Transfer receipts into a reviewable table

Key takeaways

• Define the columns before processing and start with a few receipts.
• Every row carries a reference to file and page.
• Never add up different currencies or tax rates together.
• Check amounts and decimal places against the original, especially on till receipts.
• The table is a working basis, not verified bookkeeping.

Define columns before processing

Define the fields needed: file name, document number, date, currency, net, tax, gross and review note. Not every receipt contains every field. Use empty fields or visible uncertainty markers instead of estimated values.

For scanned PDFs, the task automatically recognises text locally. Check amounts and identifiers against the image; good recognition of long prose does not prove tiny digits are correct.

Begin with a small sample

1. Add a few representative receipts first.
2. Request one row per receipt with source and uncertain fields.
3. Compare every sample amount with the originals.
4. Use a larger bounded set only after reviewing the schema.

Totals are an additional check

A correct total does not rule out swapped individual amounts. Check both row values and totals. Keep currencies separate; conversion needs an explicitly specified basis.

A receipt sample with clear boundaries

Do not sample only the cleanest receipts. A useful sample includes a readable digital record, a scan and a case with missing information. This tests whether the table actually preserves uncertainty. For multi-page invoices, each row needs an unambiguous document reference; page two is not automatically another invoice. If a record is a correction or credit note, identify its type instead of treating it as a normal positive amount.

In the Excel export, check record count, currencies and identifiers as well as totals. A receipt can be imported twice even with a different file name. A date may describe issue date or service period; explicitly choose the intended meaning. This overview supports your review. It posts no accounting entries and establishes no tax correctness.

What an invoice must contain

In Germany, section 14(4) of the VAT Act sets out the required details: name and address of supplier and recipient, tax number or VAT ID, date of issue, sequential invoice number, quantity and type of service, time of supply, net amount per tax rate, and tax rate and tax amount. Simplified rules apply to small invoices up to 250 euros.

These details work well as columns for your table. Ask Docsi to note missing required details per receipt in a separate column. That shows you quickly which invoice is incomplete – but the legal assessment remains with you or your tax adviser.

A proven set of columns

For most purposes these columns are enough: receipt number, date in year-month-day format, merchant, description, net amount, tax rate, tax amount, gross amount, currency as a three-letter code (EUR, USD, CHF), category and source with file and page. Specify the columns in exactly this order in your request.

The three-letter currency codes come from the ISO 4217 standard and prevent confusion, for example between different dollar currencies. Amounts should be numbers without currency symbols in the cell so that Excel can calculate with them.

Till receipts and photos

Till receipts on thermal paper fade and crease; photograph them early, straight and in good light. Docsi reads photos locally with text recognition. Afterwards, check amounts, decimal places and dates in particular, as digits on receipts are often small and tightly printed.

Keep the originals or proper copies for as long as your purposes require. The Docsi table does not replace a receipt; it only makes it easier to analyse.

Keeping tax rates and currencies apart

In Germany, 19 percent is currently the standard VAT rate and 7 percent the reduced rate; one invoice can contain both. Have Docsi create a separate row or separate columns for each tax rate instead of combining tax amounts. Only then can the totals per rate be checked later.

Never add up amounts in different currencies directly. Ask Docsi for separate totals per currency. A conversion needs an exchange rate with date and source; you set it yourself and note it in the table.

Passing the table on

As an Excel file, your tax adviser can keep working on the table directly; as CSV it can be imported into many accounting programs. Check beforehand which delimiter and date format the target program expects.

Docsi is not certified accounting software and does not claim compliance with tax bookkeeping requirements. The table helps you sort and check; the original receipts and the bookkeeping in a system intended for it remain authoritative.

A worked scenario

An example: for your tax return you have collected 24 receipts as PDFs and photos. You start with five of them and give Docsi the columns: receipt number, date, merchant, net, tax rate, tax, gross, currency, category, source. Docsi delivers five rows that you check against the originals; on one till receipt a comma has shifted, and you correct it.

You then process the remaining 19 receipts in two batches. Finally you ask for totals per category and tax rate and compare the overall total with a quick calculation on a calculator. The Excel file goes to your tax adviser, and you keep the original receipts as required.

Checklist before sharing

Before the table goes to your tax adviser or into bookkeeping, check these points. An error is spotted faster here than later in the accounts.

1. The number of rows matches the number of receipts.
2. Net plus tax equals the gross amount in every row.
3. Totals are shown separately by currency and tax rate.
4. Missing required details are noted per receipt.

Key terms explained

Receipt

Proof of a business transaction, such as an invoice, receipt or till slip.

Net and gross

Net is the amount without VAT, gross the amount including VAT.

VAT

The tax on goods and services, in Germany 19 percent standard and 7 percent reduced.

Small invoice

An invoice up to 250 euros, for which simplified required details apply.

ISO 4217 code

The three-letter currency code, such as EUR, USD or CHF.