Free Payroll Summary Report Template (Excel)
What's in the payroll summary report
The Payroll Summary sheet holds up to 200 rows - one per employee per pay period. For each row, enter hours worked, gross pay, and total deductions (whatever you've already withheld: taxes, benefits, garnishments, combined into one number).
Net pay calculates automatically as gross pay minus total deductions. Below the table, the summary totals gross pay, total deductions and total net pay for everything logged, plus a count of employees paid this period and the average net pay per employee.
What this report does and doesn't calculate
This is a summary and rollup tool: you supply the gross pay and the deductions figure per employee, and it totals and averages those numbers across as many periods and employees as you log.
It does not calculate federal, state or FICA withholding for you - total deductions is a single number you enter per row. If you need the government-specific WH-347 certified payroll format for a construction contract, that's a different job - see the Certified Payroll template instead.
Who this is for
Small-business owners and bookkeepers who want one workbook showing payroll totals across employees and periods, without a full payroll software subscription.
It's built for reviewing and reporting totals you already know - not for computing what those totals should be from tax tables.
How to use it
- Log each employee's pay period: hours worked, gross pay, and total deductions.
- Net pay calculates automatically as gross pay minus deductions.
- Check the summary for total gross, total deductions, total net pay and employees paid this period.
Download the free Free Payroll Summary Report Template (Excel)
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Small Business Bookkeeping & Tax Dashboard
If you need full bookkeeping beyond payroll summaries, the paid Bookkeeping template ($19) adds Schedule C categorization, a quarterly tax dashboard and CPA-ready export.
See the full versionFrequently asked questions
Does this calculate payroll taxes?
No. Total deductions is an amount you enter yourself for whatever's already been withheld - this report summarizes and totals payroll, it doesn't compute federal, state or FICA withholding.
How is net pay calculated?
Net pay equals gross pay minus total deductions for each row, wrapped in error handling so blank rows just show blank.
How is this different from the Certified Payroll template?
Certified Payroll follows the WH-347 government format required for construction contracts. This is a general-purpose payroll summary for any small business - it's not a legal or government-compliant payroll document.
Can I use this in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the file to Google Drive, open it, then choose File > Save as Google Sheets. The formulas keep working.
How many rows does it support?
Up to 200 rows - enough for many employees across several pay periods in one workbook.
Is this a legal payroll document?
No. It's a summary and reporting tool for reviewing payroll totals - it is not a legal payroll register, pay stub, or certified payroll document.