Expense reports your accountant will thank you for

Ask an accountant what makes a client easy and you will hear the same few things. None of them is "sends more documents."

Consistency beats volume

The same vendor under the same category every time. Dates in one format. Amounts that match the receipts. A report built from habits like these takes minutes to check; a report built from a mix of screenshots and bank exports takes days.

The paper behind the numbers

A figure on its own is a claim. A figure with its receipt attached is evidence. Keep the receipt linked to the expense it belongs to, so that when a question comes up there is nothing to go looking for.

Ask what format they want

Before you export anything, ask. Some prefer a spreadsheet they can filter and total; some want a CSV to import; some want a tidy PDF. Spend can give you all three:

• CSV of whatever you have filtered, to import elsewhere.
• Excel for anyone who wants to sort and add things up.
• PDF report with a summary for the period, the itemized list and an appendix of the receipts.

Send a period, not a pile

Agree on the period, a quarter or a year, and send a report for exactly that. A report with a clear start and end date is easier to check, and easier to refer back to.

Say what is unusual

A one-line note on anything odd, a large purchase, a refund, a payment from a personal card, saves a round of questions. Accountants appreciate being told rather than finding out.