Year-End Bookkeeping Spreadsheet for Small Business
If you track your books in a spreadsheet, year-end is about making the year complete, consistent and easy for your accountant to read. A workable layout:
Tabs to include
- Transactions: every line from each bank and card account for the year: date, description, amount, account, category.
- Categories: a fixed list (Income, Supplies, Software, Advertising, Travel, Meals, Bank Fees, Transfers…). Keep it short and use the same names all year.
- Monthly totals: a pivot of category by month. Big jumps usually point to a miscategorized or duplicated row.
- Reconciliation: for each account, the statement ending balance on Dec 31 next to your sheet's balance. They should match.
- Summary: total income, total expenses by category, and notes on anything unusual.
Year-end checklist
- Download all 12 months of CSVs for every business account.
- Remove duplicates (overlapping downloads are common).
- Mark transfers between your own accounts so they aren't counted twice.
- Categorize every row; nothing left as Uncategorized.
- Reconcile each account's Dec 31 balance.
- Keep receipts for large or unusual expenses.
- Send the summary and transaction tab to your tax preparer.
This is general bookkeeping organization, not tax advice. Which categories are deductible depends on your situation; ask a tax professional.
To speed up the categorizing step, run each CSV through the free categorizer. Read how to categorize in Google Sheets if you'd rather use formulas.
Frequently asked questions
What tabs should a year-end bookkeeping spreadsheet have?
Transactions, a fixed Categories list, Monthly totals by category, a Reconciliation tab comparing each account's Dec 31 statement balance with your sheet, and a Summary.
How do I check my year-end numbers are right?
Reconcile each account's Dec 31 balance with the statement, remove duplicates from overlapping downloads, and look for big month-to-month jumps in the category totals.
What should I send my tax preparer?
The summary and the transactions tab, with every row categorized, plus receipts for large or unusual expenses.
Want more than a quick fix? Just starting out? Grab the free Starter Expense Tracker (pay what you want, $0 is fine).
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