Free Small Business Bookkeeping Template (Excel, Google Sheets)

Free Small Business Bookkeeping Template (Excel & Google Sheets)

Updated October 2026 · 7-minute read · Free download · Residential Business Guides

Short answer: a small business bookkeeping template is a spreadsheet where you record every sale and expense, sort each one into a category, and let formulas total the results by month. Ours is free, works in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers and LibreOffice, and its expense categories line up with IRS Schedule C, the form most sole proprietors file. That makes tax time a matter of copying totals instead of digging through receipts.

Download the free bookkeeping template (.xlsx)

What's in the template

Tab	What it does
Transactions	One row per sale or expense: date, description, income or expense, category, amount, payment method, and a note for where the receipt is. Dropdowns keep categories consistent. Room for 1,000 entries.
Monthly Summary	Enter the year once. Income and expenses total automatically by category and month, with a running net profit and a check that flags uncategorized rows.
Mileage Log	Trip date, purpose, start and end odometer readings. Miles calculate automatically. Enter the current IRS standard mileage rate to estimate the deduction.
Categories	Income and expense categories with the matching Schedule C line for each.

How to use it: the 15-minute weekly routine

Download your transactions. Export the week's activity from your business bank account, card and payment processor (Stripe, PayPal, Square). A dedicated business account makes this step far easier.
Paste or type each one into Transactions. One row per transaction, positive amounts, with Type set to Income or Expense.
Categorize. Pick the closest category from the dropdown. When unsure, use "Other expenses" and add a note, then fix it later.
Attach receipts. Save the receipt to a folder (for example /2026/03/) and note the location. The IRS expects you to be able to support every deduction.
Glance at the Monthly Summary. If "Uncategorized rows" is above zero, fix those entries before the month closes.

The categories, and why they match Schedule C

Sole proprietors and single-member LLCs report business income on Schedule C (Form 1040). Using the same categories all year means your Monthly Summary's year-end totals map straight onto the form:

Advertising: ads, business cards, website promotion.
Car and truck expenses: business driving, using either the standard mileage rate or actual costs.
Contract labor: payments to freelancers and independent contractors.
Insurance (other than health): liability, business property and similar coverage.
Legal and professional services: accountant, attorney and bookkeeper fees.
Office expense and Supplies: postage, small equipment, materials used in the business.
Taxes and licenses: business licenses, permits (including a home occupation permit), and some business taxes.
Travel and Meals: business travel and the deductible portion of business meals, tracked separately because they're limited differently.
Software & subscriptions, Bank & payment fees, and Other expenses: common home-business costs that usually go in the "other expenses" part of the form.

The home office deduction isn't a row in the template. It's calculated separately (Form 8829 or the simplified method), so keep your home office measurements and utility bills on file.

Template or software?

A spreadsheet is a good fit when you have a single business account, a manageable number of transactions each month, and no employees. Consider accounting software once you're invoicing many clients, tracking inventory, running payroll, or collecting sales tax in several places. Most accounting apps can import a spreadsheet like this one, so nothing you record now is wasted.

Common bookkeeping mistakes to avoid

Mixing personal and business money. Open a separate account. Reimburse yourself for business purchases made personally, and note them as such.
Waiting until tax season. Fifteen minutes a week beats a lost weekend in April.
No receipts. A bank statement shows you paid, not what you bought.
Forgetting mileage. Log trips when they happen; reconstructing them later is unreliable.
Ignoring estimated taxes. Self-employed people generally pay quarterly estimated taxes. Your Monthly Summary's net profit is the starting point for estimating them.

Frequently asked questions

Does it work in Google Sheets?

Yes. Upload the .xlsx to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets. The formulas and dropdowns carry over.

Can I use it for an LLC?

Yes, for bookkeeping. A single-member LLC taxed as a disregarded entity also files Schedule C, so the category mapping applies. Multi-member LLCs and corporations file different returns, but the transaction log is still useful.

Is it really free?

Yes. No signup is required to download it.

This template and guide are general information, not tax or accounting advice. Confirm category treatment and current rules with the IRS instructions or a tax professional.