Quick Invoices and Bills

Quick Invoices and Bills are used to raise and receive invoices for anything not relating to a sale or purchase.

Quick Invoices/Credits (Customers)

These are typically used when you are  recording accounting data from another software program, or if you don't need to itemise products or use the features that are built in to a Brightpearl sale. You can't send any paperwork to a client when you use a Quick Invoice.

Quick credits can be used for recording bad debt. By using a Quick Credit you can easily reverse you VAT liability and move the sale value to your "bad debt" nominal code. All you need to do then is allocate the credit to the invoices on the customer's account. You can find tou how to do all this below.

If you are invoicing a customer for items/products and require an invoice document you should create a Sales Order.

Bills (Suppliers)

These are typically used for overheads such as rent. Another use would be invoicing for Tax/VAT with no goods or services. When you first migrate from another accounting system you will also use Bills to record any outstanding creditors.

If you have received an invoice from a supplier relating to the purchase of goods or services you should create a Purchase Order and receive the invoice against it.

Learn more about recording accounting data from your previous system

Raising a Quick Invoice/Credit

1. Go to Customers > Quick Invoice/Credit.
2. Search for the customer (only primary customer contacts are searchable) or add a new customer.
3. Select the invoice date and due date. Automatically calculate a due date by clicking the 30 Days button.
4. The invoice/credit reference will be automatically generated, or you can enter your own.
5. Enter any further details.
6. Enter the Net Amount.
7. Select the correct Tax Code to calculate the Tax and Total values.
8. Select the nominal code the charge relates to (e.g. Rent)
9. To add more rows using a different tax rate or nominal code click the Add row button and then enter the details.
10. If you want to mark the invoice/credit as paid at the same time, tick the checkbox. This will create the accounting entries for the receipt/payment of cash. When ticked you will need to select the bank account the payment is received/paid from and a reference (e.g. cheque or bank statement reference).
11. Click the Extra Options link if you want to associate this invoice with a department, project or lead source.
12. Click the Enter Invoice/Credit button. 

The journal is created and posted and the reference displayed in a green message box.

Recording Bad Debt

Use a Quick Credit to write-off bad debt to your "bad debt" expense account. You will need to have created your nominal code in your chart of accounts first.

1. Go to Customers > Quick Credit.
2. Search for the customer (only primary customer contacts are searchable).
3. Enter a note in the details section to record this as a bad debt write-off.
4. Enter the Net Amount.
5. Select the correct Tax Code to calculate the Tax and Total values.
6. Select your "bad debt" nominal code.
7. Click the Enter Credit button.

You then need to allocate this credit to the outstanding invoices on the customer's account so that they no longer appear on your aged debtors listing.

1. Search for and view the customer's record.
2. Click Allocate payment in the Financials box on the right-hand side.
3. Click the Pay in full button next to the credit raised for bad debt and all the invoices to be written-off to bad debt. Ensure the total at the bottom is zero. 
4. You are required to enter a bank account, but it won't make any accounting entries.
5. Also enter a reference.
6. Click the Allocate payment button.

Entering a Bill

1. Got to Suppliers > Enter a Bill.
2. Search for the supplier (only primary suppliers contacts are searchable) or add a new supplier.
3. Select the invoice date and due date. Automatically calculate a due date by clicking the 30 Days button.
4. The invoice reference will be automatically generated, or you can enter your own.
5. Enter any further details.
6. Enter the Net Amount.
7. Select the correct Tax Code to calculate the Tax and Total values.
8. Select the nominal code the charge relates to (e.g. Rent)
9. To add more rows using a different tax rate or nominal code click the Add row button and then enter the details.
10. If you want to mark the invoice as paid at the same time, tick the checkbox. This will create the accounting entries for the payment of cash. When ticked you will need to select the bank account the payment made from and a reference (e.g. cheque or bank statement reference).
11. Click the Extra Options link if you want to associate this invoice with a department, project or lead source.
12. Click the Enter Bill button. 

Entering Supplier Invoices for Tax/VAT only

If you import goods from overseas, then you may well receive an invoice for Tax/VAT only, with no goods or services. Follow these steps:

1. Go to Accounting > Enter quick invoice.
2. Select the supplier.
3. Untick the Autocalculate checkbox.
4. Enter the total tax and the total amount.
5. Choose a purchase code (not the VAT liability code).
6. Click Submit.