Record an expense (money spent)
How to record expenses, supplier payments, and any other money leaving your business.
Money going out
The necessary evil of running a business.
You paid for something. Fuel, supplies, rent, salaries, that emergency generator repair. Every time money leaves your business, Acctally needs to know so your expense reports are accurate and you can see where your money is actually going.
The 30-second version
Click + New → Choose "I spent money" → Fill in the details → Done ✓
Just like recording payments, but in reverse. Here's what each field means.
What Acctally asks you
When you click "I spent money," you'll answer these questions:
How much did you spend?
The total amount that left your account. Include VAT if you paid it.
Where did the money come from?
Which account did you pay from? Bank account? Cash wallet? Company card?
Who did you pay?
The vendor, supplier, or service provider. "Total Energies," "Lagos Water Corp," "Shoprite," or just "Market Vendor" for cash purchases.
What was it for?
Pick a category: "Rider Fuel," "Kitchen Ingredients," "Office Supplies," "Rent." This is how you'll see where your money goes in reports.
When did you pay?
The date the money actually left. For bank transfers, use the date it cleared. For cash, use the date you handed over the money.
Optional but helpful
These fields make your records more useful (and your accountant happier):
- Receipt / Invoice — Snap a photo or upload the PDF. Essential for tax claims!
- Reference number — Invoice number, receipt number, or POS reference
- Description — Notes like "Emergency repair for delivery bike #3"
- Link to bill — If you received a bill in Acctally, connect the payment to it
Smart Capture does the heavy lifting
Snap a photo of any receipt and Acctally extracts the vendor, amount, date, and line items automatically. We store it digitally forever. No more shoeboxes of paper receipts for FIRS audits.
Real examples from OurHaven
Here's how OurHaven records their typical daily expenses:
Fuel for delivery riders
Rider Emmanuel filled up 3 bikes this morning
Kitchen ingredients from the market
Weekly grocery run. Receipt photo attached.
Laundry supplies (detergent, softener)
Generator repair
Alternator replacement. Invoice attached.
Common expense categories
Not sure which category to use? Here are the most common ones:
🚗 Operations
- Fuel & Transport
- Vehicle Maintenance
- Equipment Repairs
- Supplies & Materials
🏢 Overhead
- Rent & Utilities
- Internet & Phone
- Office Supplies
- Insurance
👥 People
- Salaries & Wages
- Contractor Payments
- Staff Welfare
- Training
💳 Fees
- Bank Charges
- Paystack/Provider Fees
- Professional Services
- Licenses & Permits
What happens after you save?
Your account balance decreases
The money account you paid from shows less money
Expense reports update
P&L, expense breakdowns, category reports all reflect the spend
VAT is tracked (if applicable)
Input VAT from expenses can offset output VAT from sales
WHT is calculated (if needed)
For professional services, Acctally handles withholding tax automatically
Quick tips for expenses
Snap now, let Smart Capture work
Take a photo, Acctally reads it and fills in the fields. Throw away the paper.
Use consistent vendor names
"Total" vs "Total Energies" vs "Filling Station" makes reports messy
Record petty cash daily
Small cash expenses add up. Don't wait until end of month.
Know the difference
Transfer between accounts ≠ expense. Moving to petty cash is a transfer.
Wait, what about transfers?
Moving money between your own accounts is NOT an expense.
If you transfer ₦100,000 from your bank to petty cash, that's a transfer, not spending. The money is still yours, just in a different pocket.
Use "Transfer between accounts" for:
- • Bank → Cash wallet
- • Paystack → Bank (when you withdraw)
- • One bank account → Another bank account
Next steps
Learn how to upload a receipt for faster data entry, or see what happens after you record to understand the full flow.