Is there a version that runs from April?
Yes, as we have been asked so many times for a version to run for the tax year, we created one. The free spreadsheet download is for Self-employed bookkeeping.
My Accounting period starts a different month, can I still use it?
Yes, follow the instructions for the setup. It will post the opening balance to the correct first month. Post all the transactions starting in the first month and complete a whole year. The totals page will then show the whole year’s figures.
How do I get the drop-down lists to work?
If the drop-down lists for the free Excel cash book template do not work, you are probably using an old version of Excel. You will need to upgrade Excel to a newer version. There are also free alternatives to try. I have tested the template with Neat Office available from the Microsoft Store.
Can I design my own template?
Yes, Excel is very flexible and designing a spreadsheet may be more suitable to get the results you require. There are lots of tutorials on the internet to assist, one of which is excel-easy.com.
Is the template suitable for my business?
If the business needs to keep track of purchase and sales invoices, it may not be suitable. It is worth looking into a software package. There are free accounting software packages available. Please also read our guide on the best accounting software for small businesses. If you are only recording bank transactions or cash transactions, then our spreadsheet is ideal.
I’m Registered for VAT, can I use the Cash Book?
No, our cash book does not include sales tax. In the UK, the government is introducing Making Tax Digital, which means that VAT returns must be submitted using recommended software.
Free Excel Cash Book Template – Licence Agreement
By downloading the Excel Cash Book template, you agree to our licence agreement, allowing you to use the templates for your own personal or business use only. You may not share, distribute, or resell the templates to anyone else in any way.
Please note that additional rows and categories can not be added to the spreadsheet. If you require more categories, please follow the link below to the extended version.
Return from the Free Excel Cash Book Template to Business Accounting Basics page.
