Time and expenses

Time entries let Staff Accountant explain how the week was spent across clients and engagements. Each entry records the work date, hours, billable choice and notes. Expenses carry their own date, category and amount, with a receipt link and engagement. Engagement Manager reviews these records separately because approval of effort and approval of a cost answer different questions.

Keep the client and engagement references consistent when recording time. A manager should be able to identify the work without asking which annual engagement a short note refers to. For an expense, keep the receipt accessible to the reviewer and confirm whether the cost is billable before submitting it.

• Capture dated effort. Staff Accountant starts time entries in Draft, checks the client and engagement, then moves them to Submitted. Include notes that explain the work. Billable and nonbillable effort both matter when reviewing workload, even though they have different commercial uses.
• Present the expense. Record Travel, Meals, Lodging, Software or Other as the expense category. Submit the amount with its receipt and responsible team member. Keep the expense attached to the engagement that incurred the cost so the manager can review the reason and billing treatment.
• Record the decision. Engagement Manager reviews submitted time and expenses and records Approved or Rejected with a review decision. An approved expense can later become Reimbursed after the reimbursement is confirmed. Agree who records that outcome and which evidence they must check.

Choose a submission cadence that matches the practice’s delivery review. Agree the detail required in time notes, how reviewers handle work across engagements, and who follows up rejected entries. Give staff a clear correction procedure so an unexplained rejection does not remain in the queue through the next billing cycle.

For expenses, agree the evidence expected for each category and how billable costs are communicated to Billing Specialist. Reimbursement through payroll, accounts payable or a bank is a connection to set up. Define the confirmation the reviewer needs before marking an expense Reimbursed, and keep that handoff distinct from approval of the expense itself.

Use a staff member who visits a tax client, records preparation time and submits a travel expense. The time entry identifies the client and engagement. The expense carries the same engagement and a readable receipt link. Engagement Manager checks the work notes and then reviews the expense evidence on its own merits.

Make the rehearsal expense point to an unreadable receipt. The manager rejects the expense and records why, while still being able to approve the correctly documented time. Correct the receipt using the agreed procedure and review the expense again. The time decision should remain understandable throughout the correction.

After reimbursement, ask the responsible reviewer to explain why the expense is now marked Reimbursed. The date on the reimbursement evidence should reconcile with the external payment confirmation. Review the expense report by status to make sure an approved but unpaid cost is still distinguishable from a reimbursed cost.

• My time entries — Check personal work dates, client references and submission status.
• Time Entries Awaiting Approval — Review submitted effort by engagement and staff member.
• Expenses Awaiting Approval — Inspect amounts, categories and receipt links before deciding.

Use work to reviewed delivery to test submission and correction. Follow invoice to collected fee for the separate client payment process.