Free Google Bookkeeping Template

What You Get

A single Microsoft Excel file with five working tabs and a complete getting-started guide.

Income Tracker. Log every payment you receive in seconds. Date, client, amount, category. The Monthly Summary updates automatically.

Expense Tracker. Twenty pre-built UK expense categories that match the Self Assessment return structure. Choose from a dropdown list, no formulas to remember, no risk of typing the wrong category name.

Monthly Summary. Your full year at a glance. Income, expenses and profit by month, calculated automatically from your Income and Expense Trackers. No data entry required.

UK Tax Planner. Your complete 2026/27 January position calculated automatically. Income tax, Class 4 National Insurance, undergraduate student loan, postgraduate loan and the payment on account. Every figure based on your actual records, not estimates.

Dashboard. Visual at-a-glance overview of where you are this year. Total income, total expenses, profit, expense breakdown by category, tax owed and savings progress.

Plus. A complete Start Here guide tab walking you through the template step by step.

What It Calculates Automatically.

• Income tax across every band, including the higher rate and additional rate

• Class 4 National Insurance based on confirmed 2026/27 thresholds

• Student loan repayments for any of the five UK plans, with separate handling for postgraduate loans

• Payment on account for the upcoming January and July

• The complete January total in one figure

You enter your income and expenses. The template does everything else.

What It Does Not Do.

This template is not MTD-compatible software. From April 2026, sole traders with gross income above £50,000 are required to use HMRC-approved software for quarterly submissions to HMRC. This template cannot file those quarterly updates.

If you are already inside MTD, the template will not replace your accounting software. If you are below the £50,000 threshold and not yet mandated into MTD, this template gives you everything you need to track your finances, calculate your tax and stay organised, without paying a monthly subscription.

We tell you this clearly because it matters. If MTD applies to you, choose approved software. If it does not, this template is built for you.

Who This Is For.

Sole traders below the £50,000 MTD threshold who want a professional bookkeeping and tax planning system without paying £15 to £35 per month for software they do not need.

Sole traders approaching the threshold who want to build clean monthly habits before MTD arrives, so the migration to approved software is straightforward rather than a reconstruction exercise.

New sole traders who have just registered for Self Assessment and want a clear starting point that calculates everything for them.

Established sole traders who currently track income and expenses on a rough spreadsheet, in a notebook, or not at all, and want a system that actually works.

Who This Is Not For.

Sole traders who are already mandated into MTD and using approved software like Xero, QuickBooks or FreeAgent. Their software already handles everything this template does and more.

Limited companies. The template is built around sole trader tax mechanics, not corporation tax and dividend planning.

VAT-registered businesses. The template does not handle VAT calculations or returns.

What You Get When You Buy.

A Microsoft Excel file (.xlsx) delivered instantly to your email after purchase. Compatible with Excel 2019 and later, Excel 365 on desktop or web, and Microsoft Excel for Mac.

A complete Start Here guide tab built into the template, walking you through every feature.

Lifetime access to the version you bought. The 2026/27 rates are baked in.

Permission to use the template for your own business as a single user.

What You Won't Get.

A subscription. This is a one-time £9.99 payment.

Tax advice. The template produces calculations based on the figures you enter and the confirmed 2026/27 UK tax rates. It is not a substitute for professional tax advice on your specific circumstances. The full disclaimer is built into the Start Here tab.

Quarterly MTD submissions to HMRC. As above, this template is not MTD-compatible software.

The right to share, resell or distribute. The template is licensed for single user use only.

What Makes This Template Different.

Built by a qualified accountant. Every formula is correct. Every tax band is accurate. Every threshold is current for 2026/27. No guesswork.

Plain English throughout. No accounting jargon. No formulas you do not understand. Open the file, follow the Start Here tab, start tracking.

Honest about its limits. The MTD positioning is clear. The disclaimer is comprehensive. The licence terms are straightforward. You know exactly what you are buying.

Made for the UK. Not a US template adapted for UK rates. Built from the ground up around UK Self Assessment, UK student loans, UK National Insurance and UK payment on account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a one-time payment or a subscription? One-time payment of £9.99. No recurring charges, ever.

What format is the template? Microsoft Excel (.xlsx). It works on Excel 2019 and later, Excel 365 on desktop and web, and Excel for Mac. It will not work in older versions of Excel that predate dropdown lists and named ranges.

Will it work in Google Sheets or Numbers? Some features may work but the named ranges, dropdown validations and conditional formatting are designed for Excel. We recommend Excel for the full experience.

Will it work for the 2025/26 tax year too? The template is built specifically for 2026/27. Tax rates and thresholds change every year, so a template built for one tax year should not be relied on for another without verification.

Can I use it for more than one business? The template is licensed for single user use. If you run two separate sole trader businesses, you can keep separate copies of the template, one per business. You cannot share the file with another person.

Will you update it next year? A new version with updated 2027/28 rates will be available in early 2027. Existing customers will be offered an upgrade at a reduced price.

Does it submit my tax return for me? No. The template helps you understand and calculate your tax position. You file your Self Assessment return yourself through the HMRC website or through your accountant.

Is this MTD compliant? No. The template is not MTD-compatible software. If you are mandated into MTD, you need approved software for quarterly submissions. If you are below the £50,000 threshold, MTD does not apply to you yet and this template is everything you need.

What if I have a question after I buy? Email support@rhodiumaccounting.co.uk and we will help. For more in-depth questions about your own tax position, a Done With You session is the right route.

Disclaimer.

The calculations in this template are based on confirmed UK tax rates and thresholds for the 2026/27 tax year. Tax legislation changes regularly and it is your responsibility to verify that the rates used remain current before relying on any figures produced by this template.

This template produces estimates only. The actual tax, National Insurance and student loan repayment you owe will depend on your full financial circumstances, including any other sources of income, reliefs, allowances or deductions that may apply to your specific situation and that this template does not account for.

This template does not constitute tax advice, financial advice or accountancy services. Rhodium Accounting accepts no liability for any tax underpayment, penalty, interest charge or financial loss arising from reliance on figures produced by this template. You remain solely responsible for ensuring your Self Assessment return is accurate and submitted on time.

If you are unsure about your tax position, you should seek advice from a qualified accountant or tax adviser before filing your return.