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Use an Excel petty cash sheet to record money paid out and replenished, then reconcile the cash and supported unpaid vouchers to the fund’s authorized amount. It is a control record for a small cash fund—not a substitute for your organization’s full balance sheet or financial statements. Free Excel forms are available from universities and accounting-resource sites; choose one that fits your recordkeeping process and adapt it to your organization’s policy.
Download a free petty cash Excel template
These resources offer different formats rather than one universally best spreadsheet. Check the fields and intended use before adopting a file.
| Source | Format and described use | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| McMaster University Financial Affairs | Excel Petty Cash Balance Sheet and related Excel forms, with PDF guidance listed on the page. | A set of institutional forms; the workbook contents are not described in detail on the page. |
| Columbia Finance | Fillable Excel Petty Cash Reconciliation Form. The page, dated January 17, 2023, describes it as a form for managing a petty cash fund. | Focused on reconciliation rather than a described multi-month transaction workbook. |
| Community Accounting Plus | Free Excel petty cash book template with a tab for each month and opening and closing balances. | Designed for ongoing monthly recording; its basic tools may need adaptation. |
| RosterElf | Template described for Australian businesses, with a float, running balance, GST column, reconciliation, and reimbursement amount. | Its tax treatment and GST calculations are specific to Australian circumstances, not a general VAT or sales-tax formula. |
| Smartsheet | Petty cash template resource; the page notes reconciliation frequency can depend on activity. | Use its guidance as an example, not as a rule imposed on every organization. |
For a continuing record, favor a petty cash book or balance sheet with transaction rows and a running balance. For a one-time count, a reconciliation form may be enough. Confirm that you can record the fields your organization requires, and review any formulas and tax assumptions rather than assuming a downloaded spreadsheet has been tested or locked against changes.
What the spreadsheet should record
A useful workbook makes it possible to follow the money from authorization through payment, replenishment, and count. It may have a setup area, transaction log, and reconciliation area; these can be separate tabs or sections.
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Fund setup
- Authorized float or imprest amount—the amount the organization has assigned to the fund.
- Custodian or responsible employee, and any other identification your procedure requires.
Transaction log
- Date of each payment or replenishment.
- Payee or clear description of the purpose.
- Voucher or receipt reference, with supporting documentation retained according to policy.
- Expense category or account and the amount.
- Running balance, if the workbook supports it.
Record replenishments as well as spending. Petty-cash bookkeeping guidance describes entering vouchers, totaling payments and expense columns, checking the calculated amount against physical cash, and recording reimbursement; the training material describing that sequence was published in 2018. Software Publications training material
Reconciliation area
- Cash counted, preferably with bills and coins recorded separately if your form calls for it.
- Supported payments or vouchers not yet reimbursed.
- Any other items required by your organization’s form.
- Total accounted-for fund and the difference from the authorized amount.
- Count date, preparer, reviewer, and signatures where required.
Some workbooks also provide monthly totals or locally relevant tax columns. Community Accounting Plus describes monthly tabs and opening and closing balances; RosterElf describes a GST column and reimbursement calculation. Those are features of the respective template descriptions, not requirements for every petty cash process.
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How to reconcile the petty cash fund
For an imprest fund, the intended amount is fixed. At reconciliation, account for the cash physically present and supported disbursements that have not yet been reimbursed, then compare the total with the authorized float. In plain language:
Cash counted + supported unreimbursed vouchers or disbursements = authorized petty cash fund
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- Count the cash. Record the physical count rather than relying on the spreadsheet’s calculated balance.
- Gather support for payments. Match receipts or vouchers to the amounts logged and identify supported payments that remain unreimbursed.
- Compare the accounted-for total with the float. Use the authorized fund amount and the organization’s reconciliation form.
- Investigate any difference. Keep a shortfall or overage visible, document the explanation, and resolve or escalate it under organizational procedures. A formula can flag the difference, but it cannot establish why it occurred.
- Complete review and reimbursement steps. Obtain the required independent check or approval, then record replenishment in the log when it occurs.
How often should you reconcile?
There is no single cadence established for every organization in these sources. Follow your organization’s written control policy and consider the fund’s activity and risk. The examples below apply to their stated institutional settings:
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- Receipt for petty cash received
- 4 receipts per page
- 200 sets per book
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- The University of Alabama at Birmingham form calls for quarterly confirmation of imprest funds and independent supervisor verification.
- Birmingham City Council guidance for school and local-authority year-end reconciliation recommends checking against the approved imprest at least once per term and describes monthly checking as good practice. Birmingham City Council petty cash guidance
- Smartsheet notes that frequency may depend on activity.
Tax fields depend on your jurisdiction
Do not copy a tax formula from a template without confirming that it applies to your location, transaction, and organization. RosterElf’s template is described for Australian businesses and includes a GST calculation using one-eleventh in its stated context; that is not a universal VAT or sales-tax method. The template itself advises users to seek guidance specific to their circumstances. Ask your organization’s finance or tax adviser what information to capture and what supporting documents to retain.
Choose and adapt the right format
Use a monthly transaction workbook if you need an ongoing log with opening and closing balances. Use a reconciliation-focused form if your existing bookkeeping system already records transactions and you need a count record. In either case, check that the sheet reflects your authorized float, evidence requirements, approval steps, and local accounting policy before relying on it. A paper petty cash ledger is also an option for organizations that maintain manual records; the same transaction and reconciliation controls still matter.
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