SMECentral

User Guide

Step-by-step instructions for every feature.

Guide 07 — Add Expenses (AI-Assisted & Manual)

Overview

Expenses in SMECentral are recorded as Cost invoices. You can add them two ways: - AI-Assisted — upload a photo or XML invoice file and let AI extract the details automatically - Manual — type in the expense details yourself

Both methods categorise the expense as a Cost in your P&L report.

Who can do this?

Owner or Manager role.

Method A — AI-Assisted (Scan Invoice)

This method is faster. Use it when you have a photo of a receipt, a PDF invoice, or an XML e-invoice file.

Steps

  1. Go to Expenses
  2. From the left navigation, click Expenses

  3. Or from the Dashboard, click "Scan Invoice" quick action button

  4. Click "Upload Invoice"

  5. Choose your file(s)

  6. XML file — Vietnamese e-invoice format (most common for supplier invoices); drag and drop or select file
  7. PDF file — attach alongside an XML file for matching (the system auto-links them by filename)

  8. Photo/image — use the OCR option to scan a printed receipt or invoice

  9. AI Processing

  10. For XML files: the system automatically extracts supplier name, tax ID, invoice number, date, line items, GST, and total
  11. For images/PDFs: Google Gemini AI reads the document and populates the fields

  12. Processing takes 3–10 seconds

  13. Review the extracted data

  14. Check that the following fields are correct:
Field What to verify
Supplier Name Who you bought from
Invoice Number Must match the paper invoice
Invoice Date Date on the invoice
Line Items Products/services purchased
GST Amount Should be 10% of subtotal
Total Amount Must match the invoice total

  1. Correct any errors — click any field to edit it manually if AI made a mistake

  2. Click "Save" — the expense is recorded and appears in your P&L immediately

Batch upload tip: You can upload multiple XML files at once. Each becomes a separate expense record. If PDF files have the same filename as the XML, they are automatically attached.

Method B — Manual Entry

Use this when you have a simple expense without a digital invoice (e.g. a cash receipt, petrol, parking).

Steps

  1. Go to Expenses

  2. From the left navigation, click Expenses

  3. Click "Add Manual Expense" or "New Invoice"

  4. Fill in the expense details

Field Notes
Supplier / Vendor Who you paid (e.g. "Coles", "Shell Petrol", "Bunnings")
Invoice Number Create a reference number if none exists (e.g. "CASH-001")
Invoice Date Date you incurred the expense
Description What was purchased
Amount (excl. GST) Net amount before tax
GST Tax amount (usually 10% of above)
Total Grand total
Category Type of expense (e.g. Supplies, Utilities, Transport, Rent)
Attach Receipt Upload a photo of your receipt (optional but recommended for audit)
  1. Click "Save"

View All Expenses

  1. Go to Expenses from the navigation menu
  2. All cost invoices are listed with date, supplier, and amount
  3. Use filters to narrow by:
  4. Date range
  5. Category
  6. Amount range
  7. Click any expense to view full details or attached documents

Tips

  • Scan invoices as soon as you receive them to avoid losing paper receipts
  • Attach photos of receipts even for manually entered expenses — useful for tax time and ATO audits
  • For recurring expenses (e.g. monthly rent), the manual method is quickest — enter once and you're done
  • All expenses flow directly into the P&L report — see Guide 08 — P&L Report

Previous: Guide 06 — Online Ordering Next: Guide 08 — P&L Report