Free General Ledger Template (Excel)
What's in the general ledger template
The template is a single General Ledger sheet built as a transaction log: date, account, description, and separate debit and credit columns, with room for 300 posted lines.
Every entry you post — a sale, an expense, a transfer — gets its own row, so the sheet reads chronologically the same way a real ledger does, rather than as a lump-sum summary.
It's designed to be the transactional layer of your bookkeeping: pair it with a chart of accounts so the account names you type here stay consistent from month to month.
General ledger vs a chart of accounts
A chart of accounts is the list of account names and numbers your business uses (Cash, Accounts Payable, Rent Expense, and so on). The general ledger is where you actually post transactions against those accounts, in date order.
Keeping them separate is standard bookkeeping practice: the chart of accounts stays mostly static, while the ledger grows every time money moves. Our free Chart of Accounts template gives you the account list to type into this ledger's Account column.
Using the same account names across both keeps every report you build from the ledger — spending by account, monthly totals — accurate and easy to filter.
What calculates automatically
Every row's running balance updates the moment you enter a debit or credit — it's total debits minus total credits posted so far, so you always know where the ledger stands without adding it up by hand.
The summary totals every debit and every credit posted, and a balance check cell shows BALANCED the instant total debits equal total credits, or OUT OF BALANCE if a transaction is missing its offsetting entry.
That instant flag is the difference between catching a data-entry mistake the day you make it versus finding it weeks later when your books don't tie out.
Who this ledger template is for
Small business owners and bookkeepers who want a straightforward, no-software transaction log for posting entries by hand or importing from a bank statement are the main fit.
It also suits students and anyone learning double-entry bookkeeping: seeing the running balance and the balance check react to each entry makes the debit/credit mechanics concrete instead of abstract.
Because it's just Excel or Google Sheets, you can start posting entries today without setting up an accounting platform, and export or print the ledger whenever you need a record.
How to use it
- Post each transaction on its own row: date, account, description, and either a debit or a credit amount.
- Watch the running balance update automatically as you add rows.
- Check the summary: total debits, total credits, and the BALANCED / OUT OF BALANCE status.
- If the balance check ever shows OUT OF BALANCE, review your last few rows for a missing offsetting entry.
Download the free Free General Ledger Template (Excel)
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Small Business Bookkeeping & Tax Dashboard
If you also need those entries categorized for taxes, a quarterly tax set-aside, and a CPA-ready export, the paid Bookkeeping template ($19) builds on the same debit/credit discipline.
See the full versionFrequently asked questions
Can I use this ledger template in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the downloaded file to Google Drive, then open it and choose File > Save as Google Sheets. The running balance and balance check keep working.
Is this template really free?
Yes. You give an email address to download it, and then it's yours to use with no further cost.
How many transactions can I log?
The sheet ships with 300 rows. Add more rows and extend the running-balance formula down if you need extra capacity.
Does it link to a chart of accounts automatically?
The Account column is free text, not linked to a separate sheet. Use it alongside our free Chart of Accounts template and keep account names consistent by typing them the same way each time.
Does it separate transactions by month automatically?
No, it's a single continuous ledger sheet in date order, not separate monthly tabs. Sort or filter by date if you need a month's view.
What's the usage license?
Personal use or use within one business. It's not meant to be resold or redistributed as a template product.