Guides for bookkeepers and AP clerks on QuickBooks Online or Xero
Twelve short, practical guides on getting supplier bills into your books and getting them right: the import paths, the checks that catch mismatched bills, due dates, tax and foreign currency. General information, not accounting or tax advice.
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All guides
Getting bills into QuickBooks and Xero
The import paths, the documents that become bills, and how to capture paper cleanly.
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Import bills into QuickBooks Online
The import path, the columns to map, the date format step and the limits to check before a big batch.
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Xero bills CSV import template
The required columns, the date format, account codes and tax types for a Xero bill import.
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Invoice vs bill vs receipt
Which paper becomes a bill, an expense or a credit, and the double-entry traps between them.
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Receipt photo bookkeeping
Photographing receipts so they can be read, what a receipt lacks compared with an invoice, and avoiding double entry.
Getting the numbers right
Where keyed and scanned bills go wrong, and the quick checks that catch it.
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Invoice data entry errors
The five errors behind most mismatched bills, and the check that catches each one before you save.
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Supplier invoice OCR checks
Digits, decimals, line totals, currency and dates: a short routine for any invoice read by software.
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Duplicate invoice detection
Number, supplier, amount and date heuristics, ranked by strength, with spreadsheet formulas and false alarms.
Controls and timing
Matching, due dates and the month-end routine that keeps payables honest.
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Three-way match explained
Purchase order, receipt and invoice: how the match works, a light version for small firms, and where it gets skipped.
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Net 30 due date calculation
Net 30, Net 60, EOM and 2/10 terms turned into real due dates, with formulas and a worked table.
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AP month-end close checklist
Ten steps from cut-off to period lock, with a cut-off cheat sheet and the evidence to keep.
Tax and currency
Reading tax lines and foreign-currency bills. General information, with the jurisdiction caveats up front.
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Sales tax and VAT on supplier invoices
Reading the tax line, inclusive versus exclusive prices, rounding and mixed rates. General, with jurisdiction caveats.
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Multi-currency supplier bills
Entering foreign-currency bills at the bill-date rate, and what happens at payment and period end.
How these guides are written
Each guide starts with the answer, then gives the steps, one reference table, what goes wrong, and what BillToCSV does and does not do about it. Where a guide describes QuickBooks Online or Xero, it reflects general knowledge and the vendors' published help as of 28 October 2026. Screens, plans and limits change, so confirm them in your own account.
Tax and accounting rules differ by country, state and business type. The guides describe how documents and numbers work; they do not tell you what you may claim or how to report it. Ask your accountant for that.