Daily cash-up sheet

What the daily cash-up sheet does

Differences between the till and the cash are easiest to explain on the day. This sheet lists each payment method with the amount your sales report expects and the amount you counted, shows the difference for each and in total, and records the opening float and the cashier.

Who it is for

Shops, restaurants, pharmacies and any outlet with a till, and the managers who sign off the day's takings before banking.

How to use the workbook

1. Enter the date, cashier and opening float.
2. Type the expected amounts from your sales report for each payment method.
3. Count the cash and check the M-Pesa and card totals, and type what you found.
4. Read the differences; investigate anything that is not zero before banking.
5. Save a copy under a new name for each month or year, so earlier records stay as they were.

What is inside

• Cash, M-Pesa, card, bank transfer, credit sales and other
• Expected and counted for each method
• Difference per method and in total
• Opening float and cashier recorded
• One page per day

The workbook has these sheets: Instructions, Cash up. The main table has the columns Payment method; Expected (sales report); Counted; Difference. 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

• Count with a second person where you can.
• Bank the cash intact and note the deposit slip number.
• Investigate small differences that repeat.
• Keep each day's sheet with the till roll.

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.

Related guides, calculators and templates

• 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: Chart of accounts and general ledger

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