Create an Expense Head

This page explains how to add a new expense group or sub-expense item to the Expense Master hierarchy in PayInvoice Next.

Prerequisites

• You have the System Manager or Accounts Manager role
• If creating a sub-expense: a parent group expense already exists

Step-by-Step

1. Navigate to Budget > Expense Master. The system displays the Expense Master tree view.

2. To add a root-level group, click Add New. To add a child under an existing group, click the Edit icon next to the group and select Add Child.

3. Fill in the required fields:

   • Expense Code: A unique short code for this expense head (e.g., "CAPEX-IT", "TRAVEL-001"). This code is used as the record identifier and must be globally unique across the entire Expense Master tree.
   • Expense Name: A descriptive name (e.g., "IT Equipment", "Travel"). This is what users see in dropdowns and reports.

4. Decide the type:

   • Check Is Group if this entry will contain sub-expenses underneath it. Group entries cannot be selected on transactions.
   • Leave Is Group unchecked for a leaf-level sub-expense that users will select on Purchase Orders, Invoices, etc.

WARNING

Every sub-expense (leaf) must have a parent group. You cannot create a root-level leaf — the system requires a parent group expense for all non-group entries.

5. Fill in the default values:

   • Cost Center: The default cost center for transactions using this expense head. Required.
   • Department: The default department. Required.

6. Optionally, add a Description to help users understand when to use this expense head.

7. Click Save. The new entry appears in the tree under its parent.

Validation Rules

The system enforces these rules when saving an Expense Master record:

Rule	What Happens
Expense Code must be unique	If another record has the same Expense Code, you see: "Expense Code [CODE] already exists"
No duplicate names under same parent	If a sibling with the same Expense Name exists, you see: "Expense [NAME] already exists under [PARENT]"
Parent must be a group	If you try to nest under a non-group entry, you see: "Parent [NAME] is not a group expense"
Sub-expenses need a parent	If you create a leaf with no parent, you see: "Sub-Expense must have a parent group expense"

Disabling an Expense Head

To prevent an expense head from appearing in transaction dropdowns without deleting it:

1. Open the Expense Master record.
2. Check the Disabled checkbox.
3. Click Save.

Disabled expense heads remain in the tree for historical reporting but are excluded from the dropdown on new transactions.

Related Pages

• Expense Master Overview — How the hierarchy works
• Expense Master Field Reference — Every field explained
• Budget Management Overview — Complete budget guide