About Entering Optional Fields on Invoices

You can use optional fields with Invoice Entry if:

  • You use Transaction Analysis and Optional Field Creator and you have set up system-wide optional fields.
  • You set up optional fields for invoices and invoice details. For more information, see A/R Optional Fields Screen.

When you start a new invoice, Accounts Receivable uses the optional fields that are marked for automatic insertion on invoices and invoice details. You can view or change optional fields, as follows:

  • On the Optional Fields tab of the A/R Invoice Entry screen, you can view or assign optional fields for specific invoices. More...

    The program displays the optional fields that you set up for automatic insertion, and displays their default values, as follows:

    • If you assigned the same optional fields to the customer and ship-to location records as you defined for invoices, the optional field values for the ship-to location appear on the Optional Fields tab.
    • If the optional fields in the ship-to location record and the customer record are different from each other, the optional field values from the customer record appear as defaults for the invoice.
    • If an optional field is defined for invoices, but is not assigned either to the customer or the ship-to location, the program displays the value specified for the optional field in the Optional Fields record.

    Note: You can add or delete optional fields for invoices. However, you can add only optional fields that you have defined for invoices on the A/R Optional Fields screen.

  • On the Detail Accounts/Taxes screen (which you open by clicking the Zoom Zoom button button beside the Optional Fields option on the A/R Invoice Entry detail table), you can view or assign optional fields for selected invoice details. More...

    When you first enter an invoice, if at least one optional field is set for automatic insertion in invoice details, the Optional Fields option is automatically selected. Otherwise, the option is not selected.

    Note: The Optional Fields option is set automatically—you cannot change it. If you delete all the optional fields associated with the detail, the program resets the Optional Fields option.

    You can use the A/R Optional Fields screen to check or change the optional fields that are used for a detail. To do this, select the detail, and then do one of the following:

    • Click the Zoom Zoom button button beside the field.
    • Press Shift+F9.

    Note: You can add or delete optional fields for invoice details. However, you can add only optional fields that are defined for invoice details.

You can change the default value that appears for an optional field, as follows:

  • If the optional field is validated, you must specify a value that is defined for the optional field in Common Services.

    Note: If the optional field allows blanks, you can leave the value field blank.

  • If the optional field is not validated, you can enter any value that is consistent with the type of field (such as yes/no, text, number, date, or amount), providing the value you enter does not exceed the length permitted for the field. You can also leave the field blank.

Note: When you specify a value that is defined in Common Services, the description for the value is also displayed.

Optional Fields for Job-Related Details

On job-related invoices, if the optional fields for the invoice details match the optional fields used in Project and Job Costing, the values from Project and Job Costing appear as defaults, as follows:

  • Time and materials projects:
    • For basic contracts, values from matching optional fields used by the project category appear.
    • For standard contracts, values from matching optional fields used by the project resource appear.

  • Fixed price projects:

    • For projects that use a Completed Project or Project Percentage Complete accounting method, values from matching optional fields used by the project appear.
    • For projects that use a Billings and Costs or Accrual-Basis accounting method, values from matching optional fields used by the project category appear.
  • Cost plus projects:
    • For projects that use a Completed Project, Total Cost Percentage Complete, or Labor Hours Percentage Complete accounting method, values from matching optional fields used by the project appear.
    • For projects that use a Billings and Costs, Accrual-Basis, or Category Percentage Complete accounting method, values from matching optional fields used by the project category appear.

If the invoice detail optional fields do not match those used in Project and Job Costing, the values from the optional field setup records appear.

The optional field information is passed to Project and Job Costing when you post job-related invoices if:

  • You selected the Project and Job Costing Billings setting for the optional field in the optional field setup record.
  • The invoice details optional fields match the optional fields defined for Project and Job Costing billings.

Optional Fields for Retainage Document Details

On retainage documents, the optional fields and values specified on the original documents are used as defaults for the related retainage invoices, retainage credit notes, and retainage debit notes, whether you enter the retainage documents manually or create them using the A/R Create Retainage Batch screen.

Updating General Ledger

When you post an invoice that includes optional fields, optional field information for invoice headers and invoice details is included in the journal entry passed to General Ledger if:

  • You specified in the optional field setup record that optional field information will be passed to the General Ledger account.
  • You used the same optional fields in the invoices and invoice details as you assigned for transaction details in the General Ledger account record.

Depending on the settings for the optional field, the accounts can include:

  • For invoice details:
    • Revenue accounts (both summary and item invoices).
    • Inventory accounts (item invoices).
    • Cost of Goods Sold accounts (item invoices).
  • For invoice headers:
    • Receivables Control.
    • Retainage Control.
    • Sales Tax.
    • Prepayment Liability.
    • Receipt Discounts.
    • Exchange Gain or Realized Exchange Gain (including rounding).
    • Exchange Loss or Realized Exchange Loss (including rounding).
    • Receipt Entry.
    • Receipts.