Turn invoices and receipts into tidy records without desk time

Step 1: Snap receipts at the counter

The single biggest time-saver. Before the receipt goes in your pocket, photograph it into your accounting app (in Xero, use the receipt or bills capture option on the mobile app). Add one word: the job name or 'van'.

Got a pile already? Lay five or six out on the bench and photograph them in batches.

Step 2: Forward supplier invoices automatically

Most accounting apps give you a special email address for bills. Ask your merchants to email invoices straight there, or set up a rule in your email to forward them. No more printing.

Step 3: Use AI to make a checking list

When you have a messy batch — say a month of fuel and merchant receipts — upload the photos to your AI app with this prompt:

Copy this prompt and fill in the [square brackets]:

Read these receipt photos and make a table with: Date, Supplier, Description (short), Total incl. GST, GST amount, Job (if written on the receipt). If anything is hard to read, mark it "CHECK". Don't guess numbers.

Step 4: Check against your bank, then file

Compare the AI table to your bank feed in your accounting app. Fix anything marked CHECK by looking at the actual receipt. Then reconcile as normal.

Step 5: Invoice from the job, same day

When a job's done, send the invoice from your phone before you leave — or at the latest that evening. Use AI to tidy your voice note into a clear invoice description:

Copy this prompt and fill in the [square brackets]:

Turn this into a short, clear invoice description for a customer (3–5 bullet points, plain English): [paste voice note]

Step 6: The 30-minute weekly session

Same time each week (Friday arvo works for many). Go down the checklist below and stop when it's done.