Purchase Expenses Settings
Expense Settings define the individual expense types your business uses and map each one to a General Ledger account. Setting them up properly is what makes recorded costs land in the right place automatically, keeping financial reporting consistent without manual journals.
Where to find it
Go to Purchases > Settings > Expenses Settings.
Expense Management List
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Expense Code | A unique identifier for the expense type. |
| Expense Name | The descriptive title of the cost, such as Travel. |
| Category | The group the expense belongs to. Shows No Category Assigned where none is set. |
| GL Account | The Chart of Accounts ledger the cost is recorded to, such as 5437 - Travel Allowance. |
| Type | A secondary classification, such as Monthly or Fixed. |
Use the search bar to find an expense by name or code, and the Select Category and Select GL Account dropdowns to filter the list.
The GL Account is the setting that matters most. It decides where every cost recorded against this expense type appears in your profit and loss — get it right here and nobody has to reclassify anything later.
Expense Entry Form (Add/Edit)
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Name | Yes | The descriptive title staff will see when recording a cost. |
| Category | No | The group this expense belongs to. See Expenses Category Settings. |
| GL Account | Yes | The ledger account costs are posted to. |
| Type | No | A secondary classification. See Expense Types. |
| Status | No | Whether the expense is active and available for selection. |
Managing Active and Inactive Expenses
Rather than deleting an expense type you no longer use, deactivate it. Tick Show Also Inactive to include disabled types in the list, and use the status toggle to switch one on or off. Inactive types disappear from the expense entry form while historical transactions that used them stay intact.
Actions
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Add New | Create a new expense type. |
| Edit (pencil) | Change the name, category, GL account or status. |
| Delete | Remove the type, where it has never been used. |
Notes
- An expense type already used on transactions cannot be deleted — deactivate it instead, or the history breaks.
- Changing the GL account affects future postings only. Costs already recorded stay where they were posted.
Related pages
- New Purchase Expenses — where these types are used
- Expenses Category Settings — the groups above them
- Expense Types — the secondary classification
- Expense Type Detail — the most granular level