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Creating a planned expense

Use a planned expense for costs you expect to pay later. This article shows you how to create one, what you need first, who can do it, and which fields to complete; it also covers how Expected Date affects projections, that lifecycle statuses apply only to company-paid planned expenses, and when to add Supplier, Invoice Reference, and Due Date to export a bill to pay in Xero or QuickBooks.

Creating a planned expense

Facts at a glance

  • What this does: Create a planned or unpaid expense to be paid in the future.

  • Where it lives: From any screen → + New → Expense.

  • Who can do it: Anyone that can create an expense; access is set per project at Settings > Users > Access Levels.

  • Menu path: + New → Expense → select Planned or unpaid expense.

  • What you need first: (Optional) permissions to mark Approved to spend (off by default).

  • What you’ll change/use: Project; Budget; Type of Expense; Comment; Price, Currency, Sales Tax.

  • What you’ll change/use (company paid): Status; Expected Date / Date.

  • Integrations: Supplier, Supplier Invoice Reference, Payment Due Date (Xero/QuickBooks customers only).

  • Gotchas: Status only shows for planned company-paid expenses; not all statuses are available for everyone.

  • Related tasks: Lifecycle; Export as a bill to pay; Permissions; Purchase orders; FAQs.

 

Before you begin (roles & setup)

  • Anyone that can create an expense (company paid or reimbursable) can set them as planned.

  • Ability to create expenses for a project is set at an access level and maintained by the administrator in Settings > Users > Access Levels.

  • Your administrator can make attachments optional for company paid expenses; reimbursable expenses always require an attachment.

A Create New Expense Modal with Planned or unpaid expense radio button selected

Steps

  1. From any screen, click + New and choose Expense.

  2. In the first option, change Already paid for to Planned or unpaid expense.

  3. Complete Project, Budget, Type of Expense, Comment, and Price, Currency, Sales Tax.

  4. Choose To be paid for with my own money first or Company to pay directly.

  5. If Company to pay directly, set Status (if available): Draft, Approved to spend, Supplier invoice received, Paid, Void.

  6. Set Expected Date / Date (affects projected burn and projected margin if billable).

  7. (Xero/QuickBooks) If Status = Supplier invoice received, enter Supplier Invoice Reference and Payment Due Date.

  8. (Xero/QuickBooks) If applicable, use Ready to export as a bill to pay in Xero (special permissions required).

  9. Add Receipts or documentation per your administrator’s rules (reimbursable expenses always require an attachment).

 

Troubleshooting

  • Accidentally created a planned expense instead of one already paid → Change Status to Paid using the Status dropdown.

  • No “Supplier” field → Available only if integrated with Xero or QuickBooks and enabled by the administrator; shows only on company paid expenses.

  • No Draft / Approved to spend / Supplier invoice received for reimbursable → Reimbursable expenses already have an inbuilt approval process.

The Expense Dashboard showing the Planned Expenses tab

Validation / Expected result

  • You should see the expense listed as Planned or unpaid expense.

  • You should see Expected Date / Date contributing to projected burn (if billable) and projected margin.

 

FAQ

  • Why is there no “Supplier” field? See above.

  • Why is there no Draft / Approved to spend / Supplier invoice received for reimbursable? See above.

 

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