Free Payroll Spreadsheet Templates for Small Business
Free payroll spreadsheet templates for small business: weekly, biweekly, hourly with overtime, salaried, taxes, contractor, and register. Excel.
Payroll Spreadsheet Templates
Free payroll spreadsheet templates for small business, as real Excel files with worked examples: weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, and monthly, plus hourly with overtime, salaried, tax deductions, contractor, and a year-to-date register. Built with 2026 FICA rates and FLSA overtime. No signup.
A payroll spreadsheet is an Excel or Google Sheets file that calculates and records employee pay: each person's hours or salary, their gross pay, the taxes and deductions taken out, and the net pay they receive. For a very small business running payroll without software, it is often the practical starting point. The catch is that a payroll sheet is only as good as its math, and getting overtime, FICA, and the current-year tax numbers right is exactly where a generic template falls short.
These templates are real Excel files with worked example rows, not empty grids, so you can see the gross-to-net calculation done correctly before you enter your own people. There are versions for each pay frequency, weekly through monthly, plus hourly with overtime, salaried, a tax-deduction version, a small-business and contractor version, and a year-to-date register. Each is built with the 2026 FICA rate and the time-and-a-half overtime rule. Because this sits next to how you actually pay people, it pairs with the direct deposit form and the employee timesheet that feeds it hours.
What a Payroll Spreadsheet Is
A payroll spreadsheet is a file that calculates and records what you pay employees each period: their hours or salary, gross pay, the deductions taken out, and net pay, often with year-to-date totals. Payroll spreadsheet, payroll sheet, and payroll format all describe the same thing.
It is an employer-side tool, used by an owner, office manager, or bookkeeper to run or record payroll for a small team without dedicated software. Its value is that it is free, flexible, and enough for a handful of employees; its limit is that it does not file taxes or keep up with changing rates on its own. It works alongside the hours you collect on a timesheet and the pay you send through your direct deposit process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Match the template to how you pay. Pick the pay-frequency version that fits your schedule, the hourly-with-overtime version if you have non-exempt staff, the tax-deduction version to see net pay after FICA and withholding, the small-business version to mix hourly and salaried, the contractor version for 1099 payments, and the register to track year-to-date.
Free Payroll Spreadsheets to Download
Download all of them together or grab the ones you need. Each is a real Excel workbook with the example rows showing the gross-to-net math worked out, so you can see the calculation before replacing the samples with your own employees. The pay-frequency workbook has a tab for each schedule; the others are grouped by type.
Basic Payroll Spreadsheet (Weekly, Biweekly, Semi-Monthly, Monthly)
The core payroll spreadsheet with a tab for each pay frequency, so you can match the schedule you run. Each tab shows gross pay, deductions, and net for example employees.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Employee | Hours | Rate ($/hr) | Gross Pay ($) | Deductions ($) | Net Pay ($) | Pay Date |
| 2 | Example: A. Rivera | 40 | 22 | 880 | 96.8 | 783.2 | Fri weekly |
| 3 | Example: B. Chen | 38 | 25 | 950 | 104.5 | 845.5 | Fri weekly |
| 4 | |||||||
| 5 | Total | 1830 | 201.3 | 1628.7 |
Hourly with Overtime and Salaried
An hourly template that separates regular and overtime hours and applies the required time-and-a-half rate over 40 hours, plus a salaried version that divides annual pay across periods.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Employee | Reg Hours | OT Hours | Rate ($/hr) | OT Rate (1.5x) | Reg Pay ($) | OT Pay ($) | Gross ($) |
| 2 | Example: A. Rivera | 40 | 6 | 22 | 33 | 880 | 198 | 1078 |
| 3 | Example: B. Chen | 40 | 3 | 25 | 37.5 | 1000 | 112.5 | 1112.5 |
| 4 | Example: C. Okafor | 35 | 0 | 20 | 30 | 700 | 0 | 700 |
| 5 | ||||||||
| 6 | Total | 2580 | 310.5 | 2890.5 |
Payroll with Tax Deductions
A version with Social Security, Medicare, and withholding columns, using the current 7.65 percent FICA rate and the 2026 wage base, so you see net pay after taxes.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Employee | Gross Pay ($) | Soc Sec 6.2% ($) | Medicare 1.45% ($) | Fed W/H ($) | State W/H ($) | Net Pay ($) |
| 2 | Example: A. Rivera | 1760 | 109.12 | 25.52 | 158 | 0 | 1467.36 |
| 3 | Example: B. Chen | 1900 | 117.8 | 27.55 | 171 | 0 | 1583.65 |
| 4 | |||||||
| 5 | Total | 3660 | 226.92 | 53.07 | 329 | 0 | 3051.01 |
| 6 | |||||||
| 7 | Note | FICA = 7.65% total (6.2% + 1.45%) | |||||
| 8 | Note | Soc Sec wage base 2026: $184,500 | |||||
| 9 | Note | Fed and state W/H are examples; use IRS and state tables |
Small Business and Contractor Payroll
A small-business sheet that mixes hourly and salaried staff on one page, plus a separate contractor tracker with no withholding and a W-9 check for 1099 payments.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Employee | Type | Hours | Rate/Salary | Gross ($) | FICA ($) | Fed W/H ($) | Net ($) |
| 2 | A. Rivera | Hourly | 80 | 22 | 1760 | 134.64 | 158 | 1467.36 |
| 3 | B. Chen | Hourly | 76 | 25 | 1900 | 145.35 | 171 | 1583.65 |
| 4 | D. Santos | Salary | 2769.23 | 2769.23 | 211.85 | 305 | 2252.38 | |
| 5 | ||||||||
| 6 | Total | 6429.23 | 491.84 | 634 | 5303.39 |
Payroll Register / Year-to-Date Tracker
A register that records every pay run and carries year-to-date gross and net, which you need for the Social Security wage base and to reconcile at year end.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Employee | Pay Period | Gross ($) | FICA ($) | Fed W/H ($) | Net ($) | YTD Gross ($) | YTD Net ($) |
| 2 | A. Rivera | Period 1 | 1760 | 134.64 | 158 | 1467.36 | 1760 | 1467.36 |
| 3 | A. Rivera | Period 2 | 1760 | 134.64 | 158 | 1467.36 | 3520 | 2934.72 |
| 4 | B. Chen | Period 1 | 1900 | 145.35 | 171 | 1583.65 | 1900 | 1583.65 |
| 5 | B. Chen | Period 2 | 1900 | 145.35 | 171 | 1583.65 | 3800 | 3167.3 |
| 6 | ||||||||
| 7 | Note | Track YTD gross toward the $184,500 Soc Sec wage base |
How to Create a Payroll Spreadsheet
If you would rather build your own, the structure is the same in every version: set up the columns, calculate gross pay, subtract deductions, then track and total. The four groups below are what every working payroll sheet needs.
The two places small businesses most often go wrong are overtime, which must be 1.5 times the rate over 40 hours in a workweek rather than over a pay period, and using a flat percentage for income-tax withholding instead of the official tables. The templates handle the first correctly in the examples; for the second, pull your figures from the current IRS and state tables.
Payroll Rules and Tax Numbers
A payroll spreadsheet has to reflect a few current numbers and rules to be accurate. These are the ones that matter most, with the 2026 figures built into the templates.
| Item | 2026 figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security tax | 6.2% each side | On wages up to the wage base only |
| Social Security wage base | $184,500 | Up from $176,100 in 2025 |
| Medicare tax | 1.45% each side | No wage cap; +0.9% on wages over $200,000 |
| Total FICA rate | 7.65% | 6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare |
| Overtime | 1.5x over 40/week | Federal FLSA; some states add daily overtime |
| E-file threshold | 10 returns total | W-2s and 1099s combined, all types |
For the wider wage-and-hour background these numbers sit within, the Fair Labor Standards Act overview covers how wages and overtime must be paid, and the exempt versus non-exempt guide explains who is owed overtime in the first place.
What Format Should a Payroll Sheet Use?
A common question is what format or layout a payroll sheet should take. For a US business the answer is a spreadsheet with one row per employee per pay period and columns running left to right from identity to gross to deductions to net: employee name, hours or salary, pay rate, gross pay, each deduction in its own column, and net pay, with a totals row at the bottom and year-to-date columns if you track them.
This differs from a payslip or pay stub, which is the single-employee document you give to a worker each payday showing their own earnings and deductions. The spreadsheet is the employer's working record across all employees; the pay stub is the employee's copy of one line of it. Keep the spreadsheet as your master calculation and record, and generate individual pay stubs from it if your state requires them.
Running Payroll Without Software
You can run payroll for a small team with nothing more than a spreadsheet, a timesheet, and a way to pay people. A larger company has a payroll team and software; a small business owner is often the owner, manager, and payroll department at once, which is exactly who these templates are built for.
The single most valuable habit is keeping the register current every pay run, verifying overtime and tax math against the real rules, and storing the file securely because it holds pay and personal data. That discipline is what makes a spreadsheet safe to rely on while your team is small.
When to Move Beyond a Spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is a starting point, and these templates work on their own for a small team. The strain shows when you are spending real time on tax filing, when a manual entry causes an error, or when you add employees across more than one state and the tax picture gets complicated.
FirstHR does not run payroll: it is an onboarding and HR platform, not a payroll provider, so it does not calculate pay, file taxes, or move money, and you should pair it with payroll software or a provider for the actual runs and filings. Where FirstHR helps is around payroll, keeping the personnel records, the signed direct deposit authorizations, and onboarding paperwork organized and stored against each employee profile, so the people data your payroll depends on stays clean. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a payroll spreadsheet?
A payroll spreadsheet is an Excel or Google Sheets file used to calculate and record employee pay for each pay period. It lists each employee, their hours or salary and pay rate, then works out gross pay, the deductions taken out such as Social Security, Medicare, and income-tax withholding, and the net pay the employee actually receives. Many versions also carry running year-to-date totals. Payroll spreadsheet, payroll sheet, and payroll format all describe the same kind of file. It is used by a very small business, an owner, or a bookkeeper who needs to run or record payroll without buying dedicated software, typically for a handful of employees. It is a practical tool for a small team, though it does not replace payroll software for tax filing and compliance as the business grows. This is general information, not tax advice.
How do I create a payroll spreadsheet?
Start by setting up columns for the employee name, hours or salary, and pay rate. Then calculate gross pay: for hourly staff, multiply regular hours by the rate and add overtime at one and one-half times the rate for hours over 40 in a workweek; for salaried staff, divide the annual salary by the number of pay periods. Next, subtract deductions: Social Security at 6.2 percent and Medicare at 1.45 percent, which together make up the 7.65 percent FICA rate, plus federal and state income-tax withholding from the current tax tables. The result is net pay. Finally, add totals for each pay run and carry year-to-date figures forward. The templates on this page already have these columns and worked example rows, so the fastest way is to download one, delete the examples, and enter your own employees. This is general information, not tax advice.
Does Excel have a payroll template?
Microsoft offers some basic payroll templates in its template library, and Excel is fully capable of running a simple payroll for a small team once you set up the formulas for gross pay, overtime, and deductions. The gap in the built-in options is that they are generic and rarely tuned for a specific situation, such as a small business mixing hourly and salaried staff, contractor payments, or the current-year tax constants. The templates on this page are ready-made Excel files built for exactly those cases, with the 2026 FICA rate and wage base and the time-and-a-half overtime rule already reflected in the worked examples. You download the one that fits, replace the sample rows with your employees, and adjust the withholding to your tables. This is general information, not tax advice.
How do I calculate payroll in a spreadsheet?
The core calculation runs gross to net. First find gross pay: hours times rate for hourly employees, with overtime hours multiplied by 1.5 times the rate for anything over 40 in a workweek, or salary divided by pay periods for salaried employees. Then subtract the deductions: 6.2 percent for Social Security, but only on wages up to the annual wage base, and 1.45 percent for Medicare on all wages, which together are the 7.65 percent FICA tax, followed by federal and any state income-tax withholding taken from the official tables rather than a flat rate. Gross pay minus all deductions equals net pay, the amount the employee receives. The example rows in each template show this calculation worked out with real numbers, so you can see exactly how each column feeds the next. This is general information, not tax advice.
What is the difference between weekly, biweekly, and semi-monthly payroll?
They are different pay frequencies, meaning how often you run payroll. Weekly means 52 pay periods a year, biweekly means every two weeks for 26 periods, semi-monthly means twice a month, usually the 15th and last day, for 24 periods, and monthly means 12 periods. Biweekly is the most common frequency among US private employers, but the very smallest businesses use all four, which is why this page includes a version for each. The frequency affects how you calculate a salaried employee's per-period pay, dividing the annual salary by 52, 26, 24, or 12, and it affects cash-flow planning, but it does not change how overtime works, since overtime is always based on a single workweek regardless of how often you pay. Pick the frequency you actually run and use the matching sheet. This is general information, not tax advice.
How is overtime calculated in a payroll spreadsheet?
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, a non-exempt employee earns overtime at not less than one and one-half times their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a single workweek. In the spreadsheet, this means splitting each employee's hours into regular hours, up to 40, and overtime hours, above 40, then paying regular hours at the normal rate and overtime hours at 1.5 times that rate. The hourly template on this page does exactly this, with separate regular and overtime columns and an overtime rate column set to 1.5 times the base. Two things to watch: overtime is based on the workweek, not the pay period, so a biweekly run calculates it week by week, and some states have additional rules such as daily overtime, so confirm your state's rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is a payroll spreadsheet good for a small business?
For a very small team it can be a sensible starting point. A spreadsheet is free, flexible, and enough to calculate and record pay for a handful of employees, which is why so many owners begin there. Its limits show as you grow: it does not file tax deposits, produce W-2s and 1099s, or update itself when tax tables change, and every manual entry is a chance for an error or a missed deadline. A good rule of thumb is that a spreadsheet works while payroll is simple and small, but once you have more than a few employees, work across multiple states, or find yourself spending real time on tax filing, moving to payroll software or a provider pays for itself in saved time and reduced risk. Use the spreadsheet now, and plan to graduate. This is general information, not tax advice.
Do I still need to file taxes if I use a spreadsheet?
Yes. A spreadsheet helps you calculate and record pay, but it does not file anything with the government. You are still responsible for depositing withheld income tax and both halves of FICA on the required schedule, filing quarterly and annual payroll tax returns, and issuing W-2s to employees and 1099s to contractors. The IRS also requires electronic filing once you have 10 or more information returns in total across all types, which a small business can reach with just a few employees and contractors combined. This is the main reason a spreadsheet is a starting point rather than a permanent solution, and why it helps to have an accountant or payroll provider handle the filings even while you track pay in a sheet. This is general information, not tax advice.