Invoice Match - create audit trail and verify transaction value.
Invoice Match module, hereinafter called IM, is a tool assisting the business to connect accounted invoices from accounts payable (import) or sales account (export), with a specific customs declaration in order to create an audit trail.
By associating accounted invoice number with the unique customs number, you can keep track of the following:
1. Received purchases that have not been customs declared
2. Customs declarations with divergent core values compared to accounted value
3. Customs declarations with divergent currency codes compared with accounted invoice currencies.
4. The company will also attach declaration details to accounts with voucher number and supporting documents in the accounting system.
The company uses an Excel template for extraction of invoice details from its supplier and / or accounts receivable. This excel file is uploaded and read into the E-Doc IM. You will then start a process where IM tries to automatically connect invoice numbers against current customs declaration based on the given invoice details. IM can match thorugh exact match, indirect hits (contains) or manual match by the user. Manual match must be done when proformas are used.
IM tries to find the accounted invoice numbers in the customs archive, where the invoice numbers has been used in a customs declaration.
In cases where the declaration is made on the basis of a proforma, customs invoice or similar, the system will not be able to automatically match accounted invoices against declared proforma. IM will be a tool that users can use to look up and find the corresponding customs declaration and manually connect that to the accounted invoice details.
Discrepancies between accounted value or currency code, compared with declared value or currency code, can easily be flagged by registering a remark on the invoice line in IM, or in one of the 6 free fields on the declaration in E-Doc (Own ref.1-6).
If deviations are found after VAT has been reported to tax authorities, you need to correct the previously reported VAT basis and amounts according to local country rules. The company must also ensure that missing or incorrect declaration is corrected according to local country rules and procedures. Most customs agents will have the tools to do so effectively. The corrective customs declaration is voucher for the change report to tax. If you discover undecleared invoices, you need to contact the customs representative immediately and get the goods cleared as soon as possible. The goods must remain untouched until clearance has taken place.
IM has the option of withdrawing reports to excel, so that one can easily see the connection between a single invoice and related customs declaration. The report will also show differences in the amount, currency code, undecleared status or remarks entered by the user.
Specification – Excel report needed from the accounting system
The company is responsible for adapting extracts from the accounting system in the below-mentioned structure. Alternatively, you can enter values in our template before uploading to E-Doc IM.
Number OF fields and location of the required values, A-L is mandatory. The following fields are required (A, C, E, K, L), and must be presented before uploading to IM. The other fields are optional and can be left blank if header fields are completed.
Column names may be changeed but location is mandatory.
Range rng1 = ws.Cells.get_Range("A2", "A" + rowsint); //invoice number |
Range rng2 = ws.Cells.get_Range("C2", "C" + rowsint); //Actor(seller/buyer) |
Range rng3 = ws.Cells.get_Range("E2", "E" + rowsint); //Date (date of invoice) |
Range rng5 = ws.Cells.get_Range("K2", "K" + rowsint); //Value in currency |
Range rng6 = ws.Cells.get_Range("L2", "L" + rowsint); //Currency code |
Column A - mandatory. Must contain accounted invoice number
Column B - optional. May contain vendor or customer number
Column C - mandatory. Must include company name on seller from accounts payable and used for import to Norway and alternatively buyer from accounts receivable when exports from Norway.
Column D - optional. We recommend that this field is used for voucher number.
Column E - mandatory. Must contain the invoice date with Norwegian format (DD.MM.YYYY)
Column F - optional. May contain invoice value converted to NOK based on corporate exchange rates.
Column G optional. May contain country code for supplier / customer. Official country codes must be used (ex. DE, SE, NL).
Column H - optional. Can be used for contract number or project number.
Column I - optional. Can be used to provide Incotermskoder / delivery terms (eg. EXW, DAP, DDP).
Column J - optional. Can be used to present purchase order number or order number.
Column K - mandatory. Must contain the denomination in billed currency. The value can only be entered as a negative, only when it is a credit note. Remember that the value to be compared with the invoice amount, are presented as a positive amount on the clearence.
Column L - mandatory. Must contain the invoiced currency code (eg NOK, EUR, USD)
Preparations and testing
Emma Systems recommends that you have used the main module in E-Doc at least one calendar month, before you start using IM.
Companies should before ordering and startup of IM go through declaration details per supplier / customer, to acquaint yourself with the invoice details and references used in the actual customs declarations.
In some cases the importer should request that the supplier make sure that the customs agent have correct and desired documentation so that this can be used for clearence and thus giving better and more specific data in the archive.
In some cases the importer must contact their forwarder and give instructions regarding what information should be used and how this should be rendered in the customs declaration. Use of the proper invoice number, an indication of PO or order number and especially the input of each unique invoice number in full. Shortening the invoice number or invoice numbers in series with a dash, will hinder automatic matching, due to the fact that incomplete invoice numbers have been registered.
In E-Doc's main module, you can easily take out a report (Overview Commercial Invoice), which shows the individual invoice details that have been declared, sorted pr. supplier. See main module user manual regarding report execution.
As soon as the company has the first Excel report test ready from their accounting system, send this to Emma Systems AS for an initial inspection. Depending on the results, we then agree when to test the first upload and live test in E-Doc. The company has 2 hours of guidance included in the agreement. Normal user support is included in the subscription.
Log in and access to the Invoice Match module (IM)
Sign in on your E-Doc account in the usual way with a username and password as normal.
In the main module you will find access to add on modules via «Extensions» in the top screen menu. Availabillity depending on your subscription. Contact your sales representative or sales@emmasys.com if you want to add modules.
Click "Extensions" and then select "Invoicematch"
Invoice Match will then open in a new tab in your web browser. Note, you will automatically be logged out of E-Doc after 180 minutes of inactivity in the main module.
Screen – Invoice Match
Adjustment – add/ remove fields
- Add or remove fields just as in the main E-Doc screen
- Addjust with and placement of the columns by click & drag
- Remember that details are shown using a split screen. Invoice details from uploaded excel (upper half) and the customs declaration details (lower half).
- Fields/columns can be added or removed for each specific part of the screen.
- Click on tools (star icon) in the top right corner of the screen when you want to customize
Additional fields/ columns Invoice details
Additional fields/ columns customs declaration details
Uploading and reading of excel with invoice details
- Prepare excel from accounts and save this in an accessible folder on the PC or server.
- Use your customized excel output in the accounting system or paste the required details in the template provided by Emma Systems.
- Control the excel file content and structure before you upload it in E-Doc.
- Check that the required fields are filled out, that they have the correct placement and content in line with the specifications.
- Filter and delete any unwanted invoice lines, such as invoices from Norwegian suppliers or invoices for services that should not undergo customs clearance.
- Click «Upload» in the menu
- New 08-2017 You can now also download an uploaded file if necessary from this window.
- If uploading the wrong excel file or one with errors, this can be deleted as follows.
- Double click on the chosen file to delete upload and match.
- Correct the file and upload again and start match.
- Start invoice matching after upload and scann of excel
- When excel file is uploaded and scanned, the invoice list will show uploaded invoice details.
- Click "Refresh" in the menu to refresh the screen
- Note, select the correct time interval - corresponding to the uploaded invoice date.
- Do not start the match routine if no new data has arrived or been uploaded since the last attempt.
- Invoices that has been tried matched without results once before, must be manually matched by the user, condiedering that all customs declarations are also in place in the archive when the initial match was tried. This indicates that the invoice number from accounts are not rendered in the same way in a customs declaration, and automatic match is not possible.
- Click "Start invoice match" in the menu
- Choose year
- Start Invoice match
- E-Doc IM will try to match all not previously matched invoices against a customs declaration, where the invoice number is the same.
- The status bar will show how much remains of the process, and provide updates on the results during the process.
- Close match routine when status shows 100% by clicking on the X.
- Click 'Refresh' in IM main screen to refresh the selection of match results.
Working with Invoice match after the initial automatic match has been done
- Select the desired time interval in the invoice section.
- Sort invoices by «Matched» column by setting NEI (as in not matched)
- You will then see the invoice details that has not been matched with a corresponding customs clearence
- Undecleared (duty unpaid) goods invoices are your risk number 1
- Use search and filters in the customs section and look for potential matches.
- If you find the correct declaration, then manually match this to the invoice.
- If you find no potential match in the customs archive and the goods have been received, then contact the customs agent and supplier to check what has happened. If you have received the goods, but without clearence, then you need to get the goods customs cleared as soon as possible.
- Create a comment on the invoice line in E-Doc (right click on the invoice details).
- Exact match and completely matched
- The symbol in the column "Exact" shows whether a declaration is 100% matched against all invoices
- Requires that the declaration details have been transferred from the customs agent with a xml file and that all invoices have been registered individually and correct.
- Especially useful for keeping track of declarations with a high number of invoices.
- See which invoices still lacking match on some of the registered invoices
Example 100% complete and exactly matched declaration:
Example where matched declaration is not 100% exact. Match is complete in this case, but the match is made towards declaration without xml, or by indirect or manual match.
You have the option to override the status «Exact»
- Click the icon in the "Doc." Field
- Enter E for Exact / completely matched declaration
- Enter N for not exact / partial matched declaration
- Save and click refresh to update the declarations section.
Search and use of filters
- Use of filter and search functions works as in the main module, but you have to expect extended use of clear filter to reset the screen, so that one does not exclude hits in a new or alternative search.
- Clear the filter / remove search terms separately in the invoice section and/or customs section.
- Look for these buttons to cleare filter/search
- Learn which search criterias that will work and give you the best results when doing your manuel matches.
- One option is to work with only one excel file at a time, filter only unmatched invoices and sort alphabetically by supplier name, or choose only one supplier at a time.
Show search criterias/ filters:
- Shows the search criteria that are active, as well as the ability to edit the search.
- Allows you to build a separate query, add or remove one or more criterias
or click on the active search string
Advanced invoice search in the customs section:
- Requires xml data from customs agent to E-Doc
- Allows for the ability to perform an open search for registered invoice details.
- Add search criteria or sort by clicking the column header
Manual match.
- Manual match
- See the result of a manual match
- Remove search criteria or clean filter (Matched «Nei»)
- Click match symbol and E-Doc willbring up the related details.
Remove match between invoice and clearence
- If you have matched the wrong invoice with a declaration, you can reverse and remove the match by highlighting the desired invoice line and the declaration line.
- Double click on either the invoice line or declaration line and confirm
How to register a comment on an invoice
- Right click on the invoice line
- Click Add/ edit notice
- Write your comment
- Choose wether or not to manuallys et the status OK or not
- You can also mark the invoice to be manually matched at a later stage.
- Invoices marked with match manually can be sorted in the main IM screen for easy access.
- Save
- Some examples on how to register a comment
Goods not received – not cleared Uploaded a creditnote or wrong invoice Goods received – no clearence
How to register a comment on an a declaration
- Quick and easy access to Own ref. field 1-6
- View or add references / comments on the declaration directly in IM
- Add or change references and save
- Remember that Own ref.1-6 columns also can be added for viewing on the screen, through the field selector
Report – Invoice Match
- The accompanying report is found under «Reports» in the E-Doc main module.
- How to run report and export to various formats are described in the user manual for the main module
- Under «Reports» - click printer icon left of Invoice Match (Fakturamatch)
- New and improved report – click star icon
New report functionality (2017)
Work with the report on screen - export to excel if desired
Screencapture report mainscreen
Menu items:
- Refresh
- Date / period search
- Sort by invoice date, not declaration date
- Same choices as in main module, quick search or manually from / to date.
- Validate/ set filter
- Predefined filter / search
- Display matched invoices / non-matched (potentially not cleared shipments).
- Display matched invoices where differences are detected against declared value or currency code.
- Invoice Match - Report *
- Settings
- Select add or remove fields
- Export selected data to Excel.
- Settings
- Fields marked with yellow in the screencapture from the report main screen, are data read in with excel from accounting (accounts payable).
- Fields marked with green in the screencapture from the report main screen are details of matched declaration.
Report parameters
Report result, before exportation to PDF or excel