How to review an automated booking proposal

Review in the order that reveals mistakes

Start with the first unanswered question. Choosing an account before understanding the service can make a plausible proposal look more certain than it is.

Worked example: a software supplier also provides training

A German software company normally charges a client €100 net per month for software access. In September it separately delivers a two-day staff training course and invoices €1,500 net plus €285 VAT, total €1,785.

Assumptions: the training is a domestic taxable service at 19%, entirely for the client's business; the client is fully entitled to input VAT deduction. The course is completed and a proper invoice received in September. The business uses accrual accounting.

The current invoice and the client's confirmation establish that the charge concerns staff training. A supplier-based suggestion of “software subscription” would put €1,500 in the wrong expense category even though the totals balance.

Correct invoice entry

Use the appropriate account in the client's chart. The account description here teaches the treatment without implying that one account number is correct for every firm's chart.

The ordinary September software invoice remains a separate €100 net transaction. It is not replaced by or included in the training entry.

Correct payment entry

The bank payment of €1,785 on 7 October references the training invoice.

The invoice has a €1,785 liability at 30 September and a zero balance after settlement in October. September training expense and input VAT remain €1,500 and €285 under the stated assumptions. The October payment creates no second training expense.

What to correct—and what to leave alone

In this case, change the expense classification and explain that the invoice concerns delivered training. Keep the correctly identified legal supplier, amounts and payment reference.

Check whether the change applies to this invoice only. Reclassifying all future invoices from the software company as training would move the error into the next month.

If the proposal has already been posted, use the traceable correction process rather than treating it as an editable draft. If already exported, follow the post-close correction guide.

When a case needs a factual answer

Suppose the invoice only says “service package”. Ask for the service description or order confirmation. A concise client question is: “Does this package cover software access, delivered training or both? Please attach the order.”

If both are included, establish the evidenced split before allocating the amount. Neither the supplier's usual business nor the total amount supplies that split.

The same review method applies to mixed purchases and platform settlements, though the relevant components differ.

From proposal to completed bookkeeping

DeinHans extracts document data, supports supplier and customer identification, prepares balanced entries and carries supported transactions through posting and settlement. The bank agent links payments and open items; the accountant agent supports checks across the month.

A proposal is the stage before posting. A posted entry is part of the books. The reviewer should confirm which stage the case is in before acting, and inspect the resulting balances after a correction or approval. Configured automation can complete routine work without requiring the firm to reconstruct every transaction.

For the training example, completion is observable: one invoice, the correct expense and VAT amounts, one linked October payment, and no remaining supplier balance. That is the result the review should establish.