Event guide
How to close out a cash box after a school event
Count the cash with another person, note any overage or shortage, and give the treasurer a signed record that matches the deposit.
Section 01
One sheet for each cash box
Use one closeout sheet for each box, register, ticket table, or sales station. Give it a plain label that matches the cash bag or envelope.
Record the starting bank before sales begin. Write down cash added, cash drops, payouts, or money moved between boxes when it happens instead of trying to reconstruct it at the end of the night.
Section 02
Two people count and sign
National PTA says the treasurer and another volunteer should count the money together and both sign the cash-count sheet. Follow your group's rules if they require a different process.
Count bills and coins by denomination. Keep checks, card totals, and other electronic payments on separate lines so they do not get mixed into the cash variance.
Section 03
What if the box is over or short?
Compare the actual cash with the amount your ticket count, item count, or point-of-sale report says should be there. If the box is over or short, check the count again and write a short factual note about anything you know.
A variance note does not need a theory. Record what you know, such as a missing payout receipt or change added from another box, and leave the review to the treasurer.
Section 04
The treasurer handoff
Have both counters sign the sheet. Then attach or reference the deposit slip, cash bag, checks, receipts, and event report required by your group's procedure.
If the bank is closed, follow your treasurer's approved night-deposit or secure-storage procedure. Record who received the packet and when.
Matching worksheet
Worksheet for this job
Checklist
What to include
- Event name and cash box label
- Starting cash by denomination
- Ending cash by denomination
- Digital payment total
- Expected sales or ticket count
- Variance notes
- Two signature lines
- Deposit slip or bag reference
- Treasurer receipt or handoff time
Sources checked July 31, 2026