Set up expense categories and types

Three lists decide what staff can claim:

• Categories: what the money was spent on (Transport, Accommodation, Meals…). Every line on a claim or requisition has one. Each category can post to its own expense account.
• Types: a template for a whole document, such as "Local expense claim" or "Travel advance". A type decides whether it's a claim or a requisition, which categories it allows, its caps and deadlines and how it's paid.
• Per diem & mileage: rate tables for categories priced per day or per kilometre.

All three are in Human Resources › Expense › Settings (the Expense configuration page).

Categories

1. Open Categories

   Select Categories on the left.

   

   1. Categories shows how many active categories you have.
   2. While Accounting isn't connected, the GL account on a category is optional. When it is connected, every category needs one.
   3. New category adds one.
   4. Each row shows the name, code, how the amount is entered and any limits (for example Receipt > 5,000, Line cap 250,000).
   5. The pencil edits a category. The power button deactivates it: staff can no longer pick it, but old documents keep it.
2. Fill in the category

   

   1. Name and Code are required. The code is used in CSV imports and can't be changed later.
   2. GL expense account: the expense account this category posts to. If you leave it empty, the Default expense account from GL mapping is used.
   3. Amount entry: Amount (staff type the amount), Per diem (days × a daily rate) or Mileage (km × a rate per km). Per diem and mileage need an active rate table: see below.
   4. Receipt above: lines above this amount need a receipt or a "no receipt" reason (blank means never). Line cap limits one line; Daily cap limits the total per day.
   5. Tax code id (optional) and Sort order (lower numbers show first in the list).
   6. Taxable benefit: tick if this spend counts as a taxable benefit for the employee.
   7. Create category saves it.

Types

1. Open Types

   Select Types, then New type.

   

   1. Types shows how many you have.
   2. New type adds one.
   3. Each card shows the type, whether it's a claim or a requisition, its cap, window, retirement terms and the categories it allows.
   4. Edit or deactivate a type.
2. Fill in the type

   

   1. Document kind: Claim (pay back money already spent) or Requisition (advance) (pay before spending, retire afterwards). You can't change it later.
   2. Name and Code (required).
   3. Description: shown to staff when they pick the type.
   4. Currency, Document cap (the most one document may total; blank means none), Receipt above (blank uses the category's rule) and Window (how many days after the spend staff have to submit).
   5. Requisitions only: Retirement due (days) after the period ends, and Grace (days) before an overdue advance can be recovered.
   6. Payout method override (leave Use the policy default unless this type must always be paid one way) and Approval process code override (advanced; leave empty).
   7. Allow late submission with a reason lets staff submit after the window if they explain why. Project is mandatory makes staff choose a project.

   

   1. Allowed categories: select the categories this type allows. Leave all unselected to allow every active category.
   2. Create type saves it.

Per diem and mileage rates

A category set to Per diem or Mileage is priced from a rate table. When staff pick that category, they choose a rate and enter days or kilometres, and WbizManager works out the amount.

1. Create a rate table

   Select Per diem & mileage, then New per diem table (daily allowance by pay grade and location) or New mileage table (rate per km by vehicle class).

   

   1. Name and Currency (both required).
   2. One row per rate: Location (Local, Domestic travel, International or Named city; for a named city type the city), Pay grade (or All grades), Daily rate, and the From and To dates it applies. A mileage table has Vehicle class and Rate / km instead.
   3. Add row adds another rate.
   4. Create table saves it.

   Pay grades come from your HR records. A rate only applies on the dates between From and To; leave To empty for no end date.

What employees and managers see

• The Expense type cards at the top of a claim and a requisition, with the type's rules shown underneath (for example "Up to ₦500,000 per document", "Submit within 30 days of spending").
• The Category list on each line, the category's description as a hint, and the Rate table option on per diem and mileage lines.
• The Policy check on each claim, which warns about caps, missing receipts, late submission and categories the type doesn't allow.
• A requisition's retirement deadline, used on Retire an expense advance.
• Managers see the same policy notes when they approve expenses.

Next: map the GL accounts and payout defaults.