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An estimate
billing is an invoice created using the job's estimate
amounts, and not costs
Otherwise, it looks and acts like
progress/final billings. An estimate billing is a fast,
easy way to invoice a job’s estimate. Like
progress/final billings, it’s an express way to bill
a job without having to know -- or type in -- each job
task. It’s fast (and accurate) because billing
amounts are created automatically from the job’s
tasks and their estimate amounts. It’s easy because
all you need to enter is the job’s number.
If you always bill jobs based on a fixed estimate, then
you’ll use the estimate billing option often. If you
generally bill jobs at completion, the estimate billing
option is useful when you sometimes need to bill a job --
or any part of it -- up front (such as a big printing
job, or the first job for a new client). When you add an
invoice using the estimate billing option, Clients &
Profits looks at the job’s tasks. Every task on the
job with an estimate amount is copied to the invoice. The
task’s estimate amount (or any percentage) becomes
the invoice’s billing amounts.
Estimate billings look like regular job invoices (the
client won’t know that it’s an estimate billing
unless you say so somewhere on the invoice). Unlike
advance billings, estimate billings affect the job’s
billed totals. Estimate billings can’t be applied to
later job invoices as payments. Also, estimate billings
are considered income and appear on the Income Statement.
Once an estimate billing is created, you can add, remove,
and change its billing amounts as needed. The changes you
make will update the job’s totals when the invoice
is posted.
To add an estimate billing
1 Choose Edit > Add New Invoice > Estimate
Billing.
The Add Estimate Billing Invoice window opens.
2 Follow the remaining steps to add an estimate
billing:
Number New invoices
are numbered automatically (using the invoice number
entered in Preferences). Invoices are numbered
sequentially. You can change the invoice number by
selecting it and then entering your own number.
You’ll be notified if the invoice number has been
used before.
Job number The last-used job number is entered
automatically as a time-saver, but can be changed. If
you’re not sure about a job number, leave the field
blank then press Tab to open the jobs lookup list.
Double-click on the job to copy it to this invoice. You
can enter any job number you wish, including jobs that
are new, in progress, or closed.
If the job has a status alert, you’ll see it as you
tab past the job number field.
The job’s estimate amounts are copied to the invoice
automatically. The job’s estimate amounts are billed
by default at 100%, but can be easily changed by
modifying the bill estimate percentage or actually
editing the billing amounts on the tasks themselves.
Client number Every invoice is billed to only one
client. This client is the one who will eventually pay
for the invoice. The client number is copied
automatically from the job, but can be changed -- which
lets you bill the job to a different client. Tabbing past
the client number copies its name, payment terms, and
sales tax information to the invoice. Any active client
can be used on an invoice.
The job ticket and invoice can have different clients.
There may be instances where several departments of a
large corporation open jobs, but invoices are billed to a
third-party. This third-party, such as the corporate
headquarters, would be added as a separate client and get
all of the billings.
3 Enter the invoice date, due date, accounting
period, the client’s PO number, terms, and charge
number.
Debit account The
default A/R account, which is copied from Preferences,
can be changed to a different G/L account. This account
is debited for the invoice’s total, including sales
tax, when the invoice is posted.
Notes The work you’re billing can be fully
explained in the invoice notes. These notes, which appear
near the top of the printed invoice (above the billing
amounts), can summarize what’s being billed on this
invoice.
Bill estimate percentage You can automatically
change the billing amounts for the entire invoice by
changing the bill estimate percentage then press Tab. The
new percentage will be used to calculate the
invoice’s billing amounts. Any percentage of the
estimate can be billed.
4 If needed, edit the invoice’s billing
amounts then click Save.
Only checked tasks will appear on the estimate invoice.
To remove a task from this invoice, uncheck the
“X” checkbox. The description, billing amount,
and income G/L# can be changed for each job task on the
invoice without affecting the job itself.
Once the invoice is added and saved, it must be posted.
Posting makes the invoice permanent, updating the job
ticket, the client account, and the General Ledger. The
invoice can be proofed before posting, then changed as
needed (e.g., amounts added or removed, descriptions
changed, etc.).
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