Steps
- Open the report. In the sidebar, open Reports and click Expense Report. It needs the Expenses module and the expense report permission.
- Filter. Pick a Business Location and, if you want just one, a Category. Then set the Date Range.
- Apply. Click Apply Filters to redraw the chart and table.
- Read the chart. Each bar is an expense category; expenses with no category show as Others.
- Read the table. Expense Categories and Total Expense for each, with the Total at the bottom.
- Export. Use the buttons above the table: CSV or Excel downloads the rows you can see, Print opens a print view, Columns hides or shows columns, and PDF saves the table (offered in most back-office languages).
Getting useful categories
The report is only as useful as your categories. Set up a short list under Expenses > Expense Categories, such as Rent, Utilities, Repairs and Supplies, and pick one in Expense Category on every expense. Uncategorised spending is grouped as Others.
Expense totals also feed Total Expense in the Profit / Loss Report, and tax on expenses appears on the Tax Report's Expense Tax tab.
Export and print
Every table on this report has the same toolbar: CSV, Excel, Print, Columns and, in most back-office languages, PDF. The exports take the columns that are visible, so hide anything you don't need with Columns first. The totals row at the bottom of the table is included in the export.
Frequently asked questions
Why is most of my spending under Others?
Those expenses were saved without a category. Edit them under Expenses > List Expenses and choose a category, and they move to the right bar. Making the category part of your routine keeps the report useful.
Do refunds reduce the expense total?
An expense saved with Is refund? ticked is money coming back, for example a refund from a supplier. The setting's help text says it is added to net profit rather than counted as more spending, so it works against your expenses for the period.