# Expenses — Tracking Business Costs Every business has costs beyond buying stock — rent, utilities, salaries, transport, and more. The **Expenses** feature helps you record and track all your business spending in one place. --- ## What You'll Learn - How to add and manage expenses - How to organise expenses by category - How to view expense reports --- ## How to Add a New Expense 1. Go to **Expenses → Add Expense** from the left sidebar. 2. Fill in the details: - **Business Location** — Which location this expense is for - **Expense Category** — Choose a category (e.g., "Rent", "Utilities") - **Reference Number** — Auto-generated or enter your own - **Date** — When the expense was made - **Amount** — How much you spent - **Tax** — Select a tax rate if applicable - **Expense For** — Which user/staff member the expense is for (optional) - **Contact (Payee)** — Who you paid (optional) - **Payment Method** — Cash, Card, Bank Transfer, etc. - **Payment Account** — Which bank or cash account the payment came from - **Note** — Any additional details - **Attach Document** — Upload a receipt or invoice image 3. Choose whether this is a **recurring expense** (optional): - If yes, set the repeat interval (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) 4. Click **Save**. 📸 *[Screenshot: The Add Expense form with all fields visible]* > 💡 **Tip:** Attach photos of receipts to keep a digital record. This makes tax time much easier. --- ## How to View and Edit Expenses 1. Go to **Expenses → List Expenses**. 2. You'll see all your expenses with: - Date, category, reference number, amount, and payment status 3. Use the filters to find specific expenses by date, category, or location. 4. Click **Actions** next to any expense to: - **Edit** — Modify the expense details - **Delete** — Remove the expense - **Print** — Print the expense record 📸 *[Screenshot: The expense list with filters and Actions menu]* --- ## Expense Categories Organise your expenses into categories to make tracking and reporting easier. ### How to Create an Expense Category 1. Go to **Expenses → Expense Categories**. 2. Click **Add** at the top right. 3. Enter: - **Category Name** — e.g., "Office Supplies", "Transport", "Rent" - **Category Code** — A short code (e.g., "RENT") 4. Click **Save**. 📸 *[Screenshot: The Add Expense Category form]* ### Suggested Categories Here are some common expense categories to get you started: | Category | Examples | |---|---| | **Rent** | Shop rent, warehouse rent | | **Utilities** | Electricity, water, gas, internet | | **Salaries** | Staff wages, bonuses | | **Transport** | Delivery charges, fuel | | **Office Supplies** | Stationery, printer ink, cleaning | | **Maintenance** | Repairs, equipment servicing | | **Marketing** | Advertising, promotions | | **Bank Charges** | Transfer fees, ATM charges | | **Insurance** | Business insurance premiums | | **Miscellaneous** | Any other expenses | --- ## Expense Reports To see a summary of your spending: 1. Go to **Reports → Expense Report**. 2. Filter by: - **Date Range** — See expenses for a specific period - **Category** — See only one type of expense - **Location** — See expenses for a specific location 3. The report shows total spending by category, with charts and tables. 📸 *[Screenshot: The Expense Report with category breakdown]* --- ## Settings & Options | Setting | What It Does | Where to Find It | |---|---|---| | **Expense Prefix** | Sets a prefix for expense reference numbers | **Settings → Business Settings → Prefixes** | | **Expense Module** | Enable or disable the expense feature | **Settings → Business Settings → Modules** | --- ## Common Questions **Q: Can I set up a recurring expense like monthly rent?** A: Yes! When adding an expense, check the "Is Recurring?" option and set the repeat interval. **Q: Can I divide an expense across multiple categories?** A: You'll need to create separate expense entries for each category. Each expense can only have one category. **Q: Can I link an expense to a specific project or job?** A: If you have the **Project Management** add-on enabled, you can assign expenses to projects. --- ## Tips & Best Practices - 📌 Create **categories** before you start entering expenses — it saves time later - 📌 Record expenses on the **same day** they happen to avoid forgetting - 📌 Always **attach a receipt** — great for tax records and auditing - 📌 Review your **Expense Report** monthly to find areas where you can cut costs - 📌 Use **recurring expenses** for fixed costs like rent so they're automatically recorded