Bookkeeping spreadsheet · Sole traders and the self-employed
Sole Trader Bookkeeping
FOR: UK self-employed sole traders (cash basis). TAX YEARS: 2025/26 and 2026/27, chosen in Settings. Not for 2024/25 or earlier.
Bookkeeping for UK sole traders that actually matches the tax return.
Instant download from Etsy. One .xlsx file, no macros.
Who it's for
Sole traders, freelancers, side-hustlers and anyone self-employed in the UK who wants clean records without paying for accounting software. Ideal if you have a job or rental income too, because the tax estimate takes that into account.
Why it's different
Most "budget trackers" are American. This one is built around UK rules: HMRC SA103 expense boxes, the £1,000 trading allowance, the personal allowance taper, Class 4 NI thresholds, Scottish income tax bands, approved mileage rates and simplified home-office rates. All 2025/26 and 2026/27 figures are visible in Settings with their sources, so you can check them and update them next April.
What's inside
- Start Here: plain-English instructions and colour key
- Dashboard: monthly profit, expenses by category, unpaid invoices, suggested tax set-aside
- Settings: your details and every 2025/26 and 2026/27 rate in one place, editable when rates change
- Income: 500 rows, invoice tracking, paid and unpaid status, counted on the cash basis when you're paid
- Expenses: 1,000 rows, 18 HMRC-mapped categories from a dropdown, business-use percentage for mixed costs
- Mileage: the right rate from each journey's date (45p before 6 April 2026, 55p from then, 25p after 10,000 miles in a tax year), plus the motorcycle rate
- Home Office: simplified flat rate by hours, or actual costs
- Tax Estimate: income tax and Class 4 National Insurance at your real marginal rate, including your salary or rental income, with the trading allowance versus expenses decision made for you
- MTD Quarters: totals for each quarter with its deadline, plus who has to use Making Tax Digital (from gov.uk)
- SA103 Summary: boxes 15 to 28, 30, 31 and 47 of the self-employment pages (turnover, each expense type, total expenses, net profit), totalled and ready to enter on your return
A look at the tabs
The same images buyers see on Etsy. Every figure shown is demo data.
Requirements
Microsoft Excel 2016 or later (Windows or Mac). Also works in LibreOffice. Not designed for Apple Numbers.
Years and updates
Covers 2025/26 and 2026/27: choose the year in Settings and the right rates are used, each with its gov.uk source. Not for 2024/25 or earlier. When we update this file (for example when HMRC changes a rule it uses), message us on Etsy with your order number and we'll send you the new version free.
See the key figures for both years
Downloads and refunds
Instant digital download through Etsy. If a file is faulty or not as described, we fix it or refund you. How downloads, updates and refunds work.
Questions people ask
Which tax years does it cover?
Covers 2025/26 and 2026/27: choose the year in Settings and the right rates are used, each with its gov.uk source. Not for 2024/25 or earlier. When we update this file (for example when HMRC changes a rule it uses), message us on Etsy with your order number and we'll send you the new version free.
Does it work in Google Sheets or Apple Numbers?
It's built and tested in Microsoft Excel 2016 or later, on Windows and Mac, and also works in LibreOffice. It isn't designed for Apple Numbers, and we don't claim Google Sheets support because we haven't tested it there.
How does it arrive?
As an instant digital download from Etsy after purchase: one .xlsx file, no macros, nothing to install. No physical item is sent.
Is it tax advice?
No. It's a record-keeping and planning tool with every figure visible and sourced. Check current rates on gov.uk or with an accountant before you file, especially if your situation is unusual.
What if something is wrong with the file?
Digital downloads can't be returned once downloaded, but if the file is faulty or not as described, message us through Etsy or email and we'll fix it or refund you.
Guides that go with it
All guidesSole traders · 2025/26 and 2026/27
HMRC mileage rates for 2025/26 and 2026/27: 45p becomes 55p
The flat rate per business mile changed on 6 April 2026. The date of each journey decides which rate applies, and the bookkeeping spreadsheet picks it for you.
Sole traders · 2025/26 and 2026/27
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: are you in from April 2026, 2027 or 2028?
MTD adds four quarterly updates to the year, and the tax return itself is filed through software. The threshold that decides when you join is your gross income two tax years earlier.
Sole traders · 2025/26 and 2026/27
SA103 explained: which box each expense goes in
Every expense you record has a box waiting for it on the self-employment pages. Once you know the fourteen expense boxes, the tax return is mostly copying totals across.
Sole traders · 2025/26 and 2026/27
Trading allowance or actual expenses: which should you claim?
The £1,000 trading allowance replaces your expenses; it doesn't sit on top of them. If your costs are under £1,000 the allowance wins, and more people are in that position than expect to be.