How to finalise an Interim invoice

Introduction

This topic is part of the 'interim invoicing topics', which provides assistance for posting and finalising interim invoices.

Click the links below to jump to a particular section:

Background to interim invoices

Set write out options to Gross in the Fees options

Run a billing decisions report

Post a final invoice

Write out options to finalise an interim

 



Background to Interim Invoices

Invoices can be posted in Time & Fees as interim or final. The difference between an interim invoice and a final invoice is how they affect the clients WIP in the Time Ledger.

 

Set write out options to gross in the fees options

Before posting the invoice it is recommended that you set your Fees options to Write out Gross amounts of the final invoice.

This only needs to be set the once:

  1. From the IRIS MAIN Menu, click IRIS Fees and log in as MASTER.

The Fees Ledger displays.

  1. Click Options and select Fees Ledger from the sub menu.

The Fees Ledger options screen displays.

  1. Click the WIP write out tab and in the Write out amounts on Final invoices section select Gross.

  2. Click OK to save.


 

Run a billing decisions report

To start the process of finalising interim invoices, it is recommended that you run a billing decisions report. This can be used to identify any staff time that you wish to write out and the interims that you wish to finalise.

To run a billing decisions report:

  1. From the IRIS Main Menu, click IRIS Time.

The Time Ledger displays.

  1. Click Reports | Client reports | Billing decisions

  2. On the options tab, ensure Instructions sheet and WIP breakdown are selected.

  3. Click the Selections tab and type the client identifier in the client id field.

  4. Click OK.

  5. Print the report.

The report will display the staff postings outstanding on the client and value of interims posted. In this topic the client has £1500 of WIP posted and £1100 of interim invoices, giving a WIP balance of £400 (1500 less 1100 equals 400).

On the billing decisions report instruction sheet you may enter how much you are intending to bill the client. You may also add how you wish to reduce the WIP balance, such as interim bills and staff time. Once you have made these decisions you can then post your final invoice.

In this example, a partner decides he wants to invoice the client a further £500 that the clients WIP balance should be reduced to zero. To do this he wants to clear all WIP balances and interim invoices. We are now ready to post an final invoice to achieve this aim.

 


 

Post a final invoice

You can post a final invoice to clear interim invoices and WIP from your clients WIP account. Below is an example of how to post a final invoice.

To post a final invoice:

  1. From the IRIS Main Menu, log into IRIS Fees Ledger.

The IRIS Fees Ledger displays.

  1. Click on Enquiries and then select Client Summary from the drop-down menu.

  2. Type in the client you wish to invoice. for example, A001.

  3. Click Billing.

The Client Billing Decision screen displays.

  1. Ensure that Interim invoice is NOT selected.

  2. Ensure that the date and reference of the invoice is as required.

  3. In the Grid in the centre of the screen, enter the value of the invoice in the bill column next to the required job. For example, invoice £500 for Accounts work by typing 500 in the Accounts Row and Bill column.

  4. The invoice figure does not affect your WIP balance.

  1. In the write out column, enter the value of WIP that you wish to reduce your WIP balance by. For example, if you have £1500 of time on job type accounts and you wish to reduce this balance to £0, then type 1500 in the write out cell.
  2. Click Bill now.

  3. Select the required Fees period (this will only appear if you have the relevant staff permissions when a period is in reconciliation).

  4. If you do not wish to write out any time but want to finalise the interims, then enter 0 in the write out cell.

    Posting a final invoice will automatically finalise all interims outstanding on the clients account.

    When you post a final bill to finalise the interim the billed amount on the final bill does not affect your WIP balance. It is only how you enter the write out details on each job that will influence how your WIP postings and interims invoices will be matched.



How the 'Write Out' field reduces WIP and finalises an Interim

When you post a final invoice, entering details into the 'write out' field will automatically finalise interims that are present on the client account. For example, if you write out to a date on job 'Accounts' then all WIP up until that date is written out and ALL interims are also cleared for the job accounts.

Below are some ways that you may wish to reduce your staff time and automatically clear your interim invoices:

Write out to a value

By entering a value in the write out field you can reduce the staff time by a value and automatically clear the interim bills present. For example, you have a balance of staff time of £800. You want to post a final invoice, clear all interim invoices and carry forward a WIP balance of £100. To do this you would enter 700 in the write out field. (800 less 700 equals 100)

Date

When you enter a date in the write out field you can reduce staff time up until a certain date and you will automatically clear all interim invoices present on the client account. For example, on client job Tax you have a staff postings up until 18th November 2008.

If you enter a date 18/11/2008 in the write out field then all time on and before 18th November 2008 will be written out and all interim invoices will be cleared.

 

All

When you type 'all' in the write out field you will reduce the current value of staff WIP to zero. For example, if there was £600 of staff time then this would be written out and the clients account would be reduced to zero. All interim invoice would automatically be finalised.

 

Unspecified

You may wish to finalise you interim invoices without writing out any staff time with your final invoice. When you post your final invoice you may enter 0 in the write out cell. This will not reduce the staff time on the client account but will finalise all interim invoices.

 



Related topics

How to write out to Unspecified

How to write out to a value

How to use Interim invoices

How to write out WIP using the All Outstanding option

Introduction to Interim Invoicing

 

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