Complete Childminder Spreadsheet UK

Childminding is busy enough without a calculator every Friday. This spreadsheet works out every session's fee, keeps funded hours off the parents' bill, tracks what each family and your council still owe, and tells you roughly how much to set aside for Income Tax and National Insurance, using the HMRC childminder method for use of home.

Made for registered childminders in the UK who do their own Self Assessment. Add your children once, log each session as you go, and print a monthly invoice or statement for any family in one click.

▶ Easy Start Here guide included – video tutorial coming to our YouTube channel

Works in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets, with no macros.

What it does for you

• Fees worked out from every session: time in and out, funded hours used, extras (meals, late fees), each child's own hourly rate or your default rate
• Funded hours: 15h universal (3-4), 30h working parents, 15h 2-year-olds, or a Wales, Scotland or NI scheme. Funded hours are never charged to parents, and LA funding still to come is worked out per child
• Invoice / Statement: pick a child and a month for every session, funded hours, balance brought forward, payments received and amount due. Print or save as PDF
• Payments from parents, Tax-Free Childcare, childcare vouchers and your council, with balances owed per family
• Expenses with the HMRC childminder method: food, toys and other costs, household running costs by hours used, 10% of fixed costs (Council Tax, rent, mortgage interest) for 40+ hours a week, and 10% wear and tear. Or actual costs with a business % (for Making Tax Digital)
• Business mileage at the 2026/27 rates (55p a mile for the first 10,000 miles, 25p after)
• Tax Summary: income by type, allowable expenses, profit, the £1,000 trading allowance check, and an Income Tax + Class 4 NI estimate at 2026/27 rates (England, Wales, NI or Scottish bands), with a % of each payment to set aside and payments on account
• Self Assessment dates for your year (register, paper and online deadlines, 2nd payment on account) and the Making Tax Digital thresholds
• Dashboard: income, expenses, profit, owed by parents, LA funding to come, hours and funded hours by month, a "What needs your attention" list and 4 charts
• Checks on every row: text in a date, time or amount, unknown child or category, duplicate sessions, sessions before a start date or after leaving, funded hours over the weekly limit
• Up to 40 children, 3,000 sessions, 800 payments, 800 expenses and 500 journeys

How it works (3 steps)

1. Set up once: your details, accounting year, default rate and expense method on Settings, then one row per child (about 5 minutes)
2. Log as you go: sessions on Attendance, money received on Payments, costs on Expenses and Mileage
3. Invoice and check: print a statement for each family, follow the Dashboard list, and use the Tax Summary for Self Assessment

What's included

• UK-Childminder-Business-Tracker.xlsx: filled with fictional example data (7 children, 350 sessions) so you can see how it works
• UK-Childminder-Business-Tracker-BLANK.xlsx: an empty copy, ready for your own setting
• Works in Google Sheets: upload the .xlsx to Google Drive, right-click > Open with > Google Sheets, then File > Save as Google Sheets (tested: formulas and charts kept)
• Start-here.pdf: one-page quick-start guide, including how to open it in Google Sheets

Compatibility

• Microsoft Excel 2010 or newer (Windows & Mac) and Microsoft 365
• Google Sheets (free Google account). Set File > Settings > Locale to United Kingdom for £ and UK dates
• Not designed for Apple Numbers or mobile-only editing. A computer is recommended
• No macros, add-ons or subscriptions

Instant download

This is a digital product. Nothing physical will be shipped. Your download link appears straight after checkout and is also emailed to you. Stuck or have a question? Email info@phkmedia.co.uk and I'll gladly help you set it up.

Good to know

• Cream (pale yellow) cells are for your input. White and grey cells are worked out for you, and the sheets are protected (no password) so formulas are not overwritten by mistake
• A Health check on the Start Here tab and a Check/Status column on every log flag missing or odd entries
• Use of home follows gov.uk "Claiming expenses and keeping records if you're a childminder" (updated 18 March 2026). That method is not available if you use Making Tax Digital: switch to actual costs on Settings
• Tax and NI use 2026/27 rates from gov.uk: Personal Allowance £12,570, Class 4 NI 6% from £12,570 to £50,270 and 2% above. Bands can be edited on Settings for a new tax year. The estimate excludes student loans, pension relief, Marriage Allowance, savings and dividends
• Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: from 6 April 2027 if your qualifying income is over £30,000, and from 6 April 2028 if over £20,000 (gov.uk). This spreadsheet is a record-keeping aid, not MTD software
• Keep receipts for costs of £10 or more (HMRC childminder guidance). Keep records for at least 5 years after the 31 January deadline
• Funded hours in England: 30 hours for working parents from 9 months to school age, 15 hours for all 3 and 4 year olds and some 2 year olds. Wales, Scotland and NI schemes can be recorded too
• Dates show as DD/MM/YYYY
• FAQ: Does it file my tax return? No. It gives you the figures for your Self Assessment and an estimate to set aside
• FAQ: Does it work on a phone? You can view it in the Google Sheets app, but entering data is easiest on a computer

DISCLAIMER

This spreadsheet is a record-keeping aid, not tax advice and not Making Tax Digital software. Check gov.uk or ask an accountant if you are unsure. All names and figures in the example file are fictional.

Licence: Licensed for use within one business. Please do not resell, share or redistribute the files.

AI disclosure: This template and its listing images were designed by PHK MEDIA LTD with the help of AI tools. All formulas were tested and the files were reviewed and finalised by the seller.

© PHK MEDIA LTD

Licence: Licensed for use within one business or household. You may edit and print the files for that business. You may not resell, share or upload them for others.