How to use the petty cash log printable
- Enter the opening balance of the fund and, if you like, the custodian's name.
- Add each entry with a date, a voucher number, a description and an amount received or paid out.
- Choose how many blank rows to add at the end for entries made by hand.
- Print the log. Count the cash and write it beside the closing balance, then note any difference.
Formula
Balance after an entry = previous balance + received - paid out
Closing balance = opening balance + total received - total paid out
Money is worked in whole cents, so balances are exact. A balance below zero is flagged because it means more was paid out than the fund held.
A $200 fund
The fund opens at $200.00. An entry for office coffee and filters pays out $35.00, so the balance is $165.00. A second entry for postage pays out $18.40, so the balance is $146.60.
Total received is $0.00, total paid out is $53.40 and the closing balance is $146.60. The cash in the box should match that figure.
What a petty cash log records
A petty cash fund is a small amount of cash kept for minor expenses. A log records every time money goes in or out, with a date, a voucher or receipt number and what it was for. The running balance after each line makes it easy to see at any moment how much cash should be on hand.
The page prints an opening balance row, your entries with the computed balance, blank rows to write in and a footer with totals. The last line is for the cash you actually counted and the difference.
Checking the fund
At the end of a period, count the cash and compare it with the closing balance. A difference means a receipt is missing or a mistake was made somewhere. For counting a register drawer by denomination, use the cash drawer count sheet.
This page does arithmetic on the amounts you enter. It is not an accounting system and does not give accounting or tax advice. To summarize income and costs for a period, see the profit and loss statement generator. Everything is made in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded or stored on a server.
Assumptions and limits
- Amounts are positive dollars and cents. Money in goes in Received and money out in Paid out.
- The balance runs in the order the entries are listed.
- The page is US Letter, portrait, and continues on extra pages when needed.
- Your own rules for vouchers, limits and approvals are not applied.
Frequently asked questions
How do I keep a petty cash log?
Write down every amount that goes in or out with the date and a voucher number, and keep a running balance. The cash in the box plus any receipts should always match the fund.
What does the balance column show?
It shows the money that should be in the fund after each entry, starting from the opening balance and adding what was received and subtracting what was paid out.
What if the balance goes below zero?
The tool flags it, because it means more was paid out than the fund held. Check the amounts and the opening balance.
Can I add entries by hand after printing?
Yes. The blank rows at the end are for that, and you can write the balance in as you go.