Inventory count sheet with the reason on every line.
SKU, item, HSN, unit, unit cost, opening quantity, counted quantity, the variance in both units and value, and a reason with an action. The reason column is what separates a counting mistake from a shortage — and without it, a stock adjustment is just a guess with a number attached. Copy it as CSV and count against it.
The template, filled with an example
The example is a fabric and packing warehouse with eight SKUs. Variance value is calculated as variance quantity multiplied by unit cost, so you can check any line without trusting the sheet.
Illustrative example only. Every SKU, item, HSN, quantity, cost, and reason on this page is invented for illustration. The HSN codes are shown in the conventional structure for the kind of goods described — confirm the classification that applies to your own products with your chartered accountant.
Count header
- Count date
- 04-10-2026
- Counted at
- Sample Goods Warehouse, Bengaluru (example)
- Counted by
- Sample Store Keeper (example)
- Verified by
- Sample Accounts Owner (example)
- System figure as at
- Closing position of 03-10-2026
- Count method
- Blind count — the system quantity was not shown to the counter
- Stock movements during the count
- Counted after the last dispatch of the day; none during
- Currency
- INR
Count sheet
| SKU | Item | HSN | Unit | Unit cost (INR) | Opening | Counted | Variance | Variance value (INR) | Reason / action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TX-COT-60 | Cotton fabric, plain weave, 60-inch | 5208.32 | metre | 450.00 | 120 | 118 | (2) | -900.00 | Short. Recount confirmed; cause not identified |
| TX-COT-44 | Cotton fabric, printed, 44-inch | 5208.32 | metre | 320.00 | 80 | 80 | 0 | 0.00 | Matches the system figure |
| RM-THR-400 | Polyester thread, 400 m cones | 5208.49 | cone | 570.00 | 40 | 38 | (2) | -1,140.00 | Short. Two damaged cones found and kept aside |
| PK-BOX-M | Corrugated box, medium | 4819.10 | piece | 51.00 | 500 | 486 | (14) | -714.00 | Short. Second bench was counted twice; not yet corrected |
| PK-BOX-L | Corrugated box, large | 4819.10 | piece | 102.00 | 300 | 312 | (12) | 1,224.00 | Over. Returned from packing and not yet booked in |
| AC-BTN-24 | Button, 24-hole, assorted | 9607.10 | packet | 240.00 | 150 | 149 | (1) | -240.00 | Short. Group with the next count rather than adjusting now |
| AC-ZIP-L | Zip fastener, long | 9607.10 | metre | 35.00 | 250 | 250 | 0 | 0.00 | Matches the system figure |
| CH-EMB-S | Embroidery sample book | 4901.90 | book | 960.00 | 25 | 24 | (1) | -960.00 | Short. One issued to the design team and not recorded |
Net variance across the eight lines is -8 units and -2,730.00. A variance in brackets is a short count; the two over-counted lines are the ones worth chasing first, because an over-count usually means something arrived and was not booked in.
Summary
| Line | Value |
|---|---|
| SKUs counted | 8 lines |
| Lines with a short count | 5 lines |
| Lines with an over count | 1 lines |
| Net variance in units | (8) |
| Net variance in value | -2,730.00 |
| Lines awaiting a second count | 1 — PK-BOX-M |
Adjustment and sign-off
- Stock adjusted on
- DD / MM / YYYY
- Adjusted by
- Name / role
- Reason carried to stock history
- Count adjustment — see reason per line
- Counted by
- Sample Store Keeper (example)
- Verified by
- Sample Accounts Owner (example)
Inventory count sheet (CSV — illustrative example data) Field,Value Count date,04-10-2026 Counted at,"Sample Goods Warehouse, Bengaluru (example)" Counted by,Sample Store Keeper (example) Verified by,Sample Accounts Owner (example) System figure as at,Closing position of 03-10-2026 Count method,Blind count — the system quantity was not shown to the counter Stock movements during the count,Counted after the last dispatch of the day; none during Currency,INR SKU,Item,HSN,Unit,Unit cost (INR),Opening qty,Counted qty,Variance qty,Variance value (INR),Reason / action TX-COT-60,"Cotton fabric, plain weave, 60-inch",5208.32,metre,450.00,120,118,-2,-900.00,Short. Recount confirmed; cause not identified TX-COT-44,"Cotton fabric, printed, 44-inch",5208.32,metre,320.00,80,80,0,0.00,Matches the system figure RM-THR-400,"Polyester thread, 400 m cones",5208.49,cone,570.00,40,38,-2,"-1,140.00",Short. Two damaged cones found and kept aside PK-BOX-M,"Corrugated box, medium",4819.10,piece,51.00,500,486,-14,-714.00,Short. Second bench was counted twice; not yet corrected PK-BOX-L,"Corrugated box, large",4819.10,piece,102.00,300,312,12,"1,224.00",Over. Returned from packing and not yet booked in AC-BTN-24,"Button, 24-hole, assorted",9607.10,packet,240.00,150,149,-1,-240.00,Short. Group with the next count rather than adjusting now AC-ZIP-L,"Zip fastener, long",9607.10,metre,35.00,250,250,0,0.00,Matches the system figure CH-EMB-S,Embroidery sample book,4901.90,book,960.00,25,24,-1,-960.00,Short. One issued to the design team and not recorded Summary,Value SKUs counted,8 lines Lines with a short count,5 lines Lines with an over count,1 lines Net variance in units,(8) Net variance in value,"-2,730.00" Lines awaiting a second count,1 — PK-BOX-M
The last two columns are the ones that earn their place. A count sheet that reports a variance without a reason produces a number to adjust, which is different from a variance you can actually stop happening.
How to fill it in
Four steps, done at a moment when the stock is not moving.
Freeze the movement first
Stop dispatch and receiving for the period of the count, or count a section at a time and write down when the figures were taken. A count taken while stock is moving is not wrong, it is unusable.
Count without the system figure in view
Count the physical quantity, write it down, and only then open the system. Comparing the two as you go is the fastest way to a count that agrees with itself.
Give every variance a reason
Count error, damage, theft, an unrecorded issue, a receipt not yet booked in, or genuinely not known. The reason is what determines the action, and the action is what keeps the same variance from reappearing next month.
Adjust, and record who adjusted it
Make the stock adjustment with the reason attached, so the movement is visible in the stock history rather than being an unexplained correction. Where you do not have a stock system at all, this sheet is the adjustment.
When to use this, and when to stop
A count sheet is the honest floor of stock control. It stays necessary even with a system in place — what changes is who does it and whether the reason gets recorded.
When this template is the right tool
- You hold stock and the only record of what you have is what the system says you have.
- You suspect shrinkage and want to find out whether the difference is real before adjusting anything.
- You are a small team where the same person counts, sells, and reconciles, and a written count breaks that loop.
- You want a count that produces an action per line rather than a single number at the end.
When you have outgrown it
- Counts take so long that they are skipped when the shop is busy, so the stock figure is never actually verified.
- Variances are adjusted without a reason, so damage, theft, and counting errors all look the same.
- The system quantity is visible to the counter, so counts confirm the system rather than testing it.
- Stock moves between two locations or a warehouse, and there is no single figure to compare a count against.
The same process in NoxOrigin
Counts, adjustments, receiving, and transfers are recorded as stock movements with a reason, so the stock figure has a history behind it rather than being a number that changed. Invoices consume stock, low-stock signals trigger reorder decisions, and permissions decide who may adjust and who may only count. The count still happens — a system does not replace counting, it replaces arguing about whose number is right.
- Commerce in NoxOriginCatalog, stock, warehouses, purchasing, promotions, point-of-sale billing, and day-end reconciliation for businesses that sell stock.
- Inventory billing softwareInvoices linked to stock, low-stock signals, receiving, adjustments, transfers, and day-end reports.
- Inventory reorder calculatorReorder point, safety stock, and reorder quantity from demand, lead time, and a service-level target.
- Inventory adjustments, counts, and transfersReceiving, physical counts, reasoned adjustments, damage, and location transfers as a workflow.
- Inventory tracking for small shopsStock deductions, damaged goods, multi-location transfers, permissions, and reconciliation.
- Day-end closing sheetThe other half of the close, where a day that consumed stock is flagged for a count.
Inventory count sheet questions
Why count blind, without looking at the system figure?
Because a counter who can see the expected quantity will usually find it, whether or not they mean to. A blind count is slower and occasionally embarrasses the person who owns the system, and it is the only way the number means something. If you cannot count blind, record who counted each line so a wrong count can be traced.
Should every variance be adjusted in stock immediately?
No. The example deliberately leaves one line — a double count at the second bench — as a count error rather than a stock loss, and one small accessory variance to be grouped into the next count. An adjustment should follow a reason, and a counting mistake is a different reason from a shortage. Adjusting both the same way quietly destroys the information about which one is happening.
Why is HSN on the count sheet?
Because the count is where stock is found to be missing, and HSN determines the rate that applies when the shortage shows up on an invoice or in a return. A count sheet without HSN is fine for counting and useless later, when someone has to work out what the missing goods were worth at the right rate.
How do I value a variance?
At your own cost, not at the selling price — a variance is a stock difference, and its cost value is what it costs you. The example multiplies the variance quantity by unit cost. The exact costing method, including how you treat freight and wastage, is a policy decision for your business and something to confirm with your accountant.
Know what you have, and why the number changed.
If the stock figure can only be explained by whoever last edited it, a count is the cheapest fix available.