Bills and expenses that repeat

Rent, a retainer, a software subscription, an internet line: the same bill or the same expense every month. Set it up once, from one you have already entered, and it is raised on its own from then on.

A bill that repeats

1. Open a bill you have entered, in Procurement, Purchase bills.
2. Choose ⋯ › Repeat this bill.
3. Give it a name, say how often, and pick the date the first one is raised. Leave Until empty to run until you stop it, or give a date or a number.
4. Set Payment due to the days after each bill that it falls due.
5. Choose Set it up.

Each bill it raises is a draft with the same vendor, lines, charges and taxes, dated the day it falls due. The vendor’s own bill number is left blank: add it, check the amount and open the bill. Opening it is what books its TDS and makes it a debt, so nothing is owed until somebody has looked.

An expense that repeats

1. Open Books, Expenses.
2. Press the repeat button on the expense you want again.
3. Give it a name, say how often and when it starts.
4. For a standing order or an automatic debit, tick Record each one as paid and choose the account it leaves.
5. Choose Set it up.

Each expense is recorded on its date with the same category, amount, GST, TDS and vendor. One marked paid takes the money out of the chosen account on that date, exactly as pressing Pay would.

Running, pausing and raising early

• The schedule runs every night. Each arrangement shows what it raised, with a link to each bill or expense.
• A date that falls in a closed period is not raised. The arrangement says why, and nothing half-made is left behind.
• Pause stops it. Resume carries on from the last one raised and skips any date that passed while it was paused.
• Raise next now raises the next one straight away, without waiting for its date.
• Delete stops it for good. The bills and expenses it raised stay exactly as they are.

Invoices you send every month work the same way: see Bill the same customer every month.