Chart of accounts and general ledger

Set up your accounts, post journals and see every account's debits, credits and balance update, with a check that the books balance.

This is a small double-entry ledger in a workbook. Define your chart of accounts once, post each transaction as a journal with a debit and a credit, and the Accounts sheet totals the debits and credits of every account and shows its balance, while the Journal sheet checks that every entry balances.

Small businesses, bookkeepers and students who want real double-entry bookkeeping without accounting software, and accountants who need a clean ledger to hand over at year end.

What is included

Chart of accounts with codes and types
Journal with debit and credit lines
Totals and net balance of every account
A balanced or out-of-balance check
Summary of balances by account type

Screenshots

How to use it

Edit the Accounts sheet: give each account a code, a name and a type.
On the Journal sheet, post each transaction as at least two lines with the account code.
Check the Journal shows Balanced.
Read each account's balance on the Accounts sheet and use it for your trial balance.

Templates are tools to help with your own records. They are not tax or legal advice. Check the figures against official sources before filing or paying.

What the chart of accounts and general ledger does

Who it is for

Small businesses, bookkeepers and students who want real double-entry bookkeeping without accounting software, and accountants who need a clean ledger to hand over at year end.

How to use the workbook

Edit the Accounts sheet: give each account a code, a name and a type.
On the Journal sheet, post each transaction as at least two lines with the account code.
Check the Journal shows Balanced.
Read each account's balance on the Accounts sheet and use it for your trial balance.
Save a copy under a new name for each month or year, so earlier records stay as they were.

What is inside

Chart of accounts with codes and types
Journal with debit and credit lines
Totals and net balance of every account
A balanced or out-of-balance check
Summary of balances by account type

The workbook has these sheets: Instructions, Accounts, Journal, Summary. The main table has the columns Code; Account name; Type; Total debits; Total credits; Balance (debit less credit). 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

Keep account codes consistent and never reuse a code for another purpose.
Post a journal for every transaction, with a clear description.
Review the out-of-balance message after each entry.
Close each period by saving a dated copy.

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. 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.

Guide: How to keep business records for KRA: what to save and for how long
Guide: Bank reconciliation step by step: match your books to your bank
Guide: Fixed assets and capital allowances explained for small businesses
Another template: Balance sheet template
Another template: Bank reconciliation statement
Another template: Cost centre expense allocation

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

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