Exporting invoices with CSV or Excel: detail lines or totals
If there is no ready-made format for your accounting package (structure 3 in “Import and export: which format fits your accounting package?”), you export invoices via CSV or Excel. You set up a filter and export the columns you need. See also “General” for the full export process and “Exporting for accounting” for the checklist beforehand.
Debtors first, then invoices
An accounting package can only import an invoice once the matching debtor exists. So first export your customers (filter context Customer) and import them as debtors, and only then export the invoices (filter context Invoice). This is described step by step in “Exporting for accounting”.
Detail lines or totals?
For the invoices there are two levels. Which you choose depends on what your accounting import can handle.
Detail lines (invoice lines / journal entries)
One row per invoice line, each with its own ledger account and VAT. Use this when your accounting wants full journal entries or line detail. Requirement: the ledger accounts are set on the price rules (see “General”). Recommended columns:
| Column | Notes |
|---|---|
| Invoice number | Groups the lines per invoice. |
| Invoice date | Posting date. |
| Customer number (cust_id) | Links the invoice to the debtor. |
| Line description | Description of the invoice line. |
| Ledger account | The line’s ledger (from the price rule). |
| Quantity | Usually 1 per line. |
| Amount excl. VAT | Line amount excluding VAT. |
| VAT code | For mapping to your package’s VAT code. |
| VAT amount | The line’s VAT amount. |
Totals (invoice total)
One row per invoice, with the total amount and the debtors ledger. Use this when your accounting import can handle invoice totals only and no line detail. Requirement: a debtors ledger is set (see “General”). Recommended columns:
| Column | Notes |
|---|---|
| Invoice number | Unique per invoice. |
| Invoice date | Posting date. |
| Customer number (cust_id) | Links the invoice to the debtor. |
| Debtors ledger | Debtors contra account. |
| Invoice amount excl. VAT | Total excluding VAT. |
| VAT amount | Total VAT. |
| Invoice amount incl. VAT | Total including VAT. |
Setting up the filter
- Go to the Invoices (filter context Invoice).
- Filter the invoices you want to export. Usually a combination of status and invoice date, e.g.:
status = "Final" and invoicedate > -30d. - Pick the columns you need in the filter (see the tables above).
- Start the export from the toolbar: click the small triangle next to Excel and choose Custom.
- Choose the desired format (CSV or Excel) and optionally a maximum number of rows, then click Export.
The exact column names may differ per environment; check the available filter columns to see which fields your environment offers (see the filter columns documentation). In any case, include the fields listed above.
