Expense report template
An expense report in Excel with date, category, description, amount and receipts, totaled by category with approval lines.
- ๐บ๐ธ US format ยท Letter size
- Free
This is a sample form. Check tax amounts against IRS rules and your accountant's advice.
Pick your options and the preview updates. The file opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers.
The file is built in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or saved.
Sheets
- How to use
- Expenses: date, category (dropdown), description, paid with, amount, receipt (dropdown), notes. One expense per line
- Summary: month x category totals, receipt check, totals by payment type, amount due back to the employee (all formulas), sign-off rows
Color key
- Yellow cells: fill these in
- Blue cells: formulas, leave them as they are
- Gray rows: examples you can delete
Your company policy comes first
Approval steps and required fields vary by employer. If your company has its own form, use that one and treat this as a quick way to draft the same information.
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Expenses
| Date | Category | Description | Paid with | Amount | Receipt | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-02 | Travel | Taxi to client office | Personal card | 18.4 | Yes | |
| 2026-10-05 | Meals | Team lunch | Company card | 64.2 | Yes | 4 people |
| 2026-10-09 | Office supplies | Printer toner | Personal card | 93.5 | Yes | |
Summary
| Month | Travel | Lodging | Meals | Mileage | Office supplies | Software | Fees | Other | Month total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | (auto) | (auto) | (auto) | (auto) | (auto) | (auto) | (auto) | (auto) | (auto) |
| November 2026 | (auto) | (auto) | (auto) | (auto) | (auto) | (auto) | (auto) | (auto) | (auto) |
| Total | =SUM(โฆ) | =SUM(โฆ) | =SUM(โฆ) | =SUM(โฆ) | =SUM(โฆ) | =SUM(โฆ) | =SUM(โฆ) | =SUM(โฆ) | =SUM(โฆ) |
This shows the first part of each sheet as it prints on Letter paper. The file also has a how-to sheet and formulas, and every column fits one page width when you print from Excel.
How to use it
Pick what the report is for and the category dropdown changes to match: general business expenses, one trip or project, or a team or club that collects dues. Choose the first month and how many months, and the sheet makes room for about fifteen lines a month plus a summary.
Type one expense per line as you get the receipt. The Summary sheet fills in totals by month and category, counts missing receipts, splits the total by how you paid, and shows what is due back to you. The sign-off rows at the bottom are for you and your approver.
Things to watch
Mark the receipt column honestly. The IRS asks for a receipt on most expenses of $75 or more and on all lodging, and many employers want one for every line. Keep dates as real dates and categories spelled exactly as the dropdown, or the totals skip those lines. Mileage goes in as the dollar amount, so figure miles times your company rate first or use the mileage log template.
Calculators that go with this
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from a check request?
A check request asks for one payment to be approved. An expense report lists what you already spent over a period so you can be reimbursed and the totals land in the right accounts.
I ran out of rows.
Pick more months here and download again, or copy the last blank row downward and widen the ranges in the Summary formulas. The How to use sheet shows the current last row.
Does it work in Google Sheets?
Yes. SUMIFS, COUNTIFS and DATE work the same in Google Sheets. You may need to re-create the dropdown lists.
Is what I type saved anywhere?
No. Everything stays in your browser and nothing is sent to our server. If you refresh the page it is gone, so print, save a PDF or download the DOCX when you are done.