SlipGuide
How to set up an expense tracking spreadsheet
A good expense spreadsheet has one row per receipt and the same columns every month: date, merchant, category, net amount, tax and total, plus a link to the receipt photo. Add monthly totals by category and tax rate, and you have what you need at month end. Here's how to set it up in Excel or Google Sheets.
One row per receipt
Each purchase gets its own row, even the small ones.
How to do it: Don't combine receipts in one row; it makes checking harder.
Use the same columns every month
Date, merchant, category, net amount, tax, total, payment method, a note and a receipt link.
How to do it: Freeze the header row so it stays visible as the list grows.
Write dates one way
Mixed date formats break sorting and totals.
How to do it: Use one format, such as YYYY-MM-DD, in every row.
Pick categories from a dropdown
Typed categories drift: “Meals”, “meal”, “Food”.
How to do it: Use data validation to choose categories from a fixed list.
Give tax its own column
Your accountant may need the tax amount, not just the total.
How to do it: Add one tax column per rate if your receipts show more than one, like 5% and 20% VAT in the UK.
Check that every row adds up
Net plus tax should equal the total.
How to do it: Add a check column that flags any row where it doesn't.
Total by month and category
Monthly totals show where the money goes and what to send.
How to do it: Use SUMIFS or a pivot table by month and category.
Link each receipt photo
A row without its receipt is hard to back up later.
How to do it: Name photos by date and merchant, keep them in one folder and paste the link into the row.
Fill it without typing
Slip reads the merchant, date, tax and total from a receipt photo into a row, marks anything worth checking and exports CSV or Excel with the same columns, in the same order, every month.
How to do it: Start with the free receipt plan to see your columns and a sample row. Get my receipt plan
Your receipts, one clean table. Answer six quick questions and see your receipt plan: your columns, your tax rates and a clean month-end export.
Get my receipt planAvailability: Slip is an iPhone app on pre-order. Plans start on launch day, with a full refund any time before launch.
Questions
What columns should an expense spreadsheet have?
Date, merchant, category, net amount, tax, total, payment method, a short note and a link to the receipt photo.
Should I use Excel or Google Sheets?
Either works. Pick the one your accountant can open easily, and keep the same columns every month.
Is this tax advice?
No. It's a general way to keep records. Ask your accountant which categories and columns they need.
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Updated October 12, 2026