Cash Flow Statement Template

Why this Excel cash flow statement template makes balancing effortless

• Automatic reconciliation ensures Operating + Investing + Financing equals the change in cash between beginning and ending balances.
• Built-in prompts highlight any out-of-balance item so you can correct it immediately.
• Supports both direct and indirect presentations — cash flow statements for each of these methods are included on separate sheets.
• Clear mapping areas ensure non-cash items and working capital movements are treated correctly for quick balancing.
• Behaves like a guided “cash flow statement generator” — enter (or link) your numbers and let the template do the heavy lifting.

Cash flow statement format: the 3 main sections

• Operating Activities (CFO) — core trading results adjusted for non-cash items and working capital movements.
• Investing Activities (CFI) — cash used for or generated by long-term assets (property, equipment, intangibles, investments).
• Financing Activities (CFF) — cash from or to owners and lenders (new borrowings, repayments, dividends, share issues/buybacks).

The basic cash flow formula (what the template enforces)

• Net change in cash = CFO + CFI + CFF = Ending cash − Beginning cash.
• If these do not match, the template flags the variance and helps you zero in on the source of the imbalance.
• This simple identity is the key to balancing any cash flow statement in Excel.

Direct vs Indirect method — both supported

• Indirect method starts with profit and adjusts for non-cash items (e.g., depreciation) and working capital movements.
• Direct method lists cash receipts and payments (cash from customers, cash paid to suppliers, etc.).
• Choose the method you need; the template structures the statement and applies the correct logic automatically to the cash flow statements for each method which are included on separate sheets.

Step-by-step: balance your cash flow statement in minutes

• Got to the Input sheet, set the current reporting period and enter your income statement and balance sheet amounts. Items with a yellow block next to it should be entered as positive values and those with a green block as negative values.
• Consider whether the additional information section below the financial statement amounts is applicable to your business and also enter the appropriate amounts there.
• Review the control totals and ensure that they are all zero. If any of them contains an imbalance, refer to the template instructions for an explanation of the error and the steps that need to be completed to fix the imbalance.
• The cash flow statements on the Direct and Indirect sheets are automatically compiled from the data on the Input sheet. Open the sheets and ensure that the cash balance check control total is zero. If not, refer to the template instructions to resolve.
• If your cash flow statement or balance sheet contains items which are not provided for in our standard layout, you can add these items to our template as explained in the template instructions.

Tips to stay balanced first time, every time

• Stick to the template design and do not make any changes to our formulas.
• Make sure that you add additional items correctly as detailed in the template instructions. For example, items added to the balance sheet also need to be included in the appropriate section of the cash flow statement by copying a similar items and relinking the formulas to work off the correct row on the balance sheet.
• If you link from other sheets, sanity-check sign conventions: cash inflows should add, outflows should subtract.

FAQ