Recording an Expense

Expenses are costs your business incurs that are paid immediately — not on credit. Common examples include petrol, office supplies, meals, parking, or any purchase made by cash or company card on the spot.

---

Expense vs Bill — What's the Difference?

	Expense	Bill
When used	Paid immediately	Pay later (on credit)
Accounts Payable	Not used	Used
Examples	Cash purchase, petrol, parking	Vendor invoice due in 30 days

---

How to Record an Expense

1. Go to Purchases → Expenses
2. Click New Expense
3. Fill in the details
4. Click Save

---

Expense Fields

Field	Required	Description
Date	Yes	Date the expense was incurred
Amount	Yes	Total amount spent
Expense Account	Yes	The expense category (e.g. Office Expense, Travel, Advertising)
Payment Account	Yes	Where the money came from — bank account, cash, or credit card
Contact / Vendor	No	Optional — who you paid
Reference	No	Receipt or transaction number
Tax	No	Any VAT or input tax on the expense
Description	No	What the expense was for
Attachment	No	Upload a receipt or photo

---

What Happens in the Books

When an expense is saved:

1. Expense account is debited (cost is recognised)
2. Bank / Cash / Credit Card account is credited (money leaves)
3. If tax is applied: Tax account is debited (input tax)

---

Recurring Expenses

For expenses that happen on a regular schedule (e.g. monthly software subscription):

1. Toggle on Recurring when creating the expense
2. Set the frequency and interval
3. Acusheet will automatically create the expense on each due date

---

Attaching Receipts

You can attach a receipt or document to each expense for record-keeping:

1. On the expense form, click Upload Receipt
2. Select the file (PDF, JPG, PNG)
3. Save

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record an expense for a business trip with multiple costs?
Record each cost as a separate expense entry, or use one expense with the total and add a note listing the individual items.

What if I paid for a business expense with my personal card?
Record it as normal, but select a Director's Loan or Owner's Current Account as the payment account (instead of a bank account). This shows the company owes you the money.

Can I attach a photo of a receipt taken on my phone?
Yes — upload any image file (JPG, PNG) or PDF.

Is there a mileage or per-diem expense type?
Not currently. Record mileage as an expense with a manual calculation (miles × rate = amount) under a "Vehicle Expense" or "Travel" account.