Dividend Tracking Spreadsheet: Free Template + How to Use It
Most broker platforms show you what your portfolio is worth today. Very few show you what it is earning in dividends, how that income is growing year over year, or what your yield on cost looks like across positions bought at different prices and times.
A dedicated dividend tracking spreadsheet fills that gap. This one was built specifically for European dividend investors – it works with any broker, covers multiple currencies, and tracks the metrics that actually matter for income investing.
Download the free template:
- Open in Google Sheets – view and make a copy
- Download as Excel (.xlsx) – use in Excel or LibreOffice
What the Spreadsheet Tracks
The template contains four tabs, each covering a different aspect of dividend portfolio management:
| Tab | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Portfolio Overview | All positions at a glance – cost, value, income, yield on cost |
| Dividend Tracker | Record every dividend payment with tax deductions |
| Annual Income | Monthly income breakdown by year |
| Yield on Cost | Track how your yield on cost grows over time |
Tab 1 – Portfolio Overview
The Portfolio Overview tab is your main dashboard. Enter each position once and the spreadsheet calculates the rest automatically.
What you enter (blue cells):
- Ticker and company name
- Sector and country
- Number of shares
- Average purchase price
- Current dividend per share
What calculates automatically (grey and green cells):
- Total cost basis per position
- Current portfolio value (once you add current price)
- Annual dividend income per position
- Yield on cost per position
How to use it:
- Enter your positions in rows 5–14 (add more rows if needed)
- Fill in blue cells with your data
- Grey cells calculate automatically – do not overwrite them
- The green yield on cost column shows your personal return on each position
Tab 2 – Dividend Tracker
The Dividend Tracker records every individual dividend payment you receive. This gives you a complete income history and makes tax reporting significantly easier.
What you enter:
- Payment date
- Ticker and company
- Number of shares at payment date
- Dividend per share
- Tax withheld (withholding tax or Quellensteuer)
What calculates automatically:
- Gross dividend amount
- Net amount after tax
Why track tax withheld: For European investors, withholding tax varies by source country. US dividends typically face 15% withholding for German residents, Dutch companies apply 15%, Swiss companies 35% (partially recoverable). Tracking these deductions makes it straightforward to claim credits in your annual tax return.
Tab 3 – Annual Income
The Annual Income tab shows your dividend income by month across five years (2024–2028). Enter the net amounts from your Dividend Tracker and you can see your income trend at a glance.
How to use it:
- At the end of each month, sum your dividend payments for that month
- Enter the total in the relevant cell (e.g. January 2026 → B6)
- The row total calculates automatically
- The bottom row shows total annual income across all years
What to look for:
- Is your monthly income growing year over year?
- Which months are income-heavy? (Quarterly payers cluster around March, June, September, December)
- Is your income distributed across the year or concentrated in two or three months?
Tab 4 – Yield on Cost
The Yield on Cost tab is the most powerful section for long-term dividend investors. It shows what your positions are actually yielding relative to what you paid – not relative to today’s price.
Example from the template:
| Ticker | Purchase Price | Current Div/Share | Yield on Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASML | €450.00 | €6.00 | 1.33% |
| Unilever | €38.50 | €1.85 | 4.81% |
| Allianz | €185.00 | €11.40 | 6.16% |
| Novartis | €80.00 | €3.50 | 4.38% |
| Engie | €12.50 | €0.97 | 7.76% |
The portfolio weighted yield on cost calculates automatically at the bottom. As companies raise their dividends over time, this number grows – even if you make no new purchases.
For a deeper explanation of how yield on cost works and why it matters, see our guide on how to calculate dividend yield on cost.
How to Make a Copy in Google Sheets
- Open the Google Sheets template
- Click File → Make a copy
- Save it to your own Google Drive
- Start entering your positions
Your copy is private – only you can see it.
How to Use the Excel Version
- Download the .xlsx file
- Open in Microsoft Excel or LibreOffice Calc
- Enable editing if prompted
- All formulas work identically to the Google Sheets version
Tips for Getting the Most From the Template
Update dividend per share after each increase When a company raises its dividend, update the Div/Share column in Portfolio Overview and Yield on Cost. This keeps your income projections accurate.
Use the Dividend Tracker for every payment Even small payments. The cumulative record becomes valuable for tax purposes and for tracking whether your income is growing as expected.
Review yield on cost annually At the start of each year, check which positions have the strongest yield on cost growth. Positions where yield on cost is accelerating are compounding well. Positions where it has stalled may warrant a closer look at dividend growth rates.
Add positions beyond the template rows The template includes 10 positions in Portfolio Overview and 20 in Yield on Cost. To add more, copy the last data row and paste it below – all formulas will carry over automatically.
What This Spreadsheet Does Not Do
This template is designed for simplicity and manual tracking. It does not:
- Connect automatically to your broker
- Pull live prices or dividend data
- Calculate total return including capital gains
- Handle currency conversion automatically
For automated tracking with European broker integration, getquin handles dividend calendars, income projections, and portfolio analytics directly. For research-focused tracking with yield on cost built in, Seeking Alpha calculates it automatically once you enter your purchase price.
Summary
The YieldCompass Dividend Tracker covers the four metrics that matter most for income investors: portfolio cost basis, dividend income per position, annual income trend, and yield on cost growth.
Download the template, enter your positions, and you have a complete picture of what your dividend portfolio is actually earning – not just what it is worth.
Get the free template:
Transparency: This spreadsheet was created by the YieldCompass team for personal dividend portfolio tracking. It is provided free of charge with no email signup required. Last reviewed: April 2026. This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you sign up for a service through these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend tools we consider genuinely useful for dividend investors.
