How to Check That Journal Entries Balance in Excel
Every accounting system rejects a journal whose debits and credits do not match — usually after the upload, usually with a row number and nothing else. Finding it first is a SUMIF per voucher that is easy to write and easier to forget.
Last updated: October 2026
| Entry | Debits | Credits | Difference | Balanced? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JV-1 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 0.00 | Balanced |
| JV-2 | 50.00 | 40.00 | 10.00 | OUT |
| All entries | 150.00 | 140.00 | 10.00 | OUT |
Why an exact-zero test is the wrong test
Debits and credits that should net to zero routinely net to 0.000000001, because a sum of binary floats is not a sum of decimal money. Comparing to exactly zero therefore reports entries as unbalanced that are perfectly fine — and a check that cries wolf is a check that gets ignored. The tolerance here defaults to half a cent, and is settable.
The whole-journal line matters too
Every entry can balance while the file as a whole does not — which happens when a voucher number is mistyped, splitting one entry into two that each happen to balance against the wrong half. The report ends with an all-entries line for exactly that case.
The 1-click way (Tellsheet)
Journal Balance Check
Point Journal Balance Check at the voucher column and your amounts — separate debit and credit columns, or one signed column where credits are negative. It writes a row per entry with the debits, the credits, the difference and a verdict, names the worst offender in the summary, and ends with a whole-journal line. Formatted and accounting-style amounts — 1,000.00, (500) — are read as you would expect.
Frequently asked questions
Why not just SUMIF?
You can — this is the same check without writing it again every month.
My entries are off by 0.000001.
That is float noise; the default tolerance ignores it.
One signed column instead?
Supported — credits negative.
Can I see only the problems?
Yes, turn off listing the balanced entries.
Related Excel guides
Find it before the upload does
Journal Balance Check totals every entry and names the ones that are out — in one click.
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