StoreBox's Business Expense Spreadsheet
Track your business expenses right here — date, category, amount — and watch the total and a per-category breakdown add themselves up. Download as Excel, CSV, PDF or Word.
| Date | Category | Description | Payment | Amount |
|---|
- Add an expense to see a breakdown.
Everything stays in your browser — nothing is uploaded or saved on a server. "Excel" and "CSV" open in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers or any compatible app. "PDF / Print" opens your browser's print dialog; choose Save as PDF.
Why track business expenses?
Every dollar your business spends is either a deduction you can claim or a leak you can plug — but only if you've recorded it. An expense spreadsheet turns scattered receipts, card charges and cash payments into one clear record you can total, sort and hand to your accountant at tax time. The tracker above does the adding for you: type an amount and both the running total and a per-category breakdown update instantly.
Owners who track expenses consistently tend to pay less tax (because they don't miss legitimate write-offs), make better decisions (because they can see where money actually goes), and survive an audit far more calmly (because there's a paper trail). The hard part isn't the math — it's the habit. A simple sheet you actually fill in beats a sophisticated system you abandon.
What are the common deductible expense categories?
Most small-business spending falls into a handful of recurring categories. The table below shows the ones built into this tracker, with everyday examples. Treat it as a starting map, not a ruling — what's actually deductible for you depends on your country, business structure and how each cost is used. When in doubt, ask a tax professional.
| Category | Typical examples |
|---|---|
| Advertising / Marketing | Ads, social media promotion, design, printing, your website |
| Office Supplies | Paper, pens, postage, small office items |
| Software / Subscriptions | SaaS tools, hosting, domains, app subscriptions |
| Travel | Flights, hotels, transit and lodging for business trips |
| Meals & Entertainment | Business meals (often partly deductible — check the rules) |
| Vehicle / Mileage | Fuel, parking, tolls, or mileage at the standard rate |
| Utilities | Phone, internet, electricity tied to the business |
| Rent | Office, studio, coworking or storage space |
| Insurance | Liability, professional indemnity, equipment cover |
| Professional Services | Accountant, lawyer, consultant and contractor fees |
| Equipment | Computers, tools, machinery (may be depreciated) |
| Other | Bank fees, dues, training, and anything that doesn't fit above |
How to use this expense spreadsheet
It's built to be filled in from the top down:
- Name your sheet. Enter your business name and the period you're tracking — a single month works well, but you can use a quarter or a custom label.
- Log each expense on its own row. Pick the date, choose a category from the dropdown, write a short description, note the payment method, and type the amount.
- Add rows as you go with ＋ Add expense, and remove any with the ✕ button. The last row can't be deleted — clearing it resets it instead.
- Read your totals. The big Total Expenses figure and the category summary recalculate live, so you always know your spend and how it splits.
- Download. Export to Excel or CSV for your books, or PDF / Word to share. Every export includes all rows, the total and the category summary.
Keeping a tidy expense sheet? Organised owners who track every dollar going out usually want a reliable stream coming in — and that starts with a website that turns searches into customers. StoreBox builds that site for you.
See how StoreBox works →How do you build a monthly expense habit?
The trackers that work are the ones that get opened often. Pick a rhythm and protect it: a five-minute Friday slot to enter the week's receipts, or a quick log the moment money leaves your account. Snap photos of paper receipts so the description and amount are easy to copy in later.
At month-end, download the Excel or CSV file and file it in a folder named for the month. Twelve clean monthly files make year-end painless — and they're exactly what your accountant wants to see. Consistency beats perfection; a sheet that's 95% complete and always current is worth far more than a flawless one you update twice a year.
You track the money.
Make sure customers can find you to spend theirs with you.
Spreadsheet vs accounting software — which do you need?
A spreadsheet is free, instant and totally in your control — ideal for freelancers, side businesses and anyone with a manageable number of transactions. There's nothing to learn and nothing to pay. Accounting software adds bank-feed imports, invoicing, payroll and tax reports, which start to pay off once your volume grows or you take on staff.
Many owners start with a spreadsheet like this one and move to software only when the manual entry becomes the bottleneck. Either way, the discipline you build here — categorising every expense, keeping records current — is exactly what makes the eventual switch easy.
Frequently asked questions
List one expense per row with the date, a category, a short description, the payment method and the amount, then add the amounts for a total. The tracker above does the math automatically, breaks the total down by category, and lets you download the spreadsheet as Excel, CSV, PDF or Word.
Many ordinary and necessary business costs may be deductible — common examples include advertising, office supplies, software, business travel, a portion of meals, vehicle or mileage costs, rent, utilities, insurance and professional services. What actually qualifies depends on your country, business structure and circumstances, so confirm with a qualified tax professional. This page is general information, not tax advice.
At a minimum: date, category, description, payment method and amount. Date and category let you sort and total spending by type, description reminds you what each cost was for, and payment method helps you reconcile against bank and card statements. This tracker uses exactly those columns.
The more often the better — a weekly habit keeps it accurate and painless. Logging expenses as they happen, or setting a recurring weekly slot, prevents the month-end scramble and stops deductible costs from slipping through the cracks.
Yes — completely free, no signup, and unlimited downloads as Excel, CSV, PDF or Word. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Track the money out. Bring the money in.
A clean expense sheet keeps your costs under control. A clean website keeps new customers coming. StoreBox builds fast, professional sites for small businesses that turn searches into paying clients.
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About this template
This is a general-purpose business expense tracker for informational use only — it is not tax, legal or accounting advice. Whether a given cost is deductible, and how it should be recorded, depends on your country, business structure and circumstances; check the rules that apply to you or consult a qualified tax professional. All calculations and downloads happen locally in your browser.