Owner drawings and capital account tracker

What the owner drawings and capital account tracker does

In a sole trader or a partnership, what the owner puts in and takes out matters as much as profit. This tracker records capital introduced, drawings and the share of profit with a date and description, shows the running capital balance after every entry and totals each type, so your equity is always known.

Who it is for

Sole traders, partners and small business owners who mix personal and business money and need a clean record of the owner's account for the accounts and for the bank.

How to use the workbook

1. Enter the opening capital balance at the top.
2. Record each capital introduced, drawing or share of profit with its date and amount.
3. Read the running capital balance after each line.
4. Use the totals at year end to prepare the owner's equity in the accounts.
5. Save a copy under a new name for each month or year, so earlier records stay as they were.

What is inside

• Capital introduced, drawings and share of profit
• Running owner's capital balance
• Totals by type
• Opening and closing capital
• Chart of amounts by type

The workbook has these sheets: Instructions, Capital account, Summary. The main table has the columns Date; Type; Description; Amount; Capital balance. 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 personal spending out of the business account where you can.
• Record drawings when the money moves, not at year end.
• Drawings are not an expense and are not deducted for tax.
• Agree partners' drawings in writing.

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.