Skip to content

Bookkeeping Tools Documentation

Menu Location: Reports > Finance > Bookkeeping (or Settings > Tools > Bookkeeping)

Access Level: Administrator and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

The Bookkeeping page provides financial tools for tracking expenses, managing vendor payments, reconciling accounts, and generating reports for your accountant. This page helps maintain accurate financial records and simplifies month-end and year-end accounting processes.

Primary Functions:

  • Record business expenses and categorize
  • Track vendor invoices and payments
  • Reconcile bank and credit card accounts
  • Generate profit & loss statements
  • Export data for accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero)
  • Manage expense categories and tax codes
  • Track mileage and other deductible expenses

Page Layout

Header Section

  • Add New Expense Button
  • Date Range Selector for viewing expenses
  • Category Filter dropdown
  • Export to Accounting Software button
  • Reconciliation Tools link

Expenses Table

Displays all expenses with columns:

  • Date - Transaction date
  • Vendor/Payee - Who was paid
  • Category - Expense category (Cost of Goods, Marketing, etc.)
  • Amount - Expense amount
  • Payment Method - Check, credit card, cash, etc.
  • Description - What the expense was for
  • Receipt - Attached receipt image/PDF
  • Tax Code - Tax deductibility category
  • Actions - Edit, Delete, View Receipt

Summary Dashboard

  • Total Expenses for selected period
  • Expenses by Category breakdown
  • Largest Expenses list
  • Pending Reconciliation count
  • Missing Receipts alert

Expense Categories

Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)

  • Product inventory purchases
  • Vendor food costs
  • Packaging materials
  • Direct fulfillment costs

Operating Expenses

  • Warehouse rent/lease
  • Utilities
  • Office supplies
  • Insurance
  • Software subscriptions
  • Equipment maintenance

Marketing & Advertising

  • Digital advertising (Facebook, Google)
  • Email marketing tools
  • Print materials
  • Promotional items
  • Referral rewards

Labor

  • Payroll
  • Contractor payments
  • Benefits
  • Payroll taxes

Delivery & Shipping

  • Fuel costs
  • Vehicle maintenance
  • Shipping labels and fees
  • Delivery contractor payments

Professional Services

  • Accounting fees
  • Legal fees
  • Consulting services
  • Bank fees

Other

  • Miscellaneous expenses
  • One-time costs
  • Uncategorized

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Record Vendor Invoice

Goal: Enter invoice for inventory purchase

Steps:

  1. Click "Add New Expense"
  2. Enter date of invoice
  3. Select vendor from dropdown (or add new)
  4. Select category: "Cost of Goods Sold"
  5. Enter amount
  6. Add description: "Organic vegetables week of 3/1"
  7. Upload invoice/receipt image
  8. Select payment method
  9. If not paid yet: Mark as "Unpaid"
  10. Save expense

Follow-up: When invoice is paid, edit expense to mark as paid and add payment date

Use Case 2: Monthly Reconciliation

Goal: Reconcile expenses with bank statement

Steps:

  1. Download bank statement for month
  2. Set date range to match statement period
  3. Review all expenses in system
  4. Compare to bank transactions
  5. Check off each matching transaction
  6. Investigate discrepancies:
    • Missing expenses (add them)
    • Duplicate entries (delete one)
    • Amount mismatches (correct)
  7. Mark month as reconciled
  8. Export reconciliation report

Use Case 3: Prepare Month-End Report

Goal: Generate financial summary for management/accountant

Steps:

  1. Set date range: Last month (e.g., Feb 1 - Feb 28)
  2. Review expenses by category
  3. Verify all expenses entered and categorized
  4. Check that receipts are attached
  5. Generate summary report showing:
    • Total expenses by category
    • Comparison to budget
    • Comparison to previous month
    • Notable variances
  6. Export as PDF or send to accounting software
  7. Share with stakeholders

Use Case 4: Track Mileage for Tax Deduction

Goal: Record business mileage

Steps:

  1. Click "Add New Expense"
  2. Category: "Delivery & Shipping" or "Mileage"
  3. Enter date
  4. Description: "Delivery route 3 - North Seattle"
  5. Enter miles driven
  6. System calculates deduction (miles × IRS rate)
  7. Attach trip log if available
  8. Save

Tax Time: Export all mileage expenses for tax deduction

Use Case 5: Export to QuickBooks

Goal: Sync expenses to accounting software

Steps:

  1. Set date range for period to export
  2. Review expenses for accuracy
  3. Ensure all categorized correctly
  4. Click "Export to QuickBooks"
  5. Select export format (QBO, IIF, or CSV)
  6. Choose mapping of categories to QB accounts
  7. Download file
  8. Import into QuickBooks
  9. Verify import successful
  10. Mark period as exported

Payment Methods

Credit Card

  • Track which card used
  • Easy reconciliation with statement
  • Automatic expense capture if integrated

Check

  • Enter check number
  • Track check clearing
  • Reconcile with bank statement

Cash

  • Requires receipt documentation
  • Track cash disbursements
  • Petty cash management

ACH/Bank Transfer

  • Electronic payments
  • Link to bank transaction
  • Direct reconciliation

Online Payment (PayPal, Venmo, etc.)

  • Digital payment platforms
  • Track platform fees separately

Receipt Management

Attaching Receipts

  • Upload image (photo from phone)
  • Upload PDF (emailed receipt)
  • Drag and drop supported
  • Multiple formats accepted (JPG, PNG, PDF)

Receipt Best Practices

  1. Attach immediately when entering expense
  2. Clear, legible images - retake if blurry
  3. Full receipt - capture entire document
  4. Note missing receipts - add explanation if lost
  5. Digital preferred - easier to store and retrieve

Missing Receipts

  • Flag expense as "Missing Receipt"
  • Add note explaining why
  • Create affidavit for tax purposes if needed
  • Set reminder to find/recreate

Tax Codes & Deductibility

Fully Deductible

  • Most business expenses
  • 100% tax write-off
  • COGS, rent, utilities, etc.

Partially Deductible

  • Meals (typically 50%)
  • Entertainment (varies)
  • Vehicle personal use portion

Non-Deductible

  • Personal expenses
  • Fines and penalties
  • Political contributions

Consult Tax Professional: For specific tax treatment

Reporting Features

Profit & Loss Statement

  • Revenue minus expenses
  • Shows net profit/loss
  • By category breakdown
  • Period comparison

Expense Report by Category

  • Total per category
  • Percentage of total expenses
  • Trend over time
  • Budget vs. actual

Vendor Spending Report

  • Total paid to each vendor
  • Identify largest suppliers
  • Negotiate better terms with volume
  • Track vendor performance

Cash Flow Report

  • Money in vs. money out
  • Timing of expenses and revenue
  • Predict cash needs
  • Plan for shortfalls

Export & Download Options

Export Formats:

  • CSV - Universal spreadsheet format
  • QBO - QuickBooks Online format
  • IIF - QuickBooks Desktop format
  • Excel - Formatted with totals and charts
  • PDF - Printable reports

Export Includes:

  • All expense details
  • Category breakdowns
  • Attached receipts (optionally)
  • Tax codes
  • Payment status

Troubleshooting

Expense Total Doesn't Match Bank Statement

Check:

  1. Date range matches statement period
  2. All transactions entered
  3. No duplicate entries
  4. Correct amounts entered
  5. Personal vs. business expenses separated

Common Issues:

  • Forgot to enter some expenses
  • Entered expense twice
  • Wrong date (crossed periods)
  • Bank fees not recorded

Cannot Upload Receipt

Solutions:

  1. Check file size (<10MB usually)
  2. Verify file type supported (JPG, PNG, PDF)
  3. Try different browser
  4. Compress large image files
  5. Take new photo if image too large

Categories Don't Match Accounting Software

Fix:

  1. Review category mapping
  2. Create custom categories if needed
  3. Update export settings
  4. Match to chart of accounts
  5. Consult with accountant on proper mapping
  • Billing Payments - Customer payment transactions
  • Vendor Management - Supplier information
  • Inventory Invoices - Product purchase invoices
  • Monthly Reports - Financial summary reports

Permissions & Access

Required Access Level: Administrator or higher

Access Level Capabilities:

  • Manager: View-only access to reports
  • Administrator: Add, edit, delete expenses; generate reports
  • Kiva Admin: All features plus system configuration

Restricted Features:

  • Add/Edit Expenses: Administrator only
  • Delete Expenses: Administrator only (after verification)
  • Export to Accounting: Administrator only
  • Reconciliation: Administrator or designated accountant

Best Practices

Daily Operations

  1. Enter expenses immediately - don't wait until month-end
  2. Attach receipts right away - easy to lose later
  3. Categorize accurately - saves time at tax time
  4. Note payment status - track what's paid vs. pending
  5. Add descriptions - future you will thank you

Monthly Tasks

  1. Reconcile bank statements
  2. Review expense categories for accuracy
  3. Generate monthly reports for management
  4. Check for missing receipts and resolve
  5. Export to accounting software if needed

Year-End

  1. Final reconciliation of all accounts
  2. Organize receipts by category
  3. Generate annual reports for tax preparation
  4. Review tax codes for accuracy
  5. Backup all data and receipts
  6. Provide to accountant/CPA

Things to Avoid

  • ❌ Waiting until month-end to enter expenses (too overwhelming)
  • ❌ Losing receipts (take photo immediately)
  • ❌ Mixing personal and business expenses
  • ❌ Incorrect categorization (creates tax issues)
  • ❌ Not backing up receipt images
  • ❌ Ignoring reconciliation discrepancies

Quick Reference Card

Task Action/Location
Add new expense Click "Add New Expense" button
Upload receipt Click "Attach Receipt" in expense form
View monthly expenses Set date range to last month
Reconcile account Reconciliation Tools → Select account
Export to QuickBooks Export → QuickBooks format
Generate P&L Reports → Profit & Loss
Find expense Search bar or filter by category/vendor
Edit expense Click Edit icon on expense row
Mark expense paid Edit expense → Payment Status → Paid
View by category Category filter dropdown

FAQs

Do I need to use this if I have QuickBooks?

You can use QuickBooks exclusively, or use this for easy receipt capture and then export to QuickBooks. Many users find it easier to enter expenses here and sync to QB.

How long should I keep receipts?

IRS recommends 3 years for most expenses, 7 years for major items. Digital copies acceptable. Keep originals of major purchases.

Can I enter personal expenses here?

No, keep business and personal separate. Only enter business expenses. This helps avoid tax complications.

What if I lost a receipt?

Note it as "Missing Receipt," add detailed description of expense. Create affidavit if needed. Some expenses acceptable without receipt (under $75 typically), but check with accountant.

How do I handle partial business use?

Enter only the business portion. For example, if cell phone is 70% business, enter 70% of the bill. Document the calculation.

Should I enter credit card payments?

Enter the individual charges, not the credit card payment itself. The payment is a transfer, not an expense. Reconcile card statement same as bank account.

What about sales tax paid on purchases?

Include sales tax in the expense amount. It's part of the cost of the item.

Can I import bank transactions automatically?

Depends on your system configuration. Some integrations available. Check with administrator.

How do I handle refunds or returns?

Enter as negative expense or credit memo. Reduces total expenses for that category.

What's the difference between COGS and Operating Expenses?

COGS = Direct costs to make/acquire products you sell. Operating Expenses = Costs to run the business (rent, utilities, marketing). Accountant can advise on proper classification.

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.