# Expenses > Collect expense reports with lines, categories and receipts, check spend policies on submit, approve through the approvals block, and post the approved total and its reimbursement on the ledger. Source: https://bettersupabase.com/docs/blocks/expenses `expenses` lets members file expense reports. A report has lines, each in a category, with receipts uploaded as attachments. Categories carry a spend policy, which `submit` checks before the report goes to the [approvals](/docs/blocks/approvals) block. An approved report posts on the [ledger](/docs/blocks/ledger), and so does its reimbursement, so what the organization owes a member is a ledger balance. ```bash better-supabase add expenses ``` ```ts import { createExpenses } from "better-supabase/blocks/expenses"; import { money } from "better-supabase/commerce"; ``` The module requires `tenant`, `access`, `approvals` and `ledger`. With `outbox` it records the `expense_report.*` events, with `audit` every change is audited, and with [attachments](/docs/blocks/attachments) lines take receipts. Amounts are bigint minor units ([ADR 0037](https://github.com/ScaleDockHQ/better-supabase/blob/main/docs/decisions/0037-money-on-the-wire.md)), and how the approved total posts on the ledger is in [ADR 0080](https://github.com/ScaleDockHQ/better-supabase/blob/main/docs/decisions/0080-recurring-charges-on-the-ledger.md). ## Tables [#tables] | Table | Holds | | -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `expense_categories` | A category per organization, by `key`, with its currency, `limit_amount` and `receipt_over` | | `expense_reports` | A member's report: the title, the currency, the approval, and the approval and reimbursement transactions | | `expense_lines` | A line: the category, the day, the amount, the description and the merchant | A member reads their own reports and lines. Members with `expenses.read` read every report of the organization. Writes go through the functions: `expenses.submit` to file reports, `expenses.approve` to approve them (the approvals block checks it), and `expenses.manage` for categories and reimbursement. ## Your own columns [#your-own-columns] `extraColumns` adds columns to the `expense_reports` table, and the client's `fields` schema types them. ```ts // better-supabase.config.ts blocks: { expenses: { options: { extraColumns: { project_code: "text" } } }, }, // the client const expenses = createExpenses({ transport, tenant, fields: v.object({ project_code: v.optional(v.string()) }), }); ``` `create` validates them before the call, and every read that returns a report parses them under `report.fields`. ## Categories and spend policies [#categories-and-spend-policies] ```ts const expenses = createExpenses({ transport, tenant: organizationId }); await expenses .saveCategory({ key: "travel", name: "Travel", limit: money(150_000n, "EUR"), receiptOver: money(2_500n, "EUR"), }) .orThrow(); ``` `limit` caps a report's total in the category. `receiptOver` requires a receipt on every line above it, and needs the attachments block. Archiving a category keeps its lines; a report with a line in an archived category can't be submitted. ## File and submit a report [#file-and-submit-a-report] ```ts const report = await expenses .create({ title: "Client visit, Lisbon", currency: "EUR" }) .orThrow(); const line = await expenses .addLine(report.id, { categoryId, spentOn: Temporal.PlainDate.from("2026-10-14"), amount: money(18_900n, "EUR"), description: "Flight", merchant: "TAP", }) .orThrow(); const findings = await expenses.check(report.id).orThrow(); await expenses.submit(report.id).orThrow(); ``` A receipt is an attachment on the line: upload it with the [attachments](/docs/blocks/attachments) client and the subject `{ type: "expense_line", id: line.id }`. The line's `receipts` counts the uploads that finished and weren't flagged as infected. `check` returns what the spend policy would refuse: a category over its limit, a line over its receipt threshold without a receipt, or a line in an archived category. `submit` fails with `EXPENSE_POLICY_VIOLATION` while there are findings, and otherwise opens an approval. Lines can't change while the report is submitted; a rejected report can be edited and submitted again. | Method | Returns | | ------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------- | | `saveCategory(input)` | the category, created or updated by key | | `archiveCategory(categoryId)` | the archived category | | `categories({ includeArchived })` | categories | | `create(input)` | the caller's draft report | | `addLine(reportId, line)` | the line | | `updateLine(lineId, update)` | the line | | `removeLine(lineId)` | the report without the line | | `check(reportId)` | the spend policy findings, empty when it may submit | | `submit(reportId)` | the report with its approval | | `reimburse(reportId, input)` | the reimbursed report | | `cancel(reportId)` | the cancelled report | | `get(reportId)` | the report with its lines | | `list({ status, userId, everyone })` | reports, newest first | ## Approval and the ledger [#approval-and-the-ledger] The report's status follows its approval: `submitted` while it's pending, `approved` or `rejected` once it's decided. Members with `expenses.approve` decide it through the approvals block. When the approval is final, the report posts on the ledger: each category's total on its expense account (`expenses:category::`) against the member's payable account (`expenses:payable::`). ```ts await expenses .reimburse(report.id, { reference: "payout-2026-10-31" }) .orThrow(); ``` `reimburse` settles the payable account from expense cash (`expenses:cash:`) and needs `expenses.manage`. Each posting has a key per report (`expense::approved`, `expense::reimbursed`), so it can't post twice. `cancel` withdraws a report that isn't approved yet and cancels its pending approval. ## Errors [#errors] | Hint | Cause | | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `EXPENSES_FORBIDDEN` | the caller lacks the permission for the change | | `EXPENSE_CATEGORY_INVALID` | the key, name, limit or threshold isn't valid, or a threshold lacks attachments | | `EXPENSE_CATEGORY_NOT_FOUND` | no category with this id in the organization | | `EXPENSE_CURRENCY_MISMATCH` | the line's amount or its category's policy isn't in the report's currency | | `EXPENSE_LINE_INVALID` | the line's day, amount or description isn't valid | | `EXPENSE_LINE_NOT_FOUND` | no line with this id that the caller can change | | `EXPENSE_POLICY_VIOLATION` | the report breaks the spend policy; the message lists the findings | | `EXPENSE_REPORT_EMPTY` | the report has no lines | | `EXPENSE_REPORT_INVALID` | the title, currency or note isn't valid | | `EXPENSE_REPORT_LOCKED` | the report isn't in a status that allows the change | | `EXPENSE_REPORT_NOT_FOUND` | no report with this id that the caller can read | ## Events [#events] `expense_report.created`, `expense_report.submitted` (with the approval), `expense_report.approved` and `expense_report.reimbursed` (with the ledger transaction) and `expense_report.cancelled`. A rejection is the approvals block's `approval.rejected` event. The [events page](/docs/extending/events) lists their payloads.