Purchase Invoices

Summary

Purchase invoices track what you owe to suppliers. You enter the supplier’s invoice details, assign a nominal code for accounting, and record payments as you make them. A search box finds an invoice by its number, and filters let you focus on unpaid or overdue invoices. Purchase invoices can optionally be linked to a work order. You can enter an invoice by hand in two ways: a quick header-only entry for overheads, or an itemised line-by-line entry for parts invoices that updates stock and feeds delivery matching. Both are covered below.

Prerequisites

• You are signed in to Torqueflow.
• You have the finance.purchases.view permission to see purchase invoices.
• You have the finance.purchases.create permission to create or edit invoices.
• You have the finance.payments.record permission to record payments.
• At least one supplier exists in the system (see Supplier Management).
• At least one nominal code is configured in finance settings.

Steps

Viewing the purchase invoices list

1. Click Finance in the main navigation.
2. Click Purchase Invoices (or navigate to /finance/purchases).
3. The page title reads Purchase Invoices with the subtitle “Enter supplier invoices and track payment status”.

The table columns are:

Column	Description
PI #	Internal Purchase Invoice reference, auto-assigned at creation (e.g. PI-00042). Sortable. Shows a dash for invoices created before auto-numbering shipped.
Supplier	Supplier name. Sortable.
Supplier Invoice #	The invoice number printed on the supplier’s document. Sortable.
Date	Invoice date in dd/MM/yyyy format. Sortable.
Due Date	Payment due date. Shown in red if overdue. Sortable.
Gross	Total gross amount in GBP. Sortable.
Outstanding	Remaining unpaid amount. Shows a dash when fully paid. Not sortable.
Status	Payment status badge: Unpaid, Part Paid, Paid, or Overdue. Sortable.
Actions	Three-dot menu with Edit, Record Payment and Mark as Paid (if you have edit permission), and Void invoice (if you have void permission).

Overdue invoices are highlighted with a light red background row. Click any row to open the invoice detail page.

The PI # and Supplier Invoice # in each row are links. Right-click either one to open the invoice in a new tab or copy its link. Ctrl-click (Cmd-click on a Mac) or middle-click anywhere on the row also opens it in a new tab, so you can check two invoices side by side and keep your list as it was. Selecting a number with the mouse to copy it does not open the invoice. Browser Back from an invoice returns you to the same searched and filtered list. The Back button on the invoice itself goes to the full list.

Searching purchase invoices

The search box sits at the start of the filter row. Its placeholder reads “Invoice no., PI ref or description”.

1. Type part of the supplier’s invoice number, your PI reference or a word from the invoice description. The list updates as you type.
2. To clear the search, select the X in the box, or Reset.

What the search finds:

• Part of a number. 44, 00044 and pi-00044 all find PI-00044. Capitals make no difference.
• The same number written differently. 0903017486 finds 903017486, and INV100 finds INV-100. Spaces, dashes and slashes are ignored for this, and so are leading zeros on a number that is all digits.
• Credit notes, by the supplier’s credit note number.
• Paid and voided invoices. While you are searching, the status buttons and the voided button are greyed out, with the line “Status filters are not applied while searching”. Every invoice is searched, whatever its status. Voided invoices show dimmed with their status badge. When you clear the search, your status buttons come back as they were.

The search does not look at supplier names (use the Supplier filter for that), amounts, notes or the descriptions on individual lines.

The search still works with the Supplier filter and the dates. Pick a supplier and a date range, then search within them.

While a search or filter is on, a line under the filters says how many invoices (and credit notes) were found. A search shows at most the 200 most recent matches. If there are more, a line says so and asks you to refine your search.

Filtering purchase invoices

The list carries an Entered column showing when each invoice was recorded, and sorts newest first. Voided invoices are hidden by default but stay on file. When any are hidden, a button beside the status filters says how many (for example “2 voided invoices hidden”). Select it to show them, and select Hide voided to hide them again.

1. Use the Status toggle buttons to show or hide invoices by status. Options: Unpaid, Part Paid, Paid, Overdue. Default filter shows Unpaid and Overdue.
2. Use the Supplier dropdown to filter by a specific supplier. Select “All suppliers” to clear.
3. Use the Date pickers (From and To) to filter by invoice date range.
4. Click Reset to clear all filters and the search.

Your status filter preference is saved in your browser and restored on your next visit. Opening a link that already carries a search does not apply your saved status filter over it.

If you turn every status button off, the list shows nothing, because no status is selected.

When nothing matches, the list says so. A search with no matches reads “No purchase invoices or credit notes match” followed by what you typed, with a Clear search button. Filters with no matches read “No purchase invoices match these filters”, with a Clear filters button.

Creating a purchase invoice

1. Click New invoice in the page header. If you are also allowed to enter itemised invoices, choose Quick entry from the menu.
2. The New Purchase Invoice dialog opens.
3. Fill in the required fields:
   • Supplier - Select from the searchable dropdown (required). When you choose a supplier, the default nominal code and due date are auto-populated from the supplier’s settings.
   • Supplier Invoice Number - Enter the supplier’s invoice number (required). If this supplier already has an active invoice with exactly this number, a line says “This supplier already has an active invoice with this number”. The invoice cannot be created with that number. The message on Create links to the invoice you already have.
   • Invoice Date - Select using the date picker (required). Changing the date recalculates the due date based on the supplier’s payment terms.
   • Due Date - Auto-calculated but can be overridden (required).
   • Net Amount - Enter the net (before VAT) amount in GBP (required). VAT is auto-calculated using the organisation’s default VAT rate.
   • VAT - Auto-populated but editable.
   • Gross - Calculated automatically (Net + VAT). Read-only.
   • Nominal Code - Select from the searchable dropdown, grouped by category (Cost of Sales, Overheads, Staff Costs, Other) (required). Sales codes are not offered, because a purchase is never income. See Why sales codes are not offered on a purchase.
4. Optionally fill in:
   • Description - Brief description of the invoice.
   • Notes - Internal notes.
5. Click Create Invoice to save. A confirmation message names the auto-assigned PI reference (for example PI-00042).

The internal PI reference is auto-generated and sequential. You cannot edit or override it. It is for your internal records only. It is never shown to suppliers, on customer-facing documents, or on the portal.

When the dialog thinks you already have this purchase

The same invoice can end up in your books twice with its number written two ways. A typed entry might read 0903017486 where the scan of the same invoice reads 903017486. Or a supplier adds a branch code to the front of the number on one copy. So once the supplier, number and amounts are filled in, the dialog looks for a purchase you already hold that looks like this one.

If it finds one, a warning appears below the amounts: This may be a purchase you have already recorded. It lists each possible match with its supplier number, date and amount, and says why it matched. In this dialog there are two reasons:

• The same invoice number, written differently, with the same total. For example with or without a dash, a space or a leading zero.
• One number contains the other, with the same total.

Both need the total to match to the penny. The check looks at the same supplier’s active invoices dated within 30 days either side of the invoice date.

While the warning is showing, Create Invoice stays off. A hint beside it reads “Check the possible duplicate above. If they are different purchases, tick the box to create this one.”

1. Select the match’s reference to open it in a new tab. Your entry in the dialog stays as it is.
2. If it is the same purchase, select Cancel. Nothing is saved.
3. If they really are different purchases, tick These are different purchases - record this one anyway, then select Create Invoice. The tick is recorded against the new invoice so there is a trail.

It stays quiet on ordinary repeat buying. Rent, a monthly charge or the same fuel amount do not trigger it on their own. A receipt with no number of its own that you typed in as the date (for example 23/06/26.) does not trigger it against another receipt with the same date-number and a different total.

If the check cannot run, a line says “Could not check for a possible duplicate of this purchase”, and you can still create the invoice. If someone records a matching purchase while you have the dialog open, Create is refused with “Another purchase that may be the same one has just been found. Check it before creating this invoice.” The new match appears in the warning, unticked. Nothing is saved until you deal with it.

The warning only appears when you create an invoice. Editing an invoice does not check for duplicates. An invoice entered months after the date printed on it can slip past the check, because the check only looks 30 days either side. To find a possible duplicate by hand, search the list for its number. See Searching purchase invoices.

Viewing invoice detail

Two blocks appear on an invoice only when they apply.

1. Per-line nominal codes. Each line shows its own code, or Same as invoice. A code set on a line stays put even if the header code changes. Line codes are captured and shown here, but they do not yet drive your accounting package’s line accounts or the nominal reports, which still use the header code.

2. VAT evidence. Shown only when a purchase is awaiting a VAT invoice, has one on file, or was closed out. Ordinary purchases show nothing because there is nothing outstanding. See Purchases where the VAT invoice has not arrived yet.

3. Click any invoice row in the list.

4. The detail page at /finance/purchases/[id] shows:

   • Header - Invoice number, supplier name, payment status badge, and action buttons (Back, Edit, Record Payment, and an actions menu holding Void invoice).
   • Invoice Details card - Supplier name, invoice number, invoice date, due date (with overdue badge if past due), nominal code (code and name), linked work order (if set, clickable link), description, and notes.
   • Amounts card - Net amount, VAT, gross total, amount paid (in green), outstanding (in red if unpaid), payment progress bar with percentage, and status summary.
   • Payment History - Table of recorded payments with date, amount, method, reference, notes, and who recorded it.
   • Metadata - Created by and timestamps.

Editing a purchase invoice

Edit fixes the details on an invoice that belongs in your books. It does not reach the lines: once an itemised invoice is confirmed, its lines cannot be changed, so a wrong line means voiding the invoice and entering it again. Editing, voiding and reversing a payment are all covered in Correcting a purchase mistake.

1. From the invoice detail page, click Edit. Or from the list, use the three-dot menu and select Edit.
2. The Edit Invoice dialog opens pre-filled with current values.
3. The Supplier field is locked when editing (cannot be changed).
4. Edit the fields you need to change: invoice number, invoice date, due date, nominal code, description and notes.
5. On a totals-only invoice you can also change the net and VAT. On an itemised invoice (scanned, or entered line by line) the net and VAT are locked, because they come from the lines.
6. If the invoice has payments recorded and you change the amounts, a warning banner appears: “This invoice has payments recorded. Editing amounts may create discrepancies.”
7. Click Save Changes to update.

Changing the nominal code here changes the invoice header only. On a confirmed itemised invoice, each line keeps the code it was confirmed with.

If an older invoice was coded to a sales code, Edit is how you fix it. Pick the right cost code and save. Editing anything else on that invoice still saves, because the sales-code check only runs when you change the code.

Why sales codes are not offered on a purchase

A sales code (4000 Labour Sales, 4001 Parts Sales and so on) records income. Posting a supplier’s bill to one makes your sales look smaller and your costs look smaller by the same amount. So Torqueflow keeps sales codes off every purchase screen.

1. The pickers leave them out. The New Invoice dialog, the Edit dialog, the itemised entry page, scan review and a supplier’s default nominal code all offer Cost of Sales, Overheads, Staff Costs and Other only.
2. The server refuses one anyway. If a sales code reaches a purchase some other way, confirming or saving is refused with a message such as “That’s a sales code, so it can’t be used on a purchase invoice. Choose another code from the list.” On a scan, the message names the lines that need a new code.
3. A supplier’s default cannot be a sales code. Choose another code for the default, or leave it blank.
4. Changing a code’s category asks first. In Settings, moving a code that is already in use into or out of Sales shows how many purchase entries, sales entries and settings use it before you confirm. Purchase entries that already use a code you move into Sales keep it.

Recording a payment

1. From the invoice detail page, click the payment button (shows the outstanding amount, e.g. “Pay £85.00”). Or from the list, use the three-dot menu and select Record Payment.
2. The Record Payment dialog opens showing the outstanding balance (e.g. “Outstanding: £85.00 of £100.00”).
3. Select a Payment Method from the searchable dropdown (required). The default method is pre-selected.
4. The Amount is pre-populated with the outstanding balance. Adjust for partial payments.
5. Set the Payment Date (defaults to today).
6. Optionally enter a Reference (e.g. bank reference, cheque number).
7. Optionally add Notes.
8. Click Record Payment to save the payment. Or click Pay Full to record the full outstanding amount in one action.

If a bulk payment is already holding money for this invoice, a panel on the invoice says A bulk payment is holding money for this document, with how much was set aside and when. Do not record a separate payment, because that would pay the invoice twice. Select Settle it from that money instead: the money already paid settles the invoice and no second payment is recorded. If you do not have access to bulk payments, the panel says so and someone who does can settle it. See Paying a supplier with one payment.

Marking as paid from the list

1. In the invoices list, click the three-dot menu on an unpaid or part-paid invoice.
2. Select Mark as Paid.
3. The Record Payment dialog opens. Select a payment method and click Pay Full.

Expected Outcome

• Purchase invoices are listed with correct status badges, amounts, and overdue highlighting.
• New invoices appear in the list immediately after creation.
• Payments update the status from Unpaid to Part Paid or Paid. The outstanding amount decreases accordingly.
• Supplier defaults (nominal code, payment terms) auto-populate when creating invoices.
• An invoice with exactly the same number as an active invoice from the same supplier is refused. A possible duplicate written differently, at the same total, holds Create Invoice until you tick it.

Entering an itemised parts invoice by hand

There are two ways to enter a supplier invoice by hand, and which one you pick matters.

• Quick records the totals only. This is the New Invoice dialog described above. Use it for overheads like rent, utilities, or a service charge. It does not touch stock or parts.
• Itemised records the invoice line by line. Use it for parts invoices. The lines update your stock and feed the matching of invoices against deliveries, exactly like a scanned invoice.

The difference is real. A parts invoice entered the Quick way is invisible to stock and to delivery matching. If it lists parts, enter it Itemised.

Itemised manual entry is available to Owners and Managers. It is not available to service advisors or technicians, though they can record deliveries by hand.

Choose Quick or Itemised

1. Go to Finance > Purchases.
2. Select New invoice. Two options appear with their consequences spelled out: Quick for overheads (totals only, no stock impact) and Itemised for parts invoices (lines update stock and delivery matching).
3. Pick the one that fits. You can also reach the Itemised form from the scan inbox via Enter manually.

Itemised entry (parts invoices)

1. The Itemised page opens.
2. Fill in the header:
   • Supplier (required). Search and pick, or Add new supplier inline. A soft warning shows if the invoice number looks like a duplicate for that supplier.
   • Supplier invoice number (required).
   • Invoice date (required). Defaults to today.
   • Due date. Filled in automatically from the supplier’s payment terms. Editable.
   • Document type. Defaults to Invoice. For a credit note, see Supplier credit notes.
   • Nominal code (required).
   • Work order and Notes (optional).
3. Add the lines. Select Add line and fill in part, description, quantity, unit price, and tax. Pick the part from your catalogue, or use Add to catalog to add it now. The net, tax, and gross update as you type.
4. If the supplier is not VAT registered, a banner appears. Set every line’s tax to zero (there is a one-click action), or mark the supplier VAT registered inline if that is wrong.
5. Select Confirm. The invoice is created with its lines, your stock is updated, and the invoice is ready to match against deliveries. You land on the new invoice’s detail page.

Rules that catch mistakes

• Use Itemised for anything with parts on it. A parts invoice entered Quick will never match against the delivery and will not move stock.
• Every itemised line needs a description and a quantity. Empty lines are rejected on confirm.
• There is no draft save. If you leave with lines entered, Torqueflow warns you first.
• If you only see Quick, not Itemised, your role lacks the purchases confirm permission held by Owner and Manager. Ask an Owner to run it, or to review your role.
• If the Confirm button is disabled, a line is empty, the invoice date is missing, or the supplier is not VAT registered but a line still has tax. Fill in or remove empty lines, set the date, and zero the tax.
• If a parts invoice you entered is not showing against its delivery, it was probably entered Quick (header-only), which does not feed matching. Re-enter it as Itemised so the lines exist for matching.
• If Torqueflow thinks you may already have this purchase, a warning appears above the lines and Confirm stays off until you deal with it. See When Torqueflow thinks you already have this purchase. On this page there is no scan to discard, so either tick These are different purchases - record this one anyway, or leave without saving.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause	Fix
”New Invoice” button is missing	You do not have the finance.purchases.create permission.	Ask an admin to assign the correct role.
No suppliers in the dropdown	No active suppliers exist.	Add a supplier first via Finance > Suppliers.
No nominal codes in the dropdown	Nominal codes have not been configured, or every code you have is in the Sales category.	Set up cost codes (Cost of Sales, Overheads, Staff Costs or Other) in Settings > Finance.
”That’s a sales code, so it can’t be used on a purchase invoice.”	The code chosen is in the Sales category.	Choose a cost code from the list. If the code really is a cost, change its category in Settings > Finance.
The supplier’s default nominal code does not fill in, or the form says the supplier has no default	The supplier’s default is a code that has since been moved into Sales, so the purchase picker no longer offers it. The “no default” wording is a known problem: the supplier does have one.	Open the supplier and set a cost code as its default.
”This supplier already has an active invoice with this number”	An active invoice with exactly this number already exists for this supplier.	Select View invoice in the message to check it. If the old one is the mistake, void it first and the number becomes free. See Correcting a purchase mistake.
Create Invoice is greyed out, with a hint about a possible duplicate	The dialog found a purchase that may be the same one: a number written differently, or contained in this one, at the same total.	Open the match and compare. If they are different purchases, tick These are different purchases - record this one anyway.
A paid invoice does not appear in the list	Your status filter is showing Unpaid and Overdue only.	Search for its number. A search covers every status. Or turn on Paid in the status filter.
The status buttons are greyed out	You have something in the search box. A search covers every status.	Clear the search to use the status buttons again.
The search finds nothing for a supplier’s name or an amount	The search looks at invoice numbers, PI references and descriptions only.	Use the Supplier filter for a supplier. Amounts cannot be searched yet.
Payment amount error “cannot exceed outstanding balance”	The entered amount is higher than what remains unpaid.	Reduce the amount to match or be less than the outstanding balance.
Amounts warning when editing	The invoice has recorded payments. Changing amounts may create discrepancies.	Review carefully before saving. Consider whether the amounts truly need changing.
Recording a payment is refused: “A bulk payment already set aside … Recording another payment here would pay it twice.”	A bulk payment to this supplier is holding money for this invoice.	Use Settle it from that money on the invoice, or open the bulk payment and settle it from there.
Cannot change supplier on an existing invoice	The supplier field is locked when editing.	Reverse any payments, void the incorrect invoice, then enter it again against the correct supplier.
Net and VAT are greyed out when editing	It is an itemised invoice, so the totals come from its lines. Lines cannot be edited after confirming.	Void the invoice and enter it again. See Correcting a purchase mistake.

Notes

• The Overdue status is calculated automatically. If an unpaid or part-paid invoice’s due date has passed, it shows as Overdue.
• VAT is auto-calculated from the net amount using the organisation’s default VAT rate. You can override the VAT amount manually.
• The due date auto-calculates from the supplier’s default payment terms when you select a supplier. Changing the invoice date also recalculates the due date.
• Status filter preferences are saved in your browser’s local storage and persist across sessions.
• The internal PI reference is sequential per organisation. It can be configured via Settings → Finance → Invoice Settings (“Next Purchase Invoice Number” + “Purchase Invoice Prefix”). Pre-existing invoices created before auto-numbering shipped show “Not assigned”. This is expected and does not affect them.
• For an alternative way to enter purchase invoices (drag-drop a PDF, take a phone photo, or forward an email), see Scanning purchase invoices.

Permissions

Action	Required capability
View purchase invoices	finance.purchases.view
Create or edit invoices	finance.purchases.create
Record payments	finance.payments.record