Glossary/Bookkeeping Basics

What is Purchase Invoice?

A purchase invoice is a bill received from a supplier for goods or services provided to your business. It creates an accounts payable obligation until paid.

A purchase invoice (also called a supplier invoice or bill) is the document you receive when a supplier wants payment. It is the mirror of a sales invoice - your customer's sales invoice is your purchase invoice. Recording purchase invoices promptly is important for accurate financial reporting, cash flow planning and GST/VAT compliance. Under accrual accounting, the expense (or asset purchase) is recognised when the invoice is received, not when it is paid. The purchase invoice creates an accounts payable entry that is cleared when payment is made. Key information includes supplier details, invoice number, date, description of goods or services, quantities, prices, GST/VAT amounts and payment terms. In Xero, purchase invoices are recorded as bills. SortBooks can match bank payments to recorded bills, reconciling the payment and updating the accounts payable balance automatically.

How SortBooks Handles Purchase Invoice

SortBooks automates the bookkeeping processes related to purchase invoice by connecting to your Xero account and using AI to categorise transactions, reconcile bank feeds and generate accurate reports. Instead of manually managing purchase invoice, SortBooks handles it automatically with 97%+ accuracy - saving you hours every week and ensuring your books are always up to date and compliant.

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