New cost accounting analogous to times

What changes will there be to cost accounting?

Previously, you assigned costs recorded by your employees to the relevant payroll item after the invoice was created. This procedure is still possible. However, the new cost accounting allows you to view cost elements to be billed directly in the order via a separate tab. This gives you an even better overview of the costs that will end up on the next invoice.

Assign times or costs to an order item

We have added a new function to the expense items in your order so that you can see the billing-relevant cost elements in the order. You can now assign either times OR costs. 

 

This means that costs can now be billed in the same convenient way that you are already used to with times. If you set the order item to costs, it collects all suitable chargeable costs and automatically transfers them to the next invoice. You no longer have to assign the costs retrospectively.

As with times, you can limit the allocation according to certain criteria. These include

 

– Cost type: material, travel costs, etc

– Type: 19% VAT, 7% VAT etc.Processor: The person who submitted the costs. 

– Period: Time period within which costs are taken into account.

– Maximum number: Maximum number of cost elements that can be charged via this item.

 

You also have the choice of whether the cost elements are listed individually in the invoice (costs via collective billing) or whether the assigned cost elements are all included in the underlying order item and increase the amount there (costs via the order item). 

Record costs and define billing type

Costs are recorded in the same way as you are already used to. You can also define for each cost element 
 
– whether the costs are included in the project contribution margin, 
– be reimbursed to the employee and
– be invoiced to the customer.
 
However, customer billing has additional options. These are now possible:
 
– Manual billing: Enter the billable amount manually.
– Billing via the cost element: The billable amount is taken directly from the cost element.
– Allocation via the price list: The billable amount is derived from the item price that is linked to the cost element.
– Allocation via the order item: The billable amount is based on the price of the item in the order.
 
The latter option is completely new and allows costs to be charged individually depending on the order. This makes it easier to bill for services that are based on quantity rather than time. In concrete terms, this means that the price is based on how often the service was provided and not on how long it took. Examples of this are measurements, tests or inspections. You create a cost element for each new measurement, test or inspection carried out, which is then billed using the price specified in the order.

Re-invoicing incoming invoices

With extended billing, you can even convert incoming invoices into cost elements and bill your customers in the same way. This makes it much easier to invoice external services. This process is particularly convenient if you already receive the incoming invoice in the new ZUGFeRD and XRechnung e-invoice formats, as the invoice data is then read digitally and transferred directly to your document.

 

PS: The conversion also works in reverse. In this way, you can quickly and easily generate a hotel invoice with cost items for accommodation and breakfast that have different VAT rates.

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