About this template
How much did your shop actually make last month — after fees, after supplies, after everything? How much of it should already be sitting somewhere safe for taxes? And how much have you paid yourself so far? The Simple Business Money Tracker is bookkeeping for people who hate bookkeeping. One log for every dollar in and out, categories that match the tax form, an automatic profit line, and a tax set-aside tracker that tells you what to park before you spend it. The grey SAMPLE rows belong to a completely fictional seller — "Sample Soap Co.", which does not exist — and show two small sales, a batch of Etsy fees and a supplies purchase. Delete them when you're ready and the whole file is yours. This tracker and its mini-guide are general information only — not tax or accounting advice. For your own situation, ask a CPA or tax professional. LICENSE Personal use only — for your own household. Please do not share, resell or redistribute the file.
What's inside
- Start Here — the 3 steps, a download/open checklist for Etsy, Excel and Google Sheets, the color guide (pale yellow = type here; white/gold = automatic; grey = sample data), and a walk-through of the filled example.
- Money Log — the one sheet that does the work. One row per sale or cost: date, what it was, a category, money in, money out, and whether you kept the receipt. The categories follow the IRS Schedule C expense lines (Advertising, Supplies, Office expenses, Commissions & fees, and the rest), so at tax time your totals lift straight across. Totals and the profit line calculate themselves.
- Business Summary — nothing to type here. Total money in, total money out, your profit, your tax set-aside target (25% of profit) with how much is already set aside and how much is still to go, plus your total owner's draws and the profit still sitting in the business.
- Tax & Draws — two small logs. The set-aside tracker records each transfer you make into your tax savings spot; the owner's-draw log records each time you pay yourself. Both totals feed the Summary automatically.
- Mini Guide — "How to run a simple business": five short, plain-English habits. Keep the money in its own account. Log everything the day it happens. Keep every receipt. Set aside tax money as you earn. Pay yourself with a transfer, and log it. No jargon, no accounting degree.
How it works — 3 steps
- Log every sale and every cost on the Money Log, the day it happens.
- Read the Mini Guide once — it takes five minutes and it is the whole system.
- Once a week, glance at the Business Summary, move the set-aside money, and pay yourself by transfer. Done.
You never build or fix a formula. Type only in the pale-yellow cells — the formula cells are protected (no password) so the math can't be broken by accident. Fictional SAMPLE rows, clearly marked, show you the format; delete them and the file is yours.
What you need
Microsoft Excel, or Google Sheets (free with a Google account). One file works in both. A desktop or laptop is best for setup — a phone screen is too small. This is a spreadsheet. It will not work in GoodNotes, Notability or a PDF reader.
Instant download
This is a digital download — no physical item will be shipped. After purchase, go to Etsy → Purchases and reviews → Download files, save the file to your computer first, then open it in Excel (click “Enable Editing”) or upload it to Google Drive for Sheets (then File → Make a copy, and always work in your copy).
License
Personal use only — for your own household. Please do not share, resell or redistribute the file.
Questions
Does it work in Google Sheets as well as Excel?
Yes — the same .xlsx file works in both. Upload it to Google Drive, open it, then choose File → Make a copy and work in your copy.
I'm not an accountant. Is this really enough bookkeeping?
For an Etsy shop or a tiny side-hustle run as a sole proprietor, yes — this is the core of it: one log of money in and out with Schedule C categories, receipts kept, and a yearly total your tax preparer or tax software can use. The Mini Guide sheet explains the whole system in plain English. It is general information, not tax or accounting advice.
Why 25% for the tax set-aside?
It's a common rule of thumb for a sole proprietor: park roughly a quarter of profit for income tax plus self-employment tax, so April is a payment, not a panic. Your real rate depends on your whole tax picture — the tracker shows the target and what you've already set aside.
What is an owner's draw?
How a sole proprietor pays themselves: a simple transfer from the business account to your personal account. No payroll, no forms. The Tax & Draws sheet logs each draw so the two piles of money stay honest.
Can I add more rows or my own categories?
Yes. The Money Log has room for 60 entries out of the box and you can insert more rows — the totals follow. You can type any category you like; the Schedule C list is printed at the top as your guide.