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Autotransactions - Example in Purchase Invoices and Expenses

The Autotransactions feature in Standard ERP:
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This page illustrates the use of Autotransactions in Purchase Invoices and Expenses using an example. An Autotransaction designed to be used in Transactions and Simulations (as in this example) will usually be double-sided in order to produce a balancing Transaction. As was mentioned in that example, you can also use a single-sided Autotransaction in a Transaction, in which case you will need to ensure the Transaction balances yourself before you save it.

You can also use Autotransactions in Purchase Invoices and Expense records. For example, it may be that you will enter many overhead costs in the Purchase Ledger from your Suppliers' Purchase Invoices. You can enter an Autotransaction Code in the Account field in a Purchase Invoice row in the same way as in Transactions and Simulations, so for example Purchase Invoices can also be distributed across departments. However, the Autotransaction that you use in this situation should be single-sided: it should not have the final balancing line posting to the Bank Account. When you post the Purchase Invoice to the Nominal Ledger, a balancing posting to a Creditor Account will be made automatically as normal. Payment will reach the Bank Account when you pay the Purchase Invoice. In addition, any Autotransaction that you will use in Purchase Invoices and Expense records will not need to calculate VAT because that will be handled by the VAT Code.

An example single-sided Autotransaction is shown below:

The first row contains an exclamation mark in the A/C field and a percentage in the Debit field. The exclamation mark indicates that when we use the Autotransaction in a Purchase Invoice (or Expense record), the Amount in the previous row in the Purchase Invoice will be overwritten by a figure determined by the application of the Autotransaction (in this case, by a percentage of the original figure). In effect, that figure will be on the same side (debit or credit) as the original, as the percentage is in the Debit field in the Autotransaction row. In other words, the original figure will be reduced by 90%. If we had entered the percentage in the Credit field in the Autotransaction row, the original figure would be reduced by 90% and made negative, thus in effect changing sides. The Tag/Object specified in the Autotransaction row will be copied to the Object field in the Purchase Invoice row and the Description and VAT Code will be retained.

The second row in the Autotransaction will add a new row to the Purchase Invoice. It will again calculate a percentage from the original Amount, placing the result in the new row on the same side (debit or credit) as the original, using a new line in the Purchase Invoice. The # sign in the Account, Description and VAT Code fields signifies that the A/C, Description and VAT Code originally specified will be used in the new line, which will contain "DEPT2" in its Tag/Object field. The third and fourth lines of the Autotransaction will have similar effects, adding new rows to the Purchase Invoice with different Tags/Objects and percentages of the original Amount.

When you enter a Purchase Invoice or Expense record, begin by entering the Account Number for the relevant expense category, and the Amount excluding VAT in the first row. In the second row, enter the Code of the Autotransaction in the A/C field:

Press Tab or Return or click or tap in another field. The Autotransaction will be applied to the first row of the Purchase Invoice, and the Amounts will be recalculated as follows:

If you know that you will always use a particular Account in combination with the same Autotransaction, enter that Autotransaction in the Autotrans. field in the Account record:

When you enter the Account in a Purchase Invoice or Expense record and press Tab or Return or click or tap in another field, the Autotransaction Code will be brought in to the next row automatically:

Enter the amount on the first row as normal, then press Return three times. The Autotransaction will be applied to the Purchase Invoice or Expense record as previously described.

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Settings in the Nominal Ledger:

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