> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.arkata.mt/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Tracking Expenses

> Recording, categorising, and linking firm expenses to projects.

# Tracking Expenses

Expenses tracks what your firm spends — materials, PA fees, software, travel.

Sort them into categories, link them to projects, and see at a glance what you can bill back to a client and what's simply the cost of running the firm.

## Accessing expenses

Navigate to **Expenses** from the sidebar. This page shows all expenses for the current year, grouped by month.

<Info>
  Expenses require the **View Financials** permission. If you don't see the Expenses link in the sidebar, check with your firm's administrator.
</Info>

## Creating an expense

1. Click **New Expense**
2. Fill in the details:
   * **Description** — what the expense is for
   * **Category** — select from your firm's expense categories
   * **Amount** — the cost in euros
   * **Date** — when the expense occurred
   * **Linked project** (optional) — associate with a specific project
   * **Notes** (optional) — any additional context
3. Click **Save**

## Categories

Expenses are organised by category. Categories are managed by your firm and help you understand where money is going. Common examples:

* PA Application Fees
* Materials
* Travel
* Software & Subscriptions
* Professional Services

Use the category dropdown filter on the Expenses page to view a specific category at a time.

## Linking to projects

When an expense relates to a specific project, you can link it. Linked expenses:

* Appear under "Billable to Projects" in the summary metrics
* Can be recovered from the client through project billing
* Show the project name alongside the expense for quick reference

You can link a project when creating the expense, or later by clicking the link icon on any expense row.

## Summary metrics

The top of the Expenses page shows three key figures for the current year:

| Metric                   | What it shows                                          |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Total Expenses**       | All recorded expenses for the year                     |
| **Billable to Projects** | Expenses linked to a project (potentially recoverable) |
| **Overhead**             | Non-project expenses (general firm costs)              |

These summary figures always cover the full year, regardless of any active category or search filter.

## Searching and filtering

* **Search** — type to filter expenses by description or linked project name
* **Category filter** — select a category from the dropdown to show only matching expenses

## Monthly grouping

Expenses are displayed in collapsible month groups, newest first. Each month header shows the number of entries and the month's total. Click to expand or collapse a month.

## Editing and deleting

* Click the edit icon on any expense to update its details
* Click the delete icon to remove an expense (this cannot be undone)
* You can also change the category or amount inline without opening the full edit form

## Why can't I see older months?

If you have a lot of expenses, Arkata only loads the most recent months to start with. The three figures at the top still cover the whole year, so your totals are never short.