How do I add and categorize project expenses in Bolster?

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Overview

Once your project is in progress, you can track its bills and expenses in the Bills and expenses tab. You can upload a receipt or bill and have AI fill in the details, or enter the expense manually and link each line to an item from your estimate.

Open Bills and Expenses

1. In the left-hand menu, click Jobs.
2. Click Job list and select the estimate. You can also click Pipeline and select it from there.
3. In the estimate's left sidebar, under Production, click Bills and expenses. The Bills + expenses page shows the bills and expenses already added, which you can filter by All, Paid, or Unpaid.

Add a Bill or Expense

1. In the top right corner, click Expense. The Add bill or expense window opens.
2. Choose how to add it:

• Upload your receipts & bills: Drop a PDF or photo, or click to browse. AI reads the vendor, total, and line items and fills them in for you.
• Skip upload — enter manually: Enter the details yourself.

3. Click Search or add vendor and select the vendor. If the vendor isn't listed, click Create new to add it.
4. Confirm the job in Assign to job. The job you are in is assigned by default.
5. Under Have you paid this?, select Paid or Not yet.

Add Line Items

1. Under Line items, click Add job item on a line.
2. Select the item from your estimate that this cost applies to (for example, Encroachment Permit).
3. In Amount, enter the cost (for example, 300.00).
4. To add another line, click Add line item, then repeat steps 1 to 3 (for example, Safety Equipment for 60.00).

The Total amount at the bottom updates as you add lines.

Add More Details and Save

1. Click More details.
2. In Receipt or PO #, enter the receipt number.
3. In Description / memo, add a description.
4. In Expense account, select the account (for example, Cost of Goods Sold). Use this if you want to link the expense with QuickBooks.
5. In Tax, select the tax. If there is no tax, leave it as No tax.
6. Click Save.

Tips & Best Practices

• Every Line Needs a Job Item: To save, you need a vendor, a total, and a job on each line item. If a line is missing one, a message such as 1 does not have a job item yet appears above the line items.

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Why This Matters

• You can keep track of bills and expenses for a project while it is in progress.
• Linking each line to an estimate item and an expense account keeps your costs organized and ready to link with QuickBooks.

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Summary

To add a project expense, open the estimate, click Bills and expenses, then click Expense. Upload a receipt for AI to fill in, or enter it manually: choose the vendor, mark whether it's paid, add line items linked to your estimate items, and use More details to add the receipt number, description, expense account, and tax before clicking Save.