XBert Type: Standard
Accounting Software: Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks Online
Country Restriction: the United Kingdom only
Risk Type: Tax Risk
Business Function: Purchases
Overview
This XBert finds VAT bills over £250 (excluding VAT) that have no supporting document attached. Keeping the supplier invoice attached to each bill protects your VAT claim, makes audits painless, and means the original document is always one click away when HMRC, your accountant, or your bookkeeper needs it.
What it does
XBert reviews the bills you have entered against your suppliers and looks at each one's net value, its VAT, and whether a document is attached. It then groups together, month by month, any larger VAT bills that are missing their attachment, so you can see at a glance where supporting paperwork is needed.
How it works
XBert raises this alert when a bill meets all of the following conditions:
It has no document or file attached to it.
Its net amount (the value before VAT) is more than £250.
It includes VAT (the tax amount is greater than zero).
Its bill date falls within the last 12 months, up to the end of the current month.
XBert deliberately ignores draft, deleted, and voided bills, so only live bills that genuinely need a document are flagged. It also ignores bills with no VAT and smaller bills of £250 or less. Matching bills are grouped by the month they are dated, so a single XBert may cover several bills from the same month.
Example/Use Case
Priya runs Priya's Print Studio in Manchester. Eleven months ago she entered a £279 bill (plus £55.80 VAT) from ACME Supplies for a new large-format printer, but she was in a hurry and never attached the supplier invoice. Months later her accountant is preparing the VAT return and asks to see the original invoice to confirm the VAT can be reclaimed. Priya cannot find it in her files and has to email ACME for a fresh copy, holding up the return. Had the invoice been attached to the bill at the time, it would have been instantly available and the £55.80 of VAT would have been fully supported and audit-ready.
Accounting software
This XBert runs on Xero, MYOB, and QuickBooks Online for businesses based in the United Kingdom.
Which countries it supports
The United Kingdom only.
Processes
This alert relates to Purchases (accounts payable). To resolve it:
Open each bill listed and locate the original supplier invoice or receipt.
Attach the document to the bill in your accounting software. If you do not have the document, request a copy from the supplier.
Check that the VAT recorded on the bill matches the supplier invoice, so your VAT claim is fully supported.
If attaching documents to bills is not part of your business process, you can simply dismiss the alert.
Once the documents are attached, mark the XBert as resolved. It will clear automatically at the next sync.