Expense Reports
Purpose: Expense reports aggregate all recorded expenses into a structured summary that reveals spending patterns, highlights budget overruns, and supports financial decision-making. Instead of scrolling through individual records, the report provides total spending, breakdowns by category, employee, and project, trend analysis over time, and visual charts. Reports answer questions like “How much did we spend last month?” and “Which category consumes the most budget?”
Who can use it: Company Admin, HR Manager
Prerequisites
- Expenses: At least some expenses must be recorded. Reports are generated from existing data.
- Categories: Well-defined expense categories make category-based analysis meaningful.
How to Access
Navigation: Sidebar → Reports → Expense Report.
How to Use
Step 1: Apply Filters
Use the filters at the top of the report to narrow the data:
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Date Range | The period to include. Use presets like “This Month” or pick custom dates. |
| Category | Filter by one or more expense categories. |
| Employee | Filter by the employee who incurred the expense. |
| Project | Filter by the linked project. |
| Status | Filter by Pending or Approved. |
Step 2: Review Summary Metrics
The top of the report displays key metrics:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Total Expenses | Sum of all amounts matching the current filters. |
| By Category | Spending broken down by each category. |
| By Employee | Spending broken down by each employee. |
| By Project | Spending broken down by each linked project. |
| Trend Over Months | Month-by-month comparison of spending. |
Step 3: Analyze the Charts
Category Breakdown Pie Chart: Shows the proportion of spending per category. Hover over each slice for the exact amount and percentage.
Monthly Trend Bar Chart: Shows total expenses per month. Use this to spot spending spikes or seasonal patterns.
Step 4: Review the Detailed Table
A table lists every matching expense with Item Name, Category, Employee, Project, Amount, Date, and Status. Sort by any column by clicking its header.
Step 5: Export to Excel
Click “Export” or “Download Excel” to download the report as a spreadsheet containing the summary metrics and full transaction detail. Useful for sharing with stakeholders, custom analysis, or archiving.
Use Cases
Monthly Expense Review
- Set date range to the previous month and status to “Approved.”
- Review total expenses and the category pie chart to identify the largest cost areas.
- Check the trend chart against the prior month for any unexpected increases.
- Export to Excel and attach to the monthly finance review.
Project Budget Tracking
- Set the Project filter to a specific project.
- Compare total expenses against the project budget.
- Use the category breakdown to see where money is going (software, contractors, travel).
Employee Spending Audit
- Set the Employee filter to a specific person and the date range to the current quarter.
- Review their total spending and category distribution.
- Export the report for audit documentation.
Troubleshooting
Report Shows Zero Expenses
Problem: The report displays no data.
Cause: No expenses match the selected filters — date range too narrow, wrong status filter, or no expenses exist.
Solution: Broaden filters, remove category/employee/project selections, and expand the date range.
Category Totals Seem Incorrect
Problem: A category total is higher or lower than expected.
Cause: Expenses may be miscategorized, or the status filter is excluding pending items.
Solution: Review individual expenses in the detail table. Verify categorization and check whether the status filter is set to “Approved” only.
Effect on Other Features
- Expenses: Reports pull directly from recorded expenses.
- Categories: Categories determine pie chart groupings.
- Projects: Project-linked expenses feed the per-project breakdown.
- Invoicing: Compare expense reports against invoice revenue to calculate profitability.
- Bank Accounts: Cross-reference totals with Bank Account balances for reconciliation.
Tips
- Run expense reports monthly as part of your financial closing process.
- Filter to “Approved” status for accurate financials; review “Pending” separately to monitor the approval backlog.
- Compare the monthly trend chart across quarters to identify seasonal patterns and budget proactively.
- Export and archive reports monthly for audits and year-over-year comparisons.
- Combine filters for targeted analysis — for example, Category “Travel” + Date Range “Q1 2026” to see which employees travel the most.