Record a paid expense

A paid expense is money already spent, with no bill to pay later: a taxi, a purchase with the company card, the monthly rent. Books posts the cost, the input VAT and the payment in one step.

Before you start

• You need the Books right Manage purchases and payments.
• For claims your staff submit for approval and reimbursement, use the Expenses app instead.

Steps

1. Open Books → Expense.
2. Choose the type at the top: Expense, Mileage expense or Daily allowance.
3. Set the Date and who it was Paid to.
4. Choose the Payment method and the Paying account the money came from.
5. For mileage, type the Amount per unit and the Distance (km). For a daily allowance, type the Amount per unit and the Number of days.
6. Tick Prices include VAT if the amounts include it, and enter the lines with their tax code and expense account.
7. Add Notes if needed and select Post entry · followed by the expense type.

Repeat an expense

1. Open the posted expense from the expense list and select Recurring expenses.
2. Check or change the line prices (or the rate, for mileage and daily allowance).
3. Type a Name, the Next date, Repeat every and the Unit, and an End date (optional).
4. Select Save · Active.

Open Books → Recurring expenses to Pause, Resume, Edit a schedule, or select Record next due expense to record it now.

Good to know

• Each repeat records a paid expense in Books. It does not pay anyone or send anything to your bank.
• Tax is worked out again on each date, so the amount posted can differ from the saved amount if a rate changed.
• If the date is in a locked month, or the expense needs approval, it stays due until that is sorted out. Moving the next date forward skips the missed date.
• Expenses are in your base currency. To change the payee, accounts or branch, record a new expense and repeat that one.
• The mileage and daily allowance rates are the ones you type. Books does not apply any official rate.
• Recurring expenses appear in the cash forecast as planned money out: see Money in and out and the cash forecast.
• Attach the receipt to the expense: see Attach files.