Journal entry book

Record double-entry journals with a debit and a credit, and see at once whether the books balance.

Every adjustment, accrual and correction needs a journal. This book lists each journal line with the date, journal number, account, description and the debit or credit, totals both sides and tells you whether they balance, so errors are caught as they are made.

Bookkeepers, accountants and small business owners who keep double-entry accounts in a spreadsheet or who post adjustments to an accounting system.

What is included

Date, journal number, account, description, debit and credit
Totals and a balanced or out-of-balance message
Room for 400 lines
Example entries to follow
Works for any chart of accounts

Screenshots

How to use it

Enter the date and a journal number for each entry.
Write the account and the description on every line.
Put the amount in the debit or the credit column.
Check the balance message at the top before you post.

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 journal entry book does

Who it is for

Bookkeepers, accountants and small business owners who keep double-entry accounts in a spreadsheet or who post adjustments to an accounting system.

How to use the workbook

Enter the date and a journal number for each entry.
Write the account and the description on every line.
Put the amount in the debit or the credit column.
Check the balance message at the top before you post.
Save a copy under a new name for each month or year, so earlier records stay as they were.

What is inside

Date, journal number, account, description, debit and credit
Totals and a balanced or out-of-balance message
Room for 400 lines
Example entries to follow
Works for any chart of accounts

The workbook has these sheets: Instructions, Journal. The main table has the columns Date; Journal no.; Account; Description; Debit; 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

Give related lines the same journal number.
Write a description that explains why, not just what.
Keep supporting documents with the journal number on them.
Review the totals after every entry.

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: Chart of accounts and general ledger

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

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