Code a document: accounts, tax codes, and tracking categories

Coding a document means filling in the fields your accounting software needs before the document can be exported. The exact fields depend on the accounting software connected to the folder, but they always cover the same three jobs: which account the cost or income goes to, which tax code applies, and any tracking dimension you use to slice reports (cost centre, department, project, location, and so on).

Datamolino captures the totals and contact from the document automatically. Coding is the step where you confirm or change the account, tax code, and any tracking values before exporting to your accounting software.

The fields shown on a document depend on the integration:

Learn more about how the system fills these fields automatically in Automation in Datamolino: overview.

You code a document on the document detail view. Open the folder, click the document you want to code.

Each field is filled in using a priority order. The system starts with anything you have already saved on the document, then supplier defaults for that contact, then the folder defaults. The first value found wins. You can change any suggested value before exporting.

Yes. The document has three view detail modes: Invoice Total, Tax Summary, and Line Items. Invoice Total shows a single line with one account and one tax code. Tax Summary splits the document into one row per VAT rate and lets you code each rate separately - useful when an invoice mixes VAT rates. Line Items shows every individual product or service line so you can code each one. The selected view changes which totals and coding lines are sent to your accounting software.

The ledger account and tax code are the two coding fields that exist for every integration. They sit at the top of the coding panel.

Click the ledger account dropdown and pick the account you want to use. The dropdown lists the accounts pulled from your connected accounting software. If you cannot find an account, check that it exists in your accounting software and that your chart of accounts has been synced.

Click the tax code dropdown next to the ledger account and pick the tax code that matches the document. The dropdown lists tax codes pulled from your connected accounting software. If you cannot find a tax code, check that it exists in your accounting software and that your connection has been synced.

No. The first time you code an invoice for a supplier, Datamolino can save that coding as a supplier default so the same coding is applied to every future invoice from that supplier. You can also set folder defaults so every new document in the folder starts with the coding pattern you use most often.

If you use tracking categories in Xero or Projects in QuickBooks, you can assign them to each document in Datamolino in the same way you would when creating the bill or invoice in your accounting software. Tracking does not mean more clicking - Datamolino always suggests the tracking category saved in the supplier's automation settings, and you only change it where you need to.

Tracking categories in Xero are a way to slice your accounts and view reports based on cost centre, salesperson, region, department, activity, and so on. Tracking is optional in Xero. If you need to track the same supplier across different locations, consider creating one Datamolino folder per location.

Open the document and find the tracking category field below the ledger account and tax code. Click the dropdown and pick the tracking value. If you have more than one tracking category set up in Xero, each one will have its own dropdown. Save the document and continue exporting as usual.

QuickBooks Projects appear in the Customer dropdown in Datamolino - this is the same field that holds the customer for billable expenses. When you select a project from this dropdown, Datamolino will export the document with that project assigned in QuickBooks.

Before the project dropdown appears, the TrackingByCustomer setting must be enabled in your QuickBooks company settings. If the setting is not enabled, the project field will not be shown in Datamolino.

Yes. If a whole folder belongs to one project (for example, one folder per office or job site), set a default project in folder defaults. Every new document added to the folder will start with that project assigned.

On a sales invoice, select the project from the QuickBooks contact menu. Datamolino will link the customer name captured on the invoice to the selected project so future invoices from the same customer carry the same project.

Sometimes a whole folder represents one site, department, or project, and every document in it should use the same coding value. In that case, an admin can lock a value at folder level so it cannot be changed on individual documents. Locking is available for Xero tracking categories and for QuickBooks class and location.

Open the folder and go to Accounting & Automation in folder settings. In the Lock tracking categories section, choose the value you want to lock, tick the box to lock it, and click Save.

Once a tracking category is locked, the locked value is enforced on the document detail view, in the supplier Automation settings, and during Bulk edit items and Fullscreen editing. The field appears with the locked value already set and cannot be changed on individual documents. In Bill Split Rules you can still enter a different category, but the system will ignore it and use the folder's locked value when the document is exported.

The lock will apply automatically to all Ready documents. Documents already exported will keep their exported value.

Yes. QuickBooks Class and Location can also be locked at folder level. The process is the same as the one described above.

If your folder is disconnected from its accounting software, Datamolino cannot show the lists of accounts, tax codes, and tracking categories to choose from, so the coding fields are hidden until the connection is restored. Reconnect the folder and the coding fields will reappear on every document in that folder.

You can reconnect a folder in two places:

Once reconnected, open any document in the folder. The ledger account, tax code, and tracking fields will be available again. Learn more about refreshing your accounting software connection.