Managing Expense Entries
Create and manage Expense Entries, Recurring Expenses, and Expense Codes.
- Creating Expense Entries
- Editing Expense Entries
- Searching Expense Entries
- Analytics
- Expense Entry Settings
- Setting Up Recurring Expenses & Disabling
- Attach Receipts to Expense Entries & Disabling
- Expense Codes
- Expense Categories
- Set Rolling Lockout Dates on Expense Entries
- How to Make Tasks a Required Field on Expense Entries
Creating Expense Entries
Click on Expense>Expense Entry.
Calendar – By default, the expense entry will be created for the current day. If you are making entries for another date, select the desired date from the calendar before creating the expense entry.
Note: If ‘Saturday’ is missing from your calendar view, it may be because your browser is set on a below 100% zoom. This is especially the case for Firefox.
Plan Task To-Do – If creating an Expense Entry for a Task To-Do, select the Task To-Do so that all Task and Matter details can be pulled into the Expense Entry fields for easier, quicker, and more accurate entry.
Professional – who you are creating an Expense Entry for. Type or double-click on the field for a drop-down list of all your staff. This field only displays if the user has access to create entries for all users.
Matter – Type or double-click on the field for a drop-down list of all your matters.
Expense Code – Users will not be able to edit this field if you specify a Task To-Do that has a forced Expense Code enabled under it. Type or double-click on the field for a drop-down list of all your expense codes. Expense codes can be created and modified under Expense>Settings>Expense Codes.
Specify the Billable Type from –
Billable – the amount will be included in the invoice.
Non-Billable – the amount will not be included or appear on the invoice.
No Charge – will show on an invoice, but with a zero dollar amount (it will appear as ‘no charge’ written next to the expense entry).
Note: The Billable Type drop-down will only be available to those users with permission. Billable Expense Entry is the current way the Expense Entry is working, i.e., the Expense Entry is shown on the invoice, and the customer is charged for it; the Non-billable Expense Entry does not show on the invoice, and the customer will NOT be charged for it; the ‘No Charge’ Expense Entry is shown on the invoice, but the customer is not charged for it.
Expense Category – associate Expense Entries with an Expense Category. If an Expense Category is specified, a dropdown appears on the Expense Entry creation screen. To set up Expense Categories, click here.
Quantity – the number of units to be charged. This could be a full hourly unit or a fraction of an hour. For example, enter 0.01 to charge for just 6 minutes (0.01 of an hour.)
Price Per Unit – the rate at which the unit will be charged.
Markup (%) – Set up an additional charge on top of the price. This is set up as a percentage.
Internal Notes – The label is configurable, and the notes entered here do not appear in correspondence with the clients.
Description – Please do not use double quotes in descriptions if you plan to use CSV versions of files for reports, as this disrupts the descriptions being spread across fields.
Document icon – see your list of available abbreviations.
Sync icon – to replace abbreviations with saved phrases.
Expense Receipts – Upload expense receipt image file.
The new Expense Entry will appear listed at the bottom of the screen.
Editing Expense Entries
Any unbilled Expense entry can be edited. However, once the expense has been billed for, it can no longer be modified.
Expenses on a draft invoice need to be edited in a draft (Invoices>Drafts). They cannot be edited through the Expense tab.
Expense entries appear listed at the bottom of the Expense>Expense Entry screen. Alternatively, search for the entry under Expense>Search.
Document icon – preview Expense Entry summary details.
Magnifying icon – preview attached expense receipt image.
Edit – pulls all the Expense Entry details back into the fields above so the user can make changes.
Copy – copies and pastes this entry’s details into the fields above as a new entry.
Delete – deletes the entry.
Download – download the expense receipt.
Note: If the Status reads ‘Pending,’ the expense entry is on a draft invoice. Edit pending entries from the Invoices>Drafts screen.
Searching Expense Entries
Click on Expense>Search.
Search Criteria – Search for any term, whether a Timekeeper’s name, client name, matter name, or even specific text in the description of the expense entry.
Date range – narrow the search down to a specific date range.
More options –
- Timekeeper – Type or double-click in the field for a drop-down list of all your staff. This field only displays if the user has access to create entries for all users. The Include Inactive checkbox is checked by default to bring up the search results with inactive Timekeepers.
- Matter-Client – Type or double-click in the field for a drop-down list of all your matters. The Include Inactive checkbox is checked by default to bring up the search results with inactive Matters/Clients.
- Status – New, Rejected, Submitted, Approved, Pending, Billed, Written Off, NB Closed
- Billable Type – billable, non-billable, no charge
New Expense Entry – There’s a button on the top right corner. Create a new Expense Entry from within the Search screen.
Copy – Select the date to copy and paste the same expense entry onto any given date.
Analytics
Timekeepers can view an analytics dashboard on the Time Entry and Expense Entry screens.
Expense Analytics Dashboard:
The Expense Entry screen analytics dashboard shows a summarized view of the Timekeepers’ Expense-related performance metrics.
Analytics
If the user is a Timekeeper, their name will be selected by default. All the Timekeepers the user can access will be displayed in the drop-down list.
If the user only has access to their Expense Entries, the drop-down will display only the logged-in user’s name.
If the user is a support user with access to specific Timekeepers, the drop-down list will not show the logged-in user’s name, in which case the first Timekeeper from the list will be selected by default.
Users can select the date range for which the data needs to be fetched by:
- Day
- Week
- Month
- Quarter
- Year
- Custom Range
The following analytics charts are available to view:
- Line Chart to show the Actual vs. Target Billable hours and amount.
- Comparison of current and past year performance:
- Total Hours
- Billable Hours
- Invoiced Hours
- Breakdown of hours based on the billable type.
- Top Clients by:
- Hours
- Amount
Expense Analytics Dashboard Permissions
- The Staff Member drop-down shows the same users on the Expense Entry’s ‘For’ dropdown. If the user only has access to their Expense Entries, the drop-down will display only the logged-in user’s name.
- In the Top Clients chart, only the Clients for which Expenses have been entered are displayed.
- The fiscal Year Start Month setting is reflected in the following charts:
- Expenses Trend
Expense Entry Settings
Click on Expense>Settings>General
Label – How your users will view the term ‘Expense’ throughout the TimeSolv system. Choose what suits your business needs, from Cost, Disbursement, or Expense.
Expense Entry Lock Out Date –
Allow Entries for All Dates – no restriction for expense entry date for all users.
Allow Entries On or After Date – A non-admin user can only add/update expense entries on or after the date of specified settings. By default, the past or future days will show as zero.
Allow Entries During Rolling Period – A non-admin user can only add/update the expense entry if the date is within the range of allowed days, e.g. if the date of the expense entry is prior to the number of allowed past days or after the number of allowed future days.
Prompt for Delete Confirmation – A pop-up message will ask for confirmation before an expense entry is deleted. If this is not enabled, there will be no warning message before deleting an expense entry, and there is no way of recovering an accidental deletion.
Expense Internal Notes Shown? – allows users to add internal notes to time entries. This will not appear in any correspondence with the clients. The label ‘Time Internal Note’ can be customized.
Expense Tax Rate (%) – This is not considered for Fixed Fee Time & Expense Matters.
Enable Recurring Expense(s) – these are set up under Expense>Recurring Expenses.
Enable Expense Approvals by Matter – Matter approval overrides Timekeeper approval.
Enable Expense Approvals by Timekeeper – If no active Approver is specified for a Timekeeper, newly created Expense Entries are automatically approved.
Automatically Submit Expense Entries for Approval – When a user or an approval matter is saved, it will automatically sit and wait for approval in the approver’s account. If this box is unchecked, a ‘Submit’ button will appear on the Expense Entry screen. The Expense Entry will not be submitted for approval until the user clicks the ‘Submit’ button.
Notify Approvers via Email – email notification will be sent out to an approver at midnight and then at 8 a.m. to notify them that approvals are waiting for them. An approver will not be inundated with emails every time entered. If this box is unchecked, it is up to the approver to log in and check to see if any Expense Entry is waiting to be approved.
Set Expense Entry Description – populates ‘Narrative’ or ‘Description’ of selected Expense Code on an Expense Entry.
Please do not use double quotes in descriptions if you plan to use CSV versions of files for reports, as this disrupts the descriptions being spread across fields.
Clear Quantity and Description on Save & Duplicate – blanks out the following fields when the user clicks on the ‘Save & Duplicate‘ button on the Expense Entry screen:
- Quantity
- Price Per Unit
- Markup
- Description
- Receipt
Display Vendor Code Option – The ‘Display Vendor Paid Option’ allows users to have a checkbox displayed on the main Expense Entry screen. If this property has been turned on, the checkbox allows Expenses to be marked as ‘Vendor Paid.’ The Vendor Paid option is also available next to the Expense listings on the Expense Entry search when recording Expense from the Plan Tasks To-Do>Record Expense screens and on the Expense tab of the Draft and the Sent Invoices screens
On Expense listings, Expenses marked as Vendor Paid appear in the pop-up summary.
Setting Up Recurring Expenses & Disabling
Note: Only Admin users can set up recurring expenses.
To setup:
- Click on Expense>Settings.
- Click on the Enable Recurring Expense checkbox.
- Click on Expense>Recurring Expense>New Recurring Expense Entry.
Professional – If the professional or matter for which the recurring expense entry has been created requires an expense approval, the expense entry has to be submitted for approval when it gets auto-created, depending upon the value in the ‘Next Date’ field.
Matters – Type or double-click for a list.
Expense Codes – Type or double-click for a list.
Billable Type – billable, non-billable, no charge.
Billable – the amount will be included in the invoice.
Non-Billable – the amount will not be included or appear on the invoice.
No Charge – will show on an invoice, but with a zero dollar amount (it will appear as ‘no charge’ written next to the expense entry).
Quantity – the number of units to be charged. This could be a full hourly unit or a fraction of an hour. For example, enter 0.01 to charge for just 6 minutes (0.01 of an hour).
Price Per Unit – the rate at which the unit will be charged.
Markup (%) – Set up an additional charge on top of the price. This is set up as a percentage.
Enter Fixed Amount – The user must have the appropriate permissions to enter a fixed fee. This can be set under Account>Users>[user name]>Permissions>Can View and Override Rate?
Frequency –
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Annually
Stopped
Next Date – when to start the recurring expenses.
End Date – to disable recurring expenses.
To disable:
- Click on Expense>Recurring Expense.
- Click on the Edit link next to an existing recurring expense.
- Specify the End Date to disable it.
Attach Receipts to Expense Entries & Disabling
To attach receipts:
Note: When attaching a receipt to a ‘Parent’ Matter of a Split Billing Project, it will be sent out to all Client-Matters under that Split Billing Project. To edit/remove an Expense Receipt attached to a Split Billing Project Expense Entry after you have created a draft invoice for it (and thereby consequentially, you have split the expense entries between Client-Matters), you would first have to void the draft, and unsplit the entries under Clients>Clients&Matters>[matter name]>Split Billing>Undo Split Entries, then delete that expense entry, and start again.
- Click on Expense>Expense Entry.
- Create a new expense entry or edit an existing entry.
- Click on Receipt – Choose File. Upload an image of the receipt.
Once uploaded, users can Preview, Download, and Delete the uploaded receipt.
To disable receipts:
Click on Invoices>Drafts.
Click on invoice ‘ Amount‘ to edit.
Next to the Template field, click on Edit.
Click on the Expense tab.
At the bottom of the screen, uncheck the Attach Receipts to Invoice box to disable the feature.
Expense Codes
Click on Expense>Settings>Expense Codes.
Users can create a New Expense Code, edit an existing one, or delete a code.
Note: Users can create multiple Codes using the same UTBMS code so that firms can use their own internal codes that are then translated to a specific UTBMS code when generating LEDES invoice, and all associated entries can be aggregated and charged against the same UTBMS code in a LEDES invoice.
Note: Users can only delete an Expense Code if it has never been used.
Description – what shows entering the expense code. For example, you may have a code AA101, and you try to type it in the codes field under the Expense Entry page, nothing will come up in the auto-population unless the code number is included in this description field.
Please do not use double quotes in descriptions if you plan to use CSV versions of files for reports, as this disrupts the descriptions being spread across fields.
Narrative – narrative supersedes description (above field) when the expense code is selected. The narrative is the default message that pre-fills into the expense entry description. This is a useful field if you want more than just the description of the expense code to show up.
Default Price Per Unit – Set up a default price per unit for this Expense Code
Default Quantity – Set up the default quantity for this Expense Code
Markup Percent field – Markup up on the default price for this Expense Code. This is set up as a percentage.
Summarized? – A single expense entry appears on the invoice when an expense entry is created with the same:
Timekeeper
Expense Code
Matter
Date
Plan Task To Do
Taxable? – Enabling this will mark it as a Soft Cost (for QuickBooks integration).
Hard Cost – Check this box if the Expense Code is for hard costs. Click here to learn more about Hard Costs and Soft Costs.
Active? – Enable and disable this code by toggling the checkbox.
Expense Categories
Click on Expense>Settings>Categories
Users can create a New Expense Category, edit an existing one, or delete a category.
Note: Users can only delete an Expense Category if it has never been used.
Set Rolling Lockout Dates on Expense Entries
Click on Expense>Settings>General.
Allow Entries for All Dates – no restriction for expense entry date for all users.
Allow Entries On or After Date – A non-admin user can only add/update expense entries on or after the date of specified settings. By default, the past or future days will show as zero.
Allow Entries During Rolling Period – A non-admin user can only add/update the expense entry if the date is within the range of allowed days, e.g., if the date of the expense entry is prior to the number of allowed past days or after the number of allowed future days.
How to Make Tasks a Required Field on Expense Entries
Click on Clients>Clients & Matters>[matter name]>Matter Plan tab.
Enable Plan Task Required on the Time and Expense Entry checkbox.
