XBert Type: Standard
Accounting Software: Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks
Country Restriction: New Zealand only
Risk Type: Cash Flow Risk
Business Function: Sales
Overview
This XBert finds unpaid invoices you have issued to a customer whose business is no longer active on the New Zealand Business Number (NZBN) Register. It helps you avoid chasing income from a business that has been removed, and prompts you to recover what you can before the debt becomes uncollectible.
What it does
XBert looks at your customer contacts and their outstanding invoices, then compares each customer's Business Number against the official NZBN Register. When a customer's registration shows as removed and that customer still owes you money on invoices raised after they were removed, XBert raises an alert.
How it works
For New Zealand organisations only, XBert:
Matches your customer contacts to the NZBN Register using their Business Number
Confirms the matched record has a registration status of "removed"
Checks for invoices to that customer with a balance still owing (an amount due greater than zero)
Only counts invoices dated on or after the date the business was removed, so income earned while the customer was still trading is ignored
Relies on a confident, exact register match before alerting, to reduce false alarms from similarly named businesses
It then raises one alert per affected customer, showing the total still owed. Invoices to customers who remain active on the register, and balances that are already paid in full, are not flagged.
Example/Use Case
Steve runs a newsagency in Hamilton. Dave's Plumbing has been removed from the NZBN Register, but Steve doesn't know that and keeps selling to them. He raises a $185 invoice to Dave's Plumbing for stationery and office supplies. Because the invoice is dated after the removal date and the balance is still owing, XBert alerts Steve. He contacts Dave straight away and arranges payment before the business winds up completely. Without the alert, that $185 could have quietly become a bad debt.
Accounting software
This XBert works with:
Xero
MYOB
QuickBooks
Which countries it supports
New Zealand only.
Processes
This XBert falls under the Sales (Accounts Receivable) process and highlights income that may no longer be collectible.
To take action:
Open the customer contact in your accounting software and note the Business Number recorded against it
Search for that customer on the NZBN Register to confirm whether they really are removed
If the business is still active, the Business Number may have been entered incorrectly. Correct it on the contact record so it matches the customer's true business
If the business has genuinely been removed, contact the owner promptly to arrange payment of the outstanding amount
If the debt cannot be recovered, follow your usual process to write it off so your accounts receivable stays accurate
Avoid raising new invoices to a removed business unless you are certain of its current trading status
Once the contact is corrected or the balance is resolved, mark the XBert as resolved