Accounts receivable ledger (up to 1,000 invoices)

What the accounts receivable ledger (up to 1,000 invoices) does

A growing business can have hundreds of unpaid invoices. This ledger has room for 1,000. Record each invoice with its due date and the payments received, and the ledger works out the balance, the days overdue and the age band, and totals what customers owe in each band so you know whom to chase first.

Who it is for

Finance officers and owners who give customers credit, and credit controllers who run the weekly collection call list.

How to use the workbook

1. Type today's date at the top.
2. Record each invoice with its date, due date and amount.
3. Enter the payments received against it.
4. Read the balance, the age band and the totals.
5. Save a copy under a new name for each month or year, so earlier records stay as they were.

What is inside

• Room for 1,000 invoices
• Balance and days overdue worked out
• Age bands of current, 1 to 30, 31 to 60 and over 60 days
• Total owed at the top
• Summary of balances by age with a chart

The workbook has these sheets: Instructions, Receivables, By age. The main table has the columns Customer; Invoice no.; Invoice date; Due date; Invoice amount; Received so far; Balance; Days overdue. Yellow cells are for you to fill in and grey cells calculate by themselves, so leave the grey cells alone. The example rows show how it works; type over them with your own entries.

Tips for getting it right

• Invoice promptly and state the terms.
• Chase invoices before and on the due date.
• Review the ledger every week.
• Record bad debts with approval and evidence.

Why keep this record

Accounting records let you answer three questions at any time: what came in, what went out and who owes whom. Kept consistently they also make tax returns, loan applications and the sale of a business much easier, because the evidence is already organised. Entering transactions the day they happen is far cheaper than reconstructing them at year end.

Questions people ask

Do I need to know Excel formulas? No. Type into the yellow cells and the rest is worked out for you. The formulas are visible if you want to see how a figure is reached.

Can I add rows or change the layout? You can add your own columns to the right and your own notes. If you insert rows inside a table, copy the grey formula cells down so the new rows calculate too.

Will it work on my phone or in Google Sheets? Yes for viewing and typing, but dropdown lists and the charts look best in desktop Excel or LibreOffice.

Keeping it safe and up to date

Good accounting records are a legal duty as well as a management tool: keep the supporting receipts and invoices with the workbook, and keep each year's copy for at least five years. Work on a copy, never on your only file, and back it up.

Read how to keep business records for KRA for the wider picture. Free calculators that go with it: Vat calculator. See more accounting templates or ask us for a custom one.

The workbook works in Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets. It is a tool to help you work out and record figures, not tax, legal or accounting advice, and it is not affiliated with the Kenya Revenue Authority. If something does not work as described, contact us and we will put it right.

Related guides, calculators and templates

• Free calculator: VAT Calculator
• Guide: How to set up an M-Pesa till or Paybill for your business and account for it
• Guide: How KRA uses data matching and what it means for you
• Guide: How to protect your business from fraud and theft
• Another template: Bank balance tracker
• Another template: Credit note with VAT
• Another template: Customer deposits and advance payments ledger

Need something different? Request a custom template, browse all guides or see every Excel template.