Invoice customers for project expenses in QuickBooks Online

Learn how to create invoices for project expenses in QuickBooks Online Plus and Advanced.

Once you set up Projects, you can invoice customers for specific project-related expenses (including timesheets). You can use these steps whether you’re charging customers for time and materials, or a fixed fee.

In this article, you'll learn how to:

• Decide how you’ll charge for projects
• Turn on billable expenses
• Make project expenses billable
• Invoice your customer for billable expenses

Step 1: Decide how you’ll charge for projects

If you charge for time and materials, you usually invoice customers for specific project expenses and hours worked. You’ll need to make your project expenses and timesheets billable so you can add them to invoices.

If you charge a fixed fee, you typically don't invoice for specific project expenses. Instead, you send customers an estimate for the entire project. You can convert the estimate into an invoice when the work begins.

However, there may be times when you need to charge for specific project expenses. A common example is when customers ask for extra work outside the original project plan.

Step 2: Turn on billable expenses

If you haven’t already, turn on billable expenses.

1. Go to Settings , then select Account and settings.
2. Select the Expenses tab.
3. Go to the Bills and expenses section and select it to expand it.
4. Turn on the Make expenses and items billable switch.
5. Select Save, then select Done to close your settings.

You can now make any expense or timesheet in QuickBooks billable.

Step 3: Make project expenses billable

Go to Projects (Take me there), then select your project.

Tip: You can customize your menu by selecting ⚙ Menu settings, then select the tabs that you want to be readily available.

Project expenses

1. Select Add to project, then select Expense.
2. Add expenses to the form.
3. Select the Billable box next to each item.
4. Select the project from the Customer/Project dropdown menu (this is different from the payee for the expense).
5. Select Save and close.

Project timesheets

1. Select + New.
2. Select Weekly timesheet.
3. Select an employee.
4. Adjust the date range if necessary.
5. Add the number of hours worked for that day or the week.
6. In the Details section, select a customer or a project to add the project.
7. Select Billable (/hr) to make the timesheet billable.
8. Add other details as necessary, then select Save and close.

Note: If you use QuickBooks Time, your employees can track their time directly against the project you set up. Make sure you approve and export those timesheets so they appear in your project.

Step 4: Invoice your customer for billable expenses

Now that you’ve made all of your project expenses and timesheets billable, go back to the project's Overview tab.

1. Select Add to project, then select Invoice.
2. Select the customer you want to invoice from the Customer dropdown menu.
3. Your billable expenses and timesheets will appear in the Add to Invoice pane. Add all the billable expenses or time you want to add to the invoice.
4. Complete the invoice and send it to your customer.

If you want to send individual expenses or timesheets as an invoice:

1. Go to your project.
2. Go to the Transactions tab.
3. Find the billable expense or timesheet on the list.
4. Select Create invoice from the Action column.
5. Complete the invoice and send it to your customer.

When you follow these steps, QuickBooks automatically connects the billable expense and invoice to your project.