General Ledger Template for Excel and Google Sheets
A general ledger organizes posted transactions by account. This workbook starts with a double-entry journal, shows each selected account's source rows and debit-minus-credit running balance, and builds a trial balance rather than treating a bank transaction list as a complete ledger.
Inspect the worked example
What you download
- Instructions
- Posting rules, limits, accounting sources and import guidance.
- Chart
- Editable account codes, names and normal balances; up to 50 accounts.
- Journal
- 400 blank lines, with source IDs, debit/credit entry checks and row review flags.
- Account Ledger
- Choose an account code in B2; matching journal rows retain source references and a running balance.
- Trial Balance
- Account totals, closing debit/credit columns and overall difference.
- Example Journal
- Twelve lines for Cedar Studio's six October transactions.
- Example Ledger
- Cash account 1000 selected; closing debit balance $3,500.
- Example Trial Balance
- Closing debits and credits are each $7,000.
- Imbalance Demo
- Separate deliberately broken entries show why offsetting entry errors can pass an overall equality check.
Scope: Educational double-entry workbook with 400 journal lines and 50 chart accounts. No automatic bookkeeping, tax compliance, accountant review, financial-statement completeness or actual Excel/Sheets testing is claimed. Formula equality is necessary but not sufficient evidence of correct books.
Follow the numbers
Fictional educational example. Not customer records or professional accounting advice.
| Code / account | Debit balance | Credit balance |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 Cash | 3,500.00 | |
| 1100 Receivables | 800.00 | |
| 1200 Supplies | 300.00 | |
| 1500 Equipment | 1,800.00 | |
| 3000 Owner capital | 5,000.00 | |
| 4000 Revenue | 2,000.00 | |
| 6100 Rent expense | 600.00 | |
| Total | 7,000.00 | 7,000.00 |
Use it with your records
Open or import the workbook
Keep an untouched download. Open the XLSX in your spreadsheet app, or in Google Sheets choose File, Import, Upload and Create new spreadsheet. Import the whole workbook, not one CSV tab. Check formulas, dates, dropdowns and print settings against the completed example before entering live records. No hosted Sheets copy or actual Excel/Sheets compatibility test is claimed.
Set up the account reference
Review Chart rows 6 through 55. Keep codes unique and stored as text; add the accounts your books require. The example uses the seven prefilled codes, so preserve those if retaining the example. For existing books, enter a documented, balanced opening journal rather than inventing equity to force a match.
Enter complete journal entries
Use Journal rows 6 through 405. Repeat one entry ID across every line belonging to that transaction. Use a positive debit or credit, not both on the same line. Record the date, account, description and supporting document on every line.
Resolve row and entry warnings
Each line displays the total debit-minus-credit difference for its entry ID. Fix the actual source error until each entry difference is zero and row status is OK. A balanced overall journal alone does not establish that individual entries balance.
Trace the ledger and trial balance
Select the account code in Account Ledger B2. Blank rows preserve the original journal row positions; use the filter on Entry ID to hide them. Trial Balance shows every listed account and separate debit/credit closing balances. Compare source documents, not just the final equality.
The six transactions behind the example
J1 records $5,000 contributed by the owner: debit Cash, credit Owner capital. J2 records $1,200 cash service revenue: debit Cash, credit Revenue. J3 buys $300 supplies: debit Supplies, credit Cash. J4 buys $1,800 equipment: debit Equipment, credit Cash. J5 pays $600 rent: debit Rent expense, credit Cash. J6 invoices $800 for services: debit Receivables, credit Revenue.
Cash is $5,000 + $1,200 - $300 - $1,800 - $600 = $3,500. Receivables are $800, supplies $300, equipment $1,800 and rent expense $600. The $7,000 debit total equals $5,000 capital plus $2,000 revenue. This is an unadjusted teaching example, not a depreciation, accrual or closing schedule.
Why entry-level checks matter
Imbalance Demo deliberately changes one $5,000 credit to $4,900 and one $1,200 credit to $1,300. Overall debits and credits still equal $6,200, but the two entry differences are +$100 and -$100. These demonstration lines are isolated from the real example. Never repair them with a suspense or equity plug.
Even a zero trial-balance difference does not find an omitted transaction, a wrong account with balanced amounts, or offsetting errors. Check source references and the selected ledger detail as well.
Debit and credit signs
Enter positive amounts in the debit or credit column. Ledger running balances are always debit minus credit: positive is a debit balance, negative is a credit balance. The Chart normal-side column is a reference, not permission to hide an unusual balance. The trial balance places the resulting balance on its actual debit or credit side.
Questions about this resource
Is a transaction list a general ledger?
Not by itself. A general ledger groups postings by account. This download includes a journal, selected account detail, a chart and an account-level trial balance, but you must supply complete, correctly classified entries.
Does the workbook automatically post my bank statement?
No. You enter and review journal lines manually. A bank statement alone does not supply every receivable, liability, noncash expense or adjusting entry required by a complete set of books.
What should the completed example total?
Journal debits and credits each total $9,700. After netting each account, trial-balance debits and credits each total $7,000. The selected Cash ledger closes at a $3,500 debit balance.
Can I import the ledger into Sheets?
Import the whole XLSX into a new spreadsheet. Recheck the twelve journal lines, zero entry differences, $3,500 Cash balance and $7,000 trial-balance totals after import. Actual Excel or Sheets testing is not claimed.
Sources and documentation
- IRS Publication 583: recordkeeping, journals, ledgers and reconciliation(opens in a new tab)
- Google Docs Editors Help: import Excel data into Sheets(opens in a new tab)
Examples are educational. Check your records and accounting policy before posting entries or relying on a forecast.
Statement rows still trapped in a PDF?
Fulla turns bank-statement PDFs into rows you review against the source before exporting CSV, Excel, OFX or JSON. These free workbooks are separate manual tools, not automatic accounting or financial advice.