Estimates and Invoices separate from accounting

Banana Accounting Plus offers several ways to create and manage your invoices. 

The Estimates and Invoices application allows you to quickly create and print estimates and invoices. Ideal for replacing Excel when preparing invoices, switching to a professional tool at no extra cost.

This is especially useful for those who have VAT on their receipts and especially the balance rate, because they can issue invoices with the current VAT, while in the accounting file they can register with the rate granted by the FTA.

The Estimates and Invoices application is independent from accounting and does not allow the import of data into the accounting file.

• ▶ Video How to start creating Estimates and Invoices.
• ▶ Video QR invoices in 3 steps.
• ▶ Characteristics of Estimates and Invoices 

To use the application you must download and install Banana Accounting Plus, and, when creating a new file, choose Offers and Estimates as the type.

Create Invoices

With the Banana Accounting application you can create your invoices easily and in no time. Simply go to the menu Invoices > New Invoice to access the dialogue and create a new invoice.

There are various fields to enter all the necessary information and items to be invoiced. Here are the main ones:

• Invoice information
  Invoice no., language, currency, VAT mode (invoices without VAT, including VAT in the amount and excluding VAT, with separate VAT amount), invoice date and due date.
• Customer address
  By selecting the customer from the list, all data are automatically taken from the Contacts table
• Invoice data
  Title, initial text, invoice details (list of items to be invoiced) and final text.
• Totals and discount
  These are calculated by the programme, according to the values entered.

Advantages 

One of the main advantages is certainly the ease of use. The data entry fields are clear and many automations simplify and reduce working time, with immediate professional results:

• No accounting knowledge required
• Automatic retrieval of addresses from contacts so that you do not have to re-enter the data on the invoice.
• No manual calculations. All calculations are automatic, always accurate and up-to-date.
• Set language, currency, number of decimals and rounding for each individual invoice.
• Edit and/or duplicate invoices and offers
• Convert offers into invoices
• View open invoices
• Archive invoices
• Access the archive at any time.

Professional Printouts

Invoice printing is not only limited to QR bulletin printing for Switzerland, but can be created and printed:

• Offers and Quotations in various currencies
• Invoices in CHF and foreign currencies
• Invoices without QR Bulletin

Invoice Structure

In this image you can see how the invoice is structured:

				Logo It is possible to insert a personalized logo. Menu file > Set up a logo
				Heading The heading of the invoice will be identical to the one entered in Menu File > File and accounting properties > Address tab
				Customer's address The address of the client will be retrieved from the  Contacts table, where you have to set up customer addresses.
				Invoice data The content of the invoice must be entered in the new dialog for creating / editing an invoice. Invoices Menu > New Invoice
				Custom text at end You can define title, initial text and final notes from the Invoice Dialogue
				Swiss QR-Code The settings for automatically creating the QR payment slip can only be defined for Switzerland, only with the Layout with Swiss QR Code [CH10]

Differences with the Integrated invoicing application

Estimates and Invoices is a separate application from all other accounting applications and is only used to create offers and invoices. There is no connection to the accounting file, as is the case with integrated invoicing, whose data remains in the accounting file.

Invoice data in the Estimates and Invoices application cannot be imported into the accounting file, but must be entered manually. Furthermore, it is not possible to import bank transactions (including payments) into the Bids and Invoices application. If you want these functions, we recommend that you use the integrated invoicing in the accounting file.

In the Estimates and Invoices application, there is an Invoices table with an Invoice dialogue where you can find various columns and options to detail the various positions and data to be entered. In this respect, the Estimates and Invoice application is much more flexible and comprehensive because it allows for more customisation. In integrated invoicing, the elements and details from invoices (quantities, prices, units, etc.) are only recorded in the Transactions table.

In integrated invoicing, it is not possible to create offers. It is possible to create and print an invoice with the title ‘Offer’ (instead of Invoice).
The Estimates and Invoice application is also specific for creating Offers.

• More details on page Invoicing with Banana Accounting.

How to start

The steps to create the invoices are as follows:

1. Download the Invoice template
2. Enter your data
3. Enter the Contacts (Clients) data
4. Enter Invoice data
5. Print invoices

For more information, please visit the How to...  page.

Other Functions:

• Print Reminders
• Print delivery note