Before you start
- Your download is a zip with two files. Double-click it to open it. Start with the one marked with examples to see how everything works, then use the blank one for your business.
- Open the file in Microsoft Excel. Using Google Sheets? Upload it to Google Drive, then open it with Google Sheets.
- Start on the Start Here tab. It has the same steps, right inside the file.
- The sample data is there so you can see how everything works. Type over it with your own when you're ready.
Here's how to set up once, then log money and miles in a few minutes a week.
1Set up (one time, about 5 minutes)
- Open Settings. Enter the year, your tax set-aside percent and the standard mileage rate.
2Log income, expenses and miles
- Income: each deposit or payment with the job.
- Expenses: parts, supplies and the rest, with a category and the job.
- Mileage: trips to jobs and supply stores.
3See what each job made
- Job Costs shows income, materials and parts, supplies, other costs and profit per job.
- The Dashboard shows any month, and Year Summary shows all 12 with a quarterly tax helper.
What the messages mean
The tool watches your numbers and tells you in plain words when something needs a look. Here's every message you might see.
What to do: Pick one from the list.
What to do: Delete one if it's a typo.
What to do: Check the miles.
Using Google Sheets or your phone
- To use Google Sheets, upload the file to Google Drive, then right-click it and choose Open with, then Google Sheets.
- Dropdowns, colors, and every calculation work the same in Google Sheets.
- On a phone, the Google Sheets and Excel apps work for quick changes. For setup and printing, a computer is easier.
- Want to start fresh? Type over the yellow example cells. Don't delete rows, since other tabs may be reading them.
Ready when you are
Everything above comes with our handyman income tracker for $14, updates included. Or get it as part of the full handyman toolkit.
Common questions
Is this tax advice?
No. It's a record-keeping tool, and the set-aside is an estimate. Check with your tax pro.
Quick reference from the Start Here tab
Welcome
Know what your handyman business is really making. Log every deposit and payment, every parts run and every mile, and see profit, materials spend per job and what to set aside for taxes, month by month.
Where To Start
Open 'Settings'. Check the year, your set-aside for taxes %, and the standard mileage rate (check the current rate; this is an estimate, not tax advice).
Open 'Job Costs' and type each job name once, like "Patel - bathroom refresh".
'Income': add each payment. Pick the job from the drop-down and mark it Deposit, Progress payment or Final payment.
'Expenses': add what you spend, pick a category, and tag the job when the cost is for one job (parts, supplies, a sub).
'Mileage': log trips to jobs, estimates and supply stores.
'Dashboard': pick a month in the yellow cell to see that month.
Which Cells To Edit
Yellow cells with blue text are yours. Italic yellow cells are optional.
Gray cells calculate on their own and are locked.
Need to change a formula? In Excel go to Review, then Unprotect Sheet. In Google Sheets use Data, then Protect sheets and ranges. No password needed.
What The Results Mean
Profit: income minus expenses.
Mileage deduction (estimate): business miles times the rate on Settings.
Estimated taxable profit: profit minus the mileage deduction. Set aside for taxes uses your % on this number. Never below zero.
Materials % of income: materials, parts and supplies divided by income. Labor is most of what a handyman sells, so watch this if it creeps up.
Job Costs: income, materials and other costs for each job you tag, with profit on the job.
Year Summary: monthly totals, expenses by category, and a quarterly estimated tax helper with the usual US due dates.
Check columns: OK in green, Note in amber (worth a look), ⚠ in red (something to fix).
How To Clear The Examples And Reuse It
Easiest: open the Blank file. Or select the yellow rows on Income, Expenses, Mileage and Job Costs and press Delete. Formulas stay.
New year: change the year on Settings, or save a copy of the file for each year.
Each log has 1,000 ready rows. Sort and filter with the header arrows; formulas keep working.
Good To Know
Deposit vs final payment: both are income when you receive them. Log each one on its own row, on the day the money arrives.
Mileage vs Vehicle expenses: with the standard mileage rate you usually don't also deduct gas and repairs. Log those under Vehicle only if your tax pro says so.
Refunds or credits: type them with a minus sign, like -150.
Percents: type 25% or 0.25. If you type 25 we read it as 25%.
This tracker organizes your numbers. It isn't tax advice. All tax numbers are estimates.
Share box: the "Share with other EasyWorkTools tools" box on the Dashboard lists the numbers this file gives to or gets from the other Handyman tools. Copy them by hand. The labels match exactly, so it's clear where each one goes.
Getting Updates
Every update is free. When a new version is ready we email you, and you can download it any time.
Moving to a new version: copy the yellow cells from each sheet into the same sheets of the new file.
Using Google Sheets? Upload this file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets (or File, then Import, then Upload). The math works the same.
Your License
This file is licensed to one business, including everyone who works there. Please don't share, resell or post it online.
© 2026 EasyWorkTools. All rights reserved. easyworktools.com
Every tab
This file has 9 tabs, in this order:
- Start Here
- Dashboard
- Year Summary
- Job Costs
- Income
- Expenses
- Mileage
- Lists
- Settings