Managing Expense Reports in Odoo 18
By Braincuber Team
Published on January 9, 2026
A sales representative returns from a week-long client visit with a stack of crumpled receipts stuffed in her briefcase—hotel bills, restaurant receipts, taxi fares, conference fees—and the company accountant asks for everything to be organized, categorized, and submitted by end of day. She spends two hours sorting papers, entering data into a spreadsheet, calculating totals, and emailing the report to her manager. Her manager approves it a week later, emails it to accounting, who finally process the reimbursement three weeks after the trip ended. Meanwhile, she's already fronted the money for another trip.
Odoo 18 Expenses module eliminates this friction with a streamlined digital workflow. Employees photograph receipts with their phone, enter expense details or let OCR extract them automatically, and submit everything through a clean interface. The dashboard shows exactly how much money is pending at each approval stage. Managers receive notifications, review expenses with attached receipts, and approve or reject with a single click. Approved expenses automatically post journal entries and queue for reimbursement—either as direct payment or included in the next payslip. The entire cycle that used to take weeks now happens in days, with complete visibility for everyone involved.
Core Benefit: Employee submits expenses → manager approves with one click → accounting posts journal entries → reimbursement via payment or payslip. Complete audit trail with attached receipts. What took weeks now takes days.
Why Use the Expenses Module?
Easy Submission
Multiple input methods: manual entry, receipt upload with OCR, or email forwarding. Employees log expenses in seconds from any device with automatic data extraction.
Real-Time Dashboard
Summary cards show totals at each workflow stage: To Submit, Under Validation, To Be Reimbursed. Click any card to filter and focus on specific expense categories.
One-Click Approval
Managers review expenses with attached receipts and approve, reject, or request changes instantly. Built-in policy compliance checks prevent unauthorized spending.
Flexible Reimbursement
Pay employees directly through bank transfer, or include reimbursements in their next payslip. Journal entries post automatically for accurate financial records.
Understanding the Expense Workflow
EXPENSE WORKFLOW STATUS STAGES
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
STAGE 1: TO SUBMIT (Draft)
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Description: Individual expenses recorded but not yet
grouped into a report
Actions: - Add more expenses
- Edit expense details
- Attach receipts
- Create Report to group expenses
Dashboard: Shows total amount awaiting submission
STAGE 2: SUBMITTED (Under Validation)
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Description: Report created and sent to manager for review
Actions: - Manager reviews attached receipts
- Manager approves → moves to Approved
- Manager refuses → returns with comment
- Manager resets to draft → employee edits
Dashboard: Shows total amount awaiting approval
STAGE 3: APPROVED
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Description: Manager has validated the expense report
Actions: - Accounting posts journal entries
- Click "Post Journal Entries" button
- Creates accounting records
Dashboard: Ready for accounting processing
STAGE 4: POSTED
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Description: Journal entries created in accounting system
Actions: - Accounting clicks "Pay" for direct payment
- Or clicks "Report in Next Payslip"
- Payment registers against employee payable
Dashboard: Shows total awaiting reimbursement
STAGE 5: DONE (Paid/Reimbursed)
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Description: Employee has been reimbursed
Actions: - Payment completed
- Or included in payslip
- Expense cycle complete
Dashboard: No longer appears in pending totals
Creating an Expense Entry
Employees can create expense entries through multiple methods: manual entry, uploading receipts, or forwarding emails to a dedicated address. Each method captures the same core information.
Navigate to My Expenses
Access the expense entry form:
- Go to Expenses → My Expenses → My Expenses
- Click the New button to create an expense
- Or click Upload to import receipt images/PDFs
- Odoo extracts data from uploaded documents using OCR
Enter Expense Details
Complete the required fields:
- Description: Clear title (e.g., "Client lunch - Apex Corp")
- Category: Select from predefined types (Meals, Travel, Lodging)
- Total: Amount spent including taxes
- Expense Date: When the expense occurred
- Paid By: Employee (needs reimbursement) or Company (for tracking)
Add Receipt and Details
Complete the expense record:
- Attach Receipt: Upload photo or scan of receipt
- Account: Expense account for posting (e.g., 600000 Expenses)
- Analytic Distribution: Assign to project/department for tracking
- Customer to Reinvoice: If expense should be billed to client
- Click Save to store the expense
Complete Expense Entry Example
EXPENSE ENTRY: Business Trip - Chicago ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ EMPLOYEE INFORMATION ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Employee: Sarah Mitchell Department: Sales Manager: David Rodriguez Trip Purpose: Client Presentation - Horizon Technologies EXPENSE 1: AIRFARE ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Description: Round-trip flight NYC to Chicago Category: [TRAVEL] Transportation Total: $487.50 Expense Date: 2026-01-06 Paid By: Employee Account: 620000 Travel Expenses Attached: e-ticket_confirmation.pdf EXPENSE 2: HOTEL ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Description: Marriott Downtown - 2 nights Category: [LODGING] Accommodation Total: $398.00 Included Taxes: 14% = $48.84 Expense Date: 2026-01-06 to 2026-01-08 Paid By: Employee Account: 620100 Lodging Expenses Attached: hotel_receipt.jpg EXPENSE 3: CLIENT DINNER ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Description: Dinner with Horizon Tech executives Category: [FOOD] Client Entertainment Total: $245.80 Included Taxes: 10.25% = $22.78 Expense Date: 2026-01-07 Paid By: Employee Account: 625000 Entertainment Expenses Customer to Reinvoice: Horizon Technologies Attached: restaurant_receipt.jpg EXPENSE 4: TAXI/RIDESHARE ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Description: Uber rides - airport and meetings Category: [TRAVEL] Local Transportation Total: $78.50 Expense Date: 2026-01-06 to 2026-01-08 Paid By: Employee Account: 620000 Travel Expenses Attached: uber_receipts.pdf (consolidated) ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── TRIP SUMMARY ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Total Expenses: 4 items To Be Reimbursed: $1,209.80 (paid by employee) Reinvoiceable: $245.80 (Horizon Technologies) ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NET EMPLOYEE REIMBURSEMENT: $1,209.80
Splitting Expenses
When a single expense needs to be allocated across multiple projects, departments, or cost centers, use the Split Expense feature. This maintains the original receipt while properly distributing costs.
SPLITTING AN EXPENSE ACROSS PROJECTS ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ ORIGINAL EXPENSE ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Description: Team working lunch - project meeting Category: [FOOD] Meals Original Total: $156.00 Expense Date: 2026-01-08 Attendees: 4 people from 2 projects SPLIT CONFIGURATION ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Line 1: Project Alpha Share Amount: $78.00 (50%) Analytic: Project Alpha Account: 625000 Entertainment Line 2: Project Beta Share Amount: $78.00 (50%) Analytic: Project Beta Account: 625000 Entertainment RESULT ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Original Receipt: Attached to both split lines Total Preserved: $156.00 ($78 + $78) Tracking: Each project sees its allocated cost
Creating and Submitting Expense Reports
Select Expenses to Group
Group related expenses:
- Go to My Expenses and view expenses marked "To Submit"
- Check the boxes next to expenses you want to group
- Select expenses from the same trip, week, or project
Create and Submit Report
Generate and send for approval:
- Click Create Report button
- Review the report summary and total amount
- Click Submit to Manager button
- Manager receives notification of pending approval
Manager Approval Workflow
MANAGER EXPENSE APPROVAL WORKFLOW ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ STEP 1: ACCESS PENDING REPORTS Navigation: Expenses → Expense Reports → To Approve STEP 2: REVIEW EXPENSE REPORT Review: ✓ Check each expense line item ✓ Verify amounts match attached receipts ✓ Confirm expenses within company policy ✓ Review analytic distributions STEP 3: MAKE DECISION ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ OPTION A: APPROVE Action: Click "Approve" button Result: Report moves to "Approved" status OPTION B: REFUSE Action: Click "Refuse" button Dialog: Enter reason for rejection Result: Report moves to "Refused" status OPTION C: RESET TO DRAFT Action: Click "Reset to Draft" button Result: Report returns to employee for edits
Accounting Processing and Reimbursement
ACCOUNTING EXPENSE PROCESSING ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ STEP 1: POST JOURNAL ENTRIES Navigation: Expenses → Expense Reports (filter: Approved) Action: Click "Post Journal Entries" button JOURNAL ENTRY CREATED ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Account | Debit | Credit ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 620000 Travel Expenses | $566.00 | 620100 Lodging Expenses | $398.00 | 625000 Entertainment Expenses | $245.80 | 217000 Employee Payables | | $1,209.80 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ STEP 2: PROCESS REIMBURSEMENT ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ OPTION A: DIRECT PAYMENT Action: Click "Pay" button Method: Bank transfer to employee account Status: DONE (Paid) OPTION B: PAYSLIP INTEGRATION Action: Click "Report in Next Payslip" button Method: Added to next payroll processing Status: In Payslip → DONE
Best Practices
✅ Follow These Guidelines:
- Photograph receipts immediately: Capture receipts right after purchase before they get lost or fade
- Submit expenses weekly: Don't accumulate months of expenses—weekly submission keeps things manageable
- Use descriptive titles: "Client lunch - Apex Corp meeting" is better than just "Lunch"
- Attach all receipts: Every expense should have supporting documentation—no exceptions
- Flag reinvoiceable expenses: Mark client-billable expenses at time of entry, not later
- Use analytic distribution: Assign to correct project/department for accurate cost tracking
- Check policy limits: Know your company's per diem and spending limits before submitting
- Approve promptly: Managers should review and approve within 48 hours to avoid backlogs
Common Issues and Solutions
🚨 Issue #1: Receipt Not Attaching
Upload fails or file not showing. Solution: Check file format (PDF, JPG, PNG supported), verify file size under limit (typically 10MB), try different browser or clear cache.
🚨 Issue #2: Can't Submit Report
Submit button not appearing or disabled. Solution: Ensure all required fields are filled, verify expense entries are saved (not just draft), check that at least one expense line exists in the report.
🚨 Issue #3: Wrong Manager Receiving Approval
Report going to incorrect approver. Solution: Check employee record—ensure Manager field is set correctly in HR. Expense approval follows the employee's designated manager.
🚨 Issue #4: Journal Entry Not Posting
Posting fails with error. Solution: Verify expense category has valid account assigned, check analytic account is active, ensure fiscal year is open for the expense date.
Conclusion
Odoo 18 Expenses transforms the traditionally tedious expense management process into a streamlined digital workflow. Employees submit expenses with attached receipts through an intuitive interface—whether by manual entry, document upload, or email. The dashboard provides instant visibility into totals at each stage: To Submit, Under Validation, and To Be Reimbursed. Managers review and approve with a single click, with full access to attached receipts and policy compliance checks. Accounting posts journal entries automatically and processes reimbursements either as direct payments or through payslip integration.
🎯 Key Takeaway: Upload receipt → enter expense details → create report → submit to manager → one-click approval → post journal entries → reimburse via payment or payslip. Complete visibility at every stage. Weeks become days.