Expense templates—Contracts

An expense template defines the schedule to recognize an expense amount for a contract or contract line over the contract term. You can create any number of expense templates and reuse them across contracts.

About expense templates

An expense template defines the rules that you want to use to recognize expenses for a contract or contract line. When the user creates an expense, the user will associate one or two expense templates with it, depending on your Contracts configuration.

The following table shows how expense schedules for a contract line on a one-year contract may differ according to the amortization method when the expense amount field on a contract line is 1,200:

Amortization method	Expense schedule
Straight line	12 rows with 100 scheduled to post each month. Partial periods are calculated as: (total schedule amount / total number of days in the expense recognition term) * (number of days in the partial period).
Daily rate	12 rows with ((1,200 / 365) * (number of days in month)) scheduled to post each month. For example, 101.92 in January, 92.05 in February, and so on.
Predefined percentages	This method lets you define a completely custom schedule, so you could have 3 rows with 400 scheduled to post one month, six months, and eight months from the expense start date; 6 rows with 200 scheduled to post every other month; and so on.

Add an expense template

The user interface for adding an expense template changes slightly based on the amortization method you select.

Add a Daily rate or Straight line expense template

The method for creating expense templates for the following two amortization methods is the same:

• Straight line—Expenses are allocated evenly over the expense recognition term. Partial periods are calculated as total schedule amount / total number of days in the expense recognition term) * (number of days in the partial period).
• Daily rate—Expenses are allocated using a daily recognition rate: (total schedule amount / number of days in expense recognition term) * (number of days in month))

1. Go to Contracts > Setup > Templates and select Add (circle) next to Expense.

   The Expense Template page appears.

2. In the Name field, enter a meaningful identifier for the expense template. This identifier will appear in the applicable selection lists.

   The identifier must be unique across revenue and expense templates. For example, you cannot have both a revenue template and an expense template named "Daily rate template".

3. In the Description field, enter a meaningful description for the expense template.
4. Use the Amortization method dropdown list to select either Daily rate or Straight line.
5. Select the desired Default posting type.

   If you select "Automatic", Intacct will automatically post scheduled expense journal entries on each scheduled posting date. If you select "Manual", the user will manually post the scheduled expense journal entries when desired. The user can change the posting type from "Manual" to "Automatic" during the expense schedule's life cycle as needed.

6. Accept the default Status selection of Active or if you do not want the current template to be available for use yet, use the Status dropdown list to select Inactive.

7. Select Save.

Add a Predefined percentages expense template

The Predefined percentages amortization method lets you set up contract expense schedules any way you want. Set up custom, non-linear schedules, like milestone schedules, to adapt expense processes to your business.

The expense template maps the period for amortization to occur with the percentage of the amount to recognize that period. Intacct generates the expense schedule based on the template start date entered on the expense.

1. Go to Contracts > Setup > Templates and select Add (circle) next to Expense.

   The Expense Template page appears.

2. In the Name field, enter a meaningful identifier for the expense template. This identifier will appear in the applicable selection lists.

   The identifier must be unique across revenue and expense templates. For example, you cannot have both a revenue template and an expense template named "Daily rate template".

3. In the Description field, enter a meaningful description for the expense template.
4. Use the Amortization method dropdown list to select Predefined percentages. A table appears in the lower portion of the page.
5. Select the desired Default posting type.

   If you select "Automatic", Intacct will automatically post scheduled expense journal entries on each scheduled posting date. If you select "Manual", the user will manually post the scheduled expense journal entries when desired. The user can change the posting type from "Manual" to "Automatic" during the expense schedule's life cycle as needed.

6. Accept the default Status selection of Active or if you do not want the current template to be available for use yet, use the Status dropdown list to select Inactive.
7. In the Template details table, specify the number of months offset from the expense start date and corresponding percentages to be recognized. The total Percent to recognize values must equal 100 to save the expense template.
8. Select Save.

Edit an expense template

Changes made to an expense template apply to expense schedules created after the change was made. Template changes do not apply to an expense schedule that has expense recognition posted from it.

1. Go to Contracts > Setup > Templates > Expense.
2. Find the expense template that you want to edit.
3. Select More actions > Edit at the end of the row.
4. Make your changes.
5. Select Save.

1. Go to Contracts > Setup > Templates > Expense.
2. Select Edit next to the applicable template.
3. Edit the desired fields and select Save.

View an expense template

1. Go to Contracts > Setup > Templates > Expense.

2. Find the expense template that you want to view.

   Records designated as Inactive do not appear in the list by default. To view these records, select Filters at the top of the list and select Remove next to the Status filter to remove it.
3. Select the template's name.

1. Go to Contracts > Setup > Templates > Expense.
2. To view inactive expense templates, select the Include inactive checkbox.
3. Select View next to the applicable template.

Delete an expense template

You can delete an expense template if it has not been used by any contracts. This removes the template from Intacct. Alternatively, you can deactivate a template (change the status to Inactive), which prevents it from displaying in any template selection lists but retains the template for historical purposes.

1. Go to Contracts > Setup > Templates > Expense.
2. Find the expense template that you want to delete.
3. Select More actions > Delete at the end of the row.
4. Select Delete to confirm.

1. Go to Contracts > Setup > Templates > Expense.
2. Select Delete next to the applicable template.

   Intacct prompts you to confirm the delete.

3. Select OK.

   The template is removed from the list.

Field descriptions

Expense templates field descriptions

Field	Description
Name	A short identifier for the expense template. This ID will appear in any applicable expense template selections lists in Intacct. The identifier must be unique across revenue and expense templates. For example, you cannot have both a revenue template and an expense template named "Daily rate template".
Description	Use this field to describe the purpose of the template. For example, describe the type of contract lines that will use this template.
Amortization method	Determines how expenses are calculated during the contract term. Options are: Straight line: Expenses are allocated evenly over the expense recognition term. Partial periods are calculated as total schedule amount / total number of days in the expense recognition term) * (number of days in the partial period). Daily rate: Expenses are allocated using a daily recognition rate: (total schedule amount / number of days in expense recognition term) * (number of days in month)) Predefined percentages: Expenses are allocated based on a table of entries that map the period to recognize with the percentage of the expense amount to be recognized that period.
Default posting type	Determines how the expense journal entries will be posted. Options are: Automatic: Intacct will automatically post the journal entries on each scheduled posting date. Manual: The user will manually post the journal entries when desired via the Manage Revenue and Expense Recognition page. Users can change the posting type of "Manual" schedules to "Automatic" during the schedule's life cycle. Learn more about converting a schedule's posting type.
Status	Options are: Active: The template will be available for use. Inactive: The template will not be available for use, but could be made available at a future date. You can change the template's status as desired.
No. of months offset	The number of months in the future from the expense start date the corresponding percentage will post. For example, 2 indicates two months from the expense start date, 4 indicates four months from the expense start date, and so on. Enter 0 if you want the corresponding percentage to be posted in the month the expense starts. This field is only applicable when Amortization method = Predefined percentages.
Percent to recognize	The percentage of the expense amount that's posted at the corresponding number of months from the expense start date. You can enter up to 8 decimal places in this field.