Turn receipts and invoices into useful business records
Start with the paperwork you have. Review each receipt or invoice's date, description and total, choose income or expense, then add a category and the business portion. Keep each item linked to its original and export records for your own accounts or an accountant. A bank statement is useful for checking, but is not required to start.
Prepare one business and period at a time
Keep clear originals for receipts, purchase invoices and sales invoices. Separate another business's files, and check dates before putting documents into a month. Choose a currency that matches your records; changing a label does not convert an amount.
A receipt normally represents an expense. An invoice might be a purchase or a sale, so choose the direction after reading it. You can exclude a personal item from the preparation totals while keeping its source in your files.
Worked example: three documents, no bank statement
Harbour Studio is a fictional sole-trader business preparing September 2026 records in GBP. This example includes an office-supplies receipt, a sales invoice and a phone-and-internet invoice. The source text and CSV are available below without an account.
The owner has reviewed all three sources and chosen the categories and business-use percentages shown here. The 50% business portion is an illustrative owner choice, not a tax rule. The sales invoice does not establish that payment has been received. The preparation remains DRAFT and is not a tax return or full set of accounts.
| Source and date | Chosen record type and category | Signed amount (GBP) | Business use | Business amount (GBP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper & Co receipt, 5 September | Expense · Office supplies | -48.00 | 100% | -48.00 |
| Harbour Studio sales invoice, 9 September | Income · Sales and services | 300.00 | 100% | 300.00 |
| HomeNet purchase invoice, 14 September | Expense · Phone and internet | -40.00 | 50% | -20.00 |
What the totals mean
These records contain GBP 300.00 of prepared income and GBP 88.00 of expenses, a difference of GBP 212.00. Applying the owner's chosen business portions gives GBP 300.00 of business income and GBP 68.00 of business expenses, a difference of GBP 232.00.
Those are preparation totals for the selected records. They do not establish taxable profit, allowable expenses, VAT, payment status or completeness. Missing documents and the accounting method you use can change the final accounts or return.
- Import the CSV into Excel, then check that dates and amounts are interpreted correctly.
- Keep the Source and Note columns so the figures remain understandable.
- Treat an unresolved direction, amount or match as review work, rather than guessing.
- When a bank statement contains the same item, confirm its supporting-document match so the item is counted once.
Choose an output you can use
An Excel workbook keeps structured records, preparation summaries and review notes together. A records CSV is a table you can use in spreadsheets; a bank CSV is a separate export of bank rows and is not the receipt-and-invoice output.
A PDF preparation report is useful for reading or sharing the selected figures. A ZIP document pack keeps the exports and original files together, so you can retain your own copy. Choose a month or enter an exact date range for an annual preparation period; FigureLane does not decide which dates your return requires.
FigureLane's current availability
The receipt, invoice and statement preparation workflow is implemented locally. FigureLane is for small businesses, sole traders and freelancers preparing their own records; using an accountant is optional.
The hosted website currently supports account signup, email verification and sign-in settings. Document workspaces, uploads and subscriptions are not open yet. The downloadable files on this page are fictional teaching examples, not a live conversion service. FigureLane does not calculate tax or submit returns.
Common questions
Do I need to be a bookkeeper to use FigureLane?
No. It is designed for business owners, sole traders and freelancers preparing their own paperwork. An accountant can receive your finished records if you choose.
Will every invoice be treated as income?
No. Review the invoice and choose income, expense or exclusion. FigureLane does not establish whether an invoice has been paid.
Does a category or business percentage decide tax deductibility?
No. They record your preparation choices. FigureLane does not apply tax rules, calculate a liability or submit a return.
Sources
External guidance and product details were checked on 5 October 2026. Check the provider’s website before choosing a service. How we prepare these guides.