EstateKeeper Help

Appearance

Bill the levies ​

When you need this ​

Each month (or quarter), to invoice every premise its levies in one go. A bill run makes one invoice per premise, with only the levies that apply to it.

There are three ways to bill:

  • Automatically: a levy structure with Bill automatically on each billing date on bills itself. Check the results each month (below).
  • Run Billing on a levy structure, by hand (the steps below).
  • A New Bill Run, with the levies typed in for this run only. Use it for a once-off charge, such as a special levy for one cluster.

Before you run ​

  • Levies and amounts are right: open the levy structure and check this period's amounts.
  • Premises are in the right clusters: a premise in the wrong cluster is billed the wrong levies (see Clusters).
  • The period hasn't been billed already: open Billing › Bill Runs and look for a run for this period.

Steps ​

Run Billing on a levy structure ​

  1. Open Billing, then the Levy Structures tab, and press the structure's row.
  2. Under Actions, press Run Billing.
  3. Create the invoices? says how many premises it bills and the total before tax and discounts. Read it, then press Yes, create them.

A once-off bill run ​

  1. Open Billing, then the Bill Runs tab, and press New Bill Run.
  2. Invoice date and Due date: set the due date the estate gives residents.
  3. Reference: for example Special levy – road repairs. It is printed on every invoice.
  4. Email the invoices: on to email each premise's invoice as it is made.
  5. Add the levies, and who pays each, as in a levy structure: the search box or + Add levy item, then + Group to pick clusters. To bill only some premises, press + Premises on the line and pick them.
  6. Check the bar at the bottom: how many invoices, and the total.
  7. Press Create bill run, read the confirmation, then press Yes, create them.

What you should see ​

After Run Billing, Invoices are being generated; after a new bill run, the Bill Runs list. Either way the run is under Billing › Bill Runs. It works through the premises in the background: open it after a minute.

The run's page shows Success Count and Failed Count, and a line per premise with its invoice and a status:

  • SUCCESS: invoiced.
  • SKIPPED: no levy applied to this premise (the reason is shown underneath). If it should have been billed, put it in the right cluster and bill it on its own.
  • FAILED: the invoice couldn't be made. The reason is shown underneath.

Each premise now has its invoice on its Invoices tab, and it counts in Debtors. If Email the invoices was on, each invoice was emailed as it was made.

Retry the premises that failed ​

  1. Fix what the failure says.
  2. On the run's page, press Retry N failed customers. In the Bill Runs list the same action is in the row's menu as Retry N failed.
  3. Confirm with Yes, retry.

Only the failed premises are billed. Premises the run already invoiced are not touched, so retrying never bills anyone twice. Wait until the run has finished: This run is still going. Retry becomes available once it finishes.

If something goes wrong ​

  • "Already billed this month": this structure was already billed this month. Open that run from Bill Runs and retry its failures instead. Press Bill again only if the first run's invoices were wrong and have been cancelled: every premise is billed a second time.
  • "Give every levy item a price above zero" or "Please add at least one levy item": fix the levy lines.
  • The count is far lower than the number of premises: a levy has the wrong cluster, or premises are missing from a cluster. Check before you create.
  • Wrong amounts on the invoices: don't run again. Correct each premise's invoice, or cancel it if nothing has been paid.
  • Run Billing is missing: the structure is paused. Press Resume first.