The term "Outgoings" differs across regions. For our Asia-Pacific customers, it's often referred to "Budgeted Outgoings." European users will see it labelled as "Service Charge," while those in North America might find it listed as either "Budget Outgoings" or "Operating Expenses." The terminology used in the app adjusts based on your location. For additional clarity on regional vocabulary, please see our Glossary of Regional Terminology.
This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to use the Service Date field on Income and Expense Invoices, as well as Credit Notes. The Service Date is a crucial feature for managing your budget & service charge periods accurately. By the end of this article, you'll understand how to apply Service Dates effectively and how they influence your budgeting process.
What is a Service Date?
The Service Date field allows you to specify the date that a service was provided or is to be applied to, which in turn determines the budget period it should be allocated to. This feature is particularly useful for budgets that are based on area, rather than tenancy.
Default Behaviour Without Service Date
If you choose not to enter a Service Date, the system will default to its standard logic:
- An Income Invoice will be allocated to a budget based on its Due Date.
- An Expense Invoice and Credit Note will be allocated to a budget based on their Issue Date.
How to Manage Service Date Settings
Service Date settings are accessible under the Manage Companies section, within Invoicing section.
Enabling and Disabling Service Date
By default, the Service Date is set to ON and can be toggled OFF for any company:
- When ON, the Service Date field will appear on all Income & Expense Invoices, Credit Notes, and associated budget screens & reports.
- When OFF, the Service Date field will be hidden and not affect Invoices or Credit Notes.
Note: The Service Date feature cannot be applied to Repeating Invoices.
Example of Service Date on an Income Invoice
When Service Date is enabled, you'll see the field displayed on your Invoice entry screen, allowing you to select the appropriate date for budget allocation.