Cloud ERP by Business Layers

Expense Management and Invoice Scanning Guide

Site admin guide: how to record expenses from photographed invoices, how deductible VAT is calculated, and how to view summaries by period.

What the Expense Program Does

The expense program centralizes all business expenses in one place. Photograph or upload an invoice, and the system reads it and fills in the details automatically: supplier, company ID, date, amounts, VAT, payment method, category, and even item lines. The invoice itself is saved with the expense.

A summary is displayed at the top: number of records, amount before VAT, input VAT, deductible VAT, and total — based on the selected year, month, and category.

What You Get with Expense Management

  • Automatic reading of photographed invoices or PDFs — no typing required.
  • Take a photo directly from your phone or upload a file from your computer.
  • Fields that should be checked are highlighted in orange, and the invoice is displayed next to the form.
  • Reasonableness check: a warning appears if the amount before VAT plus VAT does not equal the total.
  • Duplicate check: a warning appears if the invoice is already recorded.
  • Deductible VAT by category — for example, 66.67% for vehicles.
  • Filter by year, month, and category, with an updating summary.

Three Ways to Add an Expense

📷Photograph or Upload an InvoiceOn your phone — opens the camera. Take a photo and the details are filled in.
📄From FileSelect an image or PDF from your computer or phone.
✍Manual EntryA blank form without an invoice. Enter the details yourself.

Supported files: JPG, PNG, WEBP, and PDF, up to 12 MB. Images are compressed automatically before saving.

How to Record an Expense from an Invoice, Step by Step

  1. Photograph or Upload

    Click "Photograph or Upload an Invoice" or "From File". A waiting screen appears while the system reads the invoice.

  2. The Expense Window Opens

    The details are already filled in, and the invoice is displayed in the window. If item lines were detected, they are displayed in a table: description, quantity, unit price, and total.

  3. Check the Orange Fields

    An orange field is one the system is uncertain about. Compare it with the invoice and correct it if needed.

  4. Read the warnings

    If the amounts do not add up, or the invoice already exists in the system, a message appears at the top of the form.

  5. Check the category and deductible percentage

    Selecting a category updates the "Deductible VAT %" and calculates the deductible VAT immediately.

  6. Save

    Click "Save Expense". The expense is added to the list and the summary is updated.

Didn't get a good scan? The window includes "Scan Another File" - scan again and the details will be filled in again.

Expense form fields

Supplier *
The business you purchased from. Required.
Company ID / VAT ID
The supplier's business ID. Also used to check for duplicates.
Document type
Tax invoice, tax invoice-receipt, receipt, transaction invoice, or other.
Document number
The number on the invoice.
Date *
The invoice date. Required.
Before VAT
The amount excluding VAT.
VAT
The VAT amount on the invoice.
Total *
The amount payable. Required. If left empty, it is calculated automatically when Before VAT and VAT are filled in.
Deductible VAT %
The percentage of VAT that can be deducted. Set by the category and can be changed.
Currency
The invoice currency.
Payment method
Cash, credit card, bank transfer, check, Bit, or PayBox.
Category
Expense type - raw materials, rent, fuel and vehicles, marketing, and more.
Notes
Any additional information.

Input VAT and deductible VAT

Input VAT is all the VAT on the invoice. Deductible VAT is the portion allowed as a credit: VAT multiplied by the deductible percentage. The system suggests a percentage based on the category:

100%Most categoriesAll VAT is deductible.
66.67%Fuel and vehiclesTwo-thirds of the VAT.
0%Entertainment and hospitalityVAT is not deductible.

The percentages are suggestions. If you manually change the percentage for an expense, it is saved and will not change when you switch categories. Check the correct percentage for your business with your accountant.

List, filters and summary

Year tabs
"All years" or a specific year.
Month
After selecting a year - "All months" or a specific month.
Category
Shows expenses from one category only.
Summary
Entries, before VAT, input VAT, deductible VAT and total - based on the filter.
Expense row
Supplier, date, document number, category and amount. Click to open the expense for editing, with the invoice.

In the edit window, you can change any field and save, or click "Delete". Deleting removes the expense and attached file after confirmation.

Expense-related modules

purchase-orders.php

Purchase orders - ordering from suppliers and receiving goods.

address.php

Contacts - suppliers, customers and contact persons.

Tips for working with expenses

  • Photograph the invoice on a flat surface in good lighting, with the entire page in the picture.
  • An invoice received by email as a PDF — upload the PDF itself; it is read best.
  • Record an expense as soon as you receive an invoice, and keep the source in the system.
  • At the end of the month, filter by month and compare the summary with the VAT report.
  • Duplicate warning? Open the existing record before adding it again.

Frequently asked questions about expense management

How do I add an expense from an invoice?

Click "Photograph or upload invoice" or "From file", check the populated details, and click "Save expense".

Can I add an expense without an invoice?

Yes. Click "Add manually" and fill in at least the supplier, date, and total.

What is the difference between input VAT and deductible VAT?

Input VAT is all the VAT on the invoice. Deductible VAT is the portion that can be offset, based on the expense's deductible percentage.

How much VAT is deductible on vehicle expenses?

In the "Fuel and vehicles" category, the system suggests 66.67%, and in the "Refreshments and hospitality" category, 0%. In all other categories, 100%. You can change this for each expense.

What happens if I upload the same invoice twice?

The system checks the supplier's company number and document number, and warns that the invoice already exists, including the record number.

Automatic reading failed — what should I do?

The window remains open with the invoice, and you can enter the details manually. You can also click "Scan another file" and take another photo in better lighting.

How do I view expenses for a specific month?

Select a year from the tabs, then select a month from the list. You can also filter by category. The summary at the top updates according to the filter.

Take me to expense management