Filling out a receipt book means recording six key pieces of information for every transaction: the date, a receipt number, who paid, what they paid for, how much they paid, and the payment method. Each entry takes under a minute once you know the layout, and the carbon or carbonless copies handle your record-keeping automatically. Here’s how to complete every field correctly and keep your books clean.
Understand the Layout First
Most receipt books come with pre-printed fields arranged top to bottom: date, receipt number, “received from,” a description area with line items, a total line, and a spot for the payment method. Some books pre-number each receipt for you; others leave a blank where you write in your own numbering. Before your first sale, flip through the book and note which fields are already labeled so you know what goes where.
Receipt books typically use carbonless paper, meaning what you write on the top sheet automatically transfers to one or two sheets underneath. A common setup uses three copies: a white top sheet that goes to the customer, a yellow copy you submit with your bank deposit or send to your bookkeeper, and a third copy (often blue or pink) that stays bound in the book as your permanent record. Two-part books are simpler, with one copy for the customer and one that stays in the book.
Fill In Each Field Step by Step
Date and Receipt Number
Write the full date of the transaction at the top. Use a consistent format like MM/DD/YYYY so there’s no ambiguity months later. If your book doesn’t have pre-printed receipt numbers, assign your own starting at 001 and go sequentially. Never skip or reuse a number. Sequential numbering lets you spot missing receipts during bookkeeping, which is one of the simplest internal controls a small business can have.
Received From
Write the full name of the person or business making the payment. If you deal with repeat customers or might need to follow up about a transaction, add a phone number or email address when space allows. For business-to-business sales, include the company name along with the contact person.
Description of Goods or Services
List each item or service on its own line, with the price next to it. Be as descriptive as space allows. Writing “repair” is less useful six months from now than “front brake pad replacement, 2018 Honda Civic.” Each transaction gets its own receipt, so don’t combine two separate purchases onto one page even if the same customer is buying both.
Subtotal, Tax, and Grand Total
Add up all the line items and write the subtotal. On the next line, calculate and record the applicable sales tax if your business collects it. Below that, write the grand total, which is the exact amount the customer handed over or was charged. This final number is the one that matters for your deposit records and the customer’s proof of purchase. If you’re writing the amount in both numbers and words (some books have a line for this), make sure they match. The written-out amount typically controls if there’s ever a discrepancy.
Payment Method
Note whether the customer paid with cash, check, money order, or card. For checks, record the check number and the name of the bank printed on the check. This detail is invaluable if a check bounces, because you’ll need both pieces of information to pursue collection or file a dispute. For card payments processed through a separate terminal, you can note “credit card” or “debit card” along with the last four digits of the card number. Never write a full card number on a paper receipt.
Signature
Sign or initial the receipt as the person who accepted the payment. Some receipt books also include a line for the customer’s signature, which is useful for large transactions or service work where you want written confirmation that the customer agreed to the charge.
Managing the Carbon Copies
Press firmly with a ballpoint pen so your writing transfers cleanly through all layers. Felt-tip pens and pencils often produce faint or unreadable copies on the lower sheets. Write on a hard, flat surface rather than holding the book in your hand.
After completing a receipt, tear out the top copy (white) along the perforation and hand it to the customer. If your book has three parts, remove the middle copy at the end of the day and file it with your deposit paperwork or submit it to whoever handles your accounting. The bottom copy stays in the book permanently. This system gives you a backup even if one copy gets lost. When you finish an entire book, store it with your financial records. The IRS generally requires you to keep records that support your income and expenses for at least three years from the date you file the return, so hang on to completed receipt books for at least that long.
Handling Voids and Mistakes
If you make an error partway through a receipt, don’t tear it out and throw it away. Write “VOID” in large letters across all copies, leave the voided receipt in the book, and start a new one with the next sequential number. This preserves the number sequence and shows anyone reviewing your books (including you, at tax time) that no receipt went missing. The same approach applies if a customer cancels a transaction after you’ve already started writing.
Keeping Receipts Useful for Tax Records
The IRS doesn’t mandate a specific record-keeping format for small businesses, but you do need records that clearly show your income. A well-maintained receipt book satisfies that requirement as long as each entry is legible, complete, and matches your bank deposits. Get in the habit of reconciling your receipt book against your deposit slips weekly. If the numbers don’t line up, the problem is much easier to find when you’re looking at five days of receipts rather than five months.
For your customers, a detailed receipt lets them substantiate business expenses on their own taxes. The more specific your item descriptions and the clearer your totals, the more useful the receipt is as supporting documentation. A receipt that just says “services, $400” is far less defensible in an audit than one reading “4 hours website consultation, Jan 15, $400.”
Tips for Staying Consistent
Keep a pen clipped to your receipt book so you’re not hunting for one mid-transaction. Use the same pen type every time to ensure consistent pressure on the carbonless sheets. If multiple employees accept payments, assign each person their own receipt book or their own number range so you can trace any entry back to who wrote it. At the end of each business day, review the day’s receipts for completeness before filing. Catching a missing check number or blank “received from” field the same day is easy. Catching it in April during tax prep is not.