Really simple, really easy and really efficient receipt management system

11 August 2014

If your receipt management system is nothing more than a cardboard box then trying to keep track of all those important business expenses and receipts can be a nightmare: the box overflows and inevitably, many receipts are lost. If you are claiming back expenses and/or the VAT then this can amount to a significant cost.
Over the past 20 years we have seen it all, from envelopes and boxes overflowing with receipts to carrier bags and even bin liners.

There is a really easy way to keep those receipts (and it’s free)

As a pro-active, forward thinking firm of Colchester accountants we are always looking for new and improved ways of doing things to help our clients. So when we launched our free app for Android and Apple devices with one of the important features being Receipt Management – A really easy way that all businesses (both clients and non-clients) could store and manage their receipts. And here it is, the Pro Tax Accounting Receipt manager.
It’s built into the main App, which is available free from either, the Apple or Android store. Simply search for Pro Tax Accounting in the relevant store and download the App absolutely free.

How does the Pro Tax Accounting Receipt Manager App work?

Once you have downloaded the App, simply click on the home page icon labelled ‘Receipt Manager’ which opens a window just like the one opposite.
Before you get too carried away you’ll have to enter your name and company name into the ‘My settings’ section of the receipt tool.

Photograph a Receipt

You can take a photo using the ‘Photograph a Receipt’ button. Selecting this will automatically open the ‘Categories’ tab where it will prompt you to select the category you wish to save your receipt under, for example Travel Expenses.
Once you have selected the category for your receipt you can then photograph it automatically, using the in-built camera in your Smartphone or tablet. Once you have focused and taken the picture of your receipt, it will give you the option to ‘use or retake’. Once ‘use’ is selected you must now fill in relevant data regarding the receipt.

Simple receipt management system

We have made these fields compulsory, as this data is enormously helpful if you are keeping track of numerous receipts. It also gives you the chance to add a specific note. A great feature if you have a receipt that your accountant or HMRC might later question.
Once the data is entered simply click ‘save’ and your receipt is saved and can later be found within the category you selected to save the receipt under.

Exporting & Managing Receipts

To view, export and manage your receipts simply click ‘Manage Receipts’ then click on a specific category i.e. Travel Expenses and all those taken within that category are featured.
Exporting your receipts is simple, fast and easy. To export a single receipt simply click on the receipt to manage, then scroll down and you have 3 options – Email, Export or Delete

Exporting all receipts

To export all you Simple receipt management system r receipt data, simply click ‘Manage Receipts’ then scroll down to the bottom, select ‘export all’ and this will allow you to select the date range of the receipts you wish to export.
The image of your receipt(s) is stored locally on your device, in your ‘photo’ section. To send these images, simply send by email when on a good wifi connection, use ‘photo-stream’ if an iOS product, or use the free and hugely popular tools such as drop box.