{"id":30928,"date":"2025-06-03T08:45:23","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T12:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=30928"},"modified":"2025-06-03T08:45:24","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T12:45:24","slug":"google-sheets-for-accounting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/google-sheets-for-accounting\/","title":{"rendered":"How to use Google Sheets for accounting: Three formulas"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/category\/money-matters\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Money Matters<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to use Google Sheets for accounting: Three formulas\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-06-03T08:45:23-04:00\">June 3, 2025<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"How to use Google Sheets for accounting: Three formulas\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/google-sheets-for-accounting\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/author\/elizabethryan\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/lizryan-350x350.png\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Elizabeth Ryan\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Elizabeth Ryan<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>While many accounting teams still use Excel, more and more are switching to Google Sheets. With remote work becoming the norm, collaboration and cost savings (Google Sheets is free!) are big reasons why. Want to know how to use Google Sheets for bookkeeping? Here are three helpful formulas every accounting team should know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-vlookup-for-accounting-in-google-sheets\"><strong>VLOOKUP for accounting in Google Sheets<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>VLOOKUP, or \u201cvertical lookup,\u201d is helpful\u2014especially when dealing with lots of data like accounting teams do. It helps you find specific information (like a customer name or email) and pull back related details (like an invoice number or amount due) from another sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how to build a VLOOKUP formula in Google Sheets:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Start with =VLOOKUP<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add the value or cell you want to look up, like =VLOOKUP(A2, &#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add the range you want to search, for example: =VLOOKUP(A2, A:I, &#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add the column number with the value you want, like =VLOOKUP(A2, A:I, 4, &#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Finally, add FALSE and close the parentheses: =VLOOKUP(A2, A:I, 4, FALSE)<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The result will show up in your main sheet. Using Google Sheets for accounting like this can help you create reports and spot key account details much faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-import-data-from-multiple-spreadsheets-with-google-sheets\"><strong>Import data from multiple spreadsheets with Google Sheets<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re managing data across several disconnected spreadsheets, pulling everything together for reports or workflows can get tricky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The IMPORTRANGE formula makes it easy to pull data from one spreadsheet into another\u2014and keeps them synced automatically. It might look complicated because it includes a URL, but it\u2019s simpler than VLOOKUP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the formula format:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>=IMPORTRANGE(&#8220;spreadsheet_url&#8221;, &#8220;range_string&#8221;)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The spreadsheet_url is the link to the sheet you\u2019re pulling data from.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The range_string is the specific cells you want to bring in.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Since this pulls data from an online source, you\u2019ll need internet access for it to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">8 Signs you have outgrown Excel for budgeting and planning<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">E-book<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-0d43b105-8e3b-4d76-813a-e4e72d5f299e\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_2081844814_c2222-1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"people in office\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_2081844814_c2222-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-adding-comments-in-google-sheets-formulas-for-accounting\"><strong>Adding comments in Google Sheets formulas for accounting<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, you need to add notes or comments to your data\u2014whether it\u2019s about a partial payment, a dispute, or mismatched invoices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google Sheets lets you add text comments inside formulas using the N function. For example, you can write:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>=your_formula + N(&#8220;partial payment against invoice 07137&#8221;)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This adds a note without affecting your calculations, because N returns zero. It\u2019s handy to include extra context for yourself or your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you tired of juggling Excel or Google Sheets for your accounting? Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/accounting-software\/accounts-receivable\/\">accounts receivable software<\/a> can streamline your payment process and reduce your Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) by 30%. Automate communications, offer better online payment options, and speed up cash application\u2014all in one solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Get started with Sage today and take your accounts receivable to the next level!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to our Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get our latest business advice delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-ab515c6e-7e90-4c2f-a67e-113872516e8b\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Working from home with tea in hand\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover three essential Google Sheets formulas for accounting, and see how accounts receivable software can automate these tasks to make your work easier.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1806,"featured_media":9180,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"business_type":[312,41],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[57],"persona":[150],"imagine_tag":[],"coauthors":[584],"class_list":["post-30928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","business_type-accountants","business_type-growing-business","industry-financial-services"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-us","author_name":"Elizabeth Ryan","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-530281091.jpg","imagine_tags":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice US","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1806"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30928"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30928\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/9180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30928"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=30928"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=30928"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=30928"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=30928"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=30928"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=30928"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=30928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}