Documentation: Treasurer
Treasurer
The Treasurer section helps you manage your Lodge's finances by organising everything into Financial Years. Within each year you can track dues, create invoices and bills, record payments that link directly to bank transactions, transfer money between bank accounts, monitor income and expenses, generate reports, and run a structured year‑end close process.
Financial Years
Financial Years are the foundation of the Treasurer section. Every invoice, bill, and transaction is associated with a specific year, giving you a clear, period‑based view of your Lodge's finances.
Creating a Financial Year
Navigate to Treasurer → Financial Years → Create New Financial Year. You will need to provide:
- Year Name – e.g. "2025‑2026". A suggestion is pre‑filled based on your Lodge's configured year‑end month.
- Start & End Date – defines the period this year covers.
- Treasurer – optionally record the name of the Treasurer responsible for this year. Lodge member names are suggested.
- Opening Balance – the balance carried forward from the previous period. When closing a year and creating the next, this is set automatically.
- Notes – any free‑text notes for this year.
- Import Dues Levels From – choose to copy dues tiers from the Global Dues settings (default) or from a previous financial year. Prices can then be adjusted independently within this year.
Year Status
- Open – the year is active. Invoices, bills, payments, and transactions can be created and edited.
- Closed – the year has been closed via the year‑end process. All data is read‑only. A closed year can be reopened if corrections are needed.
Year Dashboard
Each financial year has its own dashboard showing at‑a‑glance summaries:
- Year Overview – period dates, status, opening/closing balance, treasurer name, and notes.
- Forecasted & Invoiced – forecasted dues income (based on members' dues levels), total invoiced, amount paid, amount outstanding, and prepaid credits currently held.
- Income & Expenses – total income, total expenses, net profit, and count of unreconciled transactions.
- Bills – total billed, paid, and outstanding.
- Monthly Chart – a bar chart showing income vs. expenses by month for the year.
Navigating Within a Year
The year header provides quick access to: Dashboard, Dues, Invoices, Credits, Bills, Income & Expenses, Reports, and Close Year (when the year is open).
Dues
Each financial year has its own set of dues levels, copied from the global dues tiers (or a previous year) when the year is created. This means you can adjust prices per year without affecting other periods.
- Assign each member a dues level to enable forecasting and the "Use dues level" batch‑invoicing mode.
- Dues levels drive the Forecasted Dues Income figure on the year dashboard.
Invoices
Invoices represent money owed to the Lodge – typically member dues, meal charges, or other fees. Each invoice belongs to a financial year.
Creating Invoices
There are two ways to create invoices within a year:
- New Invoice – creates a single blank invoice. You set the member, dates, line items, and other details on the edit screen.
- Batch Create – create invoices for many members at once. Choose an amount mode:
- Use dues level (default) – each member's amount comes from their dues level.
- Fixed amount – one amount applied to all selected members.
- Per‑member amounts – enter a different amount for each member.
- Line items only – no automatic amount; add extra line items after creation.
All batch‑created invoices are marked Unsent by default. If members already have prepaid credits, Apply available prepaid credits is ticked by default so those amounts are allocated as the invoices are created.
Invoice Line Items
Invoices use a line‑item model. Each line has a description, amount, and optional account code (nominal). The invoice total is automatically calculated from the sum of its lines. This makes it easy to combine dues, meals, and other charges on a single invoice.
Editing Invoices
- Click any invoice row to open it. You can edit the member, dates, sent status, and payment status.
- Add, remove, or review line items directly on the invoice screen.
- Private notes are available for internal comments and are not printed.
- An optional invoice note (configured in Settings) replaces the standard remittance line on every invoice.
- Print generates a PDF of the invoice (with your Lodge logo) for download/printing.
- Copy Invoice duplicates the invoice (without the member or payments) for quick re‑use.
Sending Invoices
- Tick one or more invoices in the list and click Send Selected.
- Compose a message in the HTML editor. The invoice PDF is attached automatically for each recipient.
- Members without an email, or with a bounced email, are skipped. A copy is sent to the sender.
- Invoices emailed successfully are marked Sent. Send Selected skips invoices that are already marked Sent, so you cannot accidentally re-mail a whole batch as new invoices.
Sending Reminders
- To chase outstanding or part-paid invoices, tick the invoices and click Send Reminder.
- Reminders work on invoices that have already been marked Sent. The default message explains that the invoice remains outstanding and asks members who have already paid to disregard the notice. You can edit the wording before sending.
- The invoice PDF is attached for each recipient. Members without an email, or with a bounced email, are skipped, and a copy is sent to you.
- Reminder batches appear in Tools → Sent as Invoice Reminder.
- You can also email a single invoice from its edit screen via Email PDF. If that invoice has already been sent and is still unpaid, the message box is pre-filled with the reminder wording.
Recording Payments & Bank Transaction Linking
At the bottom of each invoice is a Payments section. When you record a payment you enter the amount, date, bank account, and account code. The system then:
- Creates a corresponding bank transaction in the selected bank account.
- Links that transaction to the invoice payment, so both sides of the record are connected.
- Automatically recalculates the invoice status (Outstanding / Part Paid / Paid) based on total payments received.
Each payment shows the linked bank account and account code. If the linked transaction has been reconciled, you must unreconcile it on the Bank Account page before the payment can be removed.
Deleting Invoices
- Click Delete Invoices to enter delete mode, then select and delete. Deletion is immediate and cannot be undone.
- Individual invoices can also be deleted from the invoice edit screen.
Prepaid Credits
Some Lodges accept monthly or quarterly payments during the current year towards next year's dues, rather than treating those receipts as instalments on this year's invoice. Traditionally dues are due on the due date, so money collected in instalments is often held against the following year. Prepaid credits let you record that money against the member now, then apply it when next year's invoices are raised.
Example: next year's dues will be £100 and the member pays £25 now. Record that £25 as a prepaid credit. This year's invoice (if any) is left unchanged. At year‑end the £25 still shows as a credit, and when you raise next year's invoice it can be applied so the member owes £75.
Recording a Prepaid Credit
- Open Credits in the year header and use Record Prepaid Credit.
- Choose the member, amount, date, bank account, and income account code. You can add a note (for example "Monthly standing order") and optionally email a receipt.
- This creates a bank transaction in the current year and holds the unused amount as a credit. The member's current invoice is not reduced.
- Use a dedicated account code such as Prepaid dues or Subscriptions in advance if you want this income shown separately on the Profit & Loss.
- Unused credits can be removed from the Credits page. If the linked bank transaction has been reconciled, unreconcile it first. Credits that have already been applied to an invoice must be unapplied on that invoice before they can be deleted.
Applying Credits to Invoices
- When you Batch Create invoices, Apply available prepaid credits is ticked by default. Each member's remaining credit is allocated to their new invoice (oldest credit first). The invoice becomes Part Paid or Paid without creating another bank transaction — the cash was already booked when it arrived.
- On an individual invoice, a banner shows any prepaid credit available for that member. Enter an amount and click Apply credit.
- Credit applications appear in the Payments table as Prepaid credit. Removing one restores the unused amount and keeps the original bank transaction.
- Invoice PDFs and print views show any amount already paid or applied as credit, plus the amount now due, so a member who has prepaid is not asked for the full invoice total.
Where Credits Appear
- The year Dashboard shows the total prepaid credit currently held.
- The Credits page lists remaining credits (including amounts received in earlier years) and everything recorded in this year.
- A member's Membership page shows their available credit next to their invoices.
- Credits persist across year‑end. The Close Year page lists members with remaining credit so you can see what will carry forward to next year's invoices.
Because the Treasurer is a cash book, prepaid money appears as income in the year it was received. Next year's invoice can show as paid without a matching income line that year. That is expected.
Bills
Bills represent money owed by the Lodge – e.g. hall hire, catering, regalia, or Grand Lodge fees. Like invoices, each bill belongs to a financial year.
Creating & Editing Bills
- Create a new bill from the Bills list within a year.
- Each bill has a bill number, supplier name, bill date, due date, and payment status (Unpaid / Part Paid / Paid).
- Bills use the same line‑item model as invoices – add lines with a description, amount, and account code. The bill total is calculated automatically.
- Copy Bill duplicates the bill (without payments) for quick re‑use.
- Private notes are available for internal comments.
Bill Documents
You can upload supporting documents (images or PDFs) against any bill – for example, scanned receipts or supplier invoices. Documents can be viewed, downloaded, or deleted from the bill's sidebar.
Recording Payments & Bank Transaction Linking
Bill payments work identically to invoice payments. Recording a payment creates a linked bank transaction in the selected bank account. The bill status is recalculated automatically. Reconciled transactions must be unreconciled before the payment can be removed.
Income & Expenses
The Income & Expenses page within a year shows all bank transactions that have been allocated to this financial year, split into Income and Expense tables with totals and a net profit/loss summary. Transfers between bank accounts appear in their own section and are excluded from those totals.
Transaction Allocation
- When a payment is recorded on an invoice or bill, the resulting bank transaction is automatically allocated to the correct year (based on the transaction date).
- Transactions added directly in Bank Accounts (not via an invoice/bill payment) that fall within the year's date range appear as Unallocated Transactions in the right‑hand panel.
- Select one or more unallocated transactions and click Allocate Selected to assign them to this year.
- Allocation determines which transactions appear in the year's reports and year‑end calculations.
Bank Accounts
Bank Accounts are managed globally (not per year) and are accessible from the main Treasurer navigation. Each account holds a list of transactions.
- Add, edit, or remove bank accounts.
- Within an account, view all transactions, add new ones manually, edit or delete existing ones, and mark transactions as reconciled.
- Transfer moves a lump sum from this account to another (for example a Stripe clearing payout into the General Fund). Both sides are recorded together and do not count as income or expenditure.
- Clicking a transaction shows a lookup that indicates whether it is linked to an invoice, bill payment, or transfer, with a direct link to the related record.
- Transactions can be exported to Excel.
Transfers Between Bank Accounts
Use a Transfer when money is moving from one of your Lodge bank accounts to another – for example a card‑gateway payout from a "Stripe clearing" account into the General Fund. Transfers update both account balances together and do not count as income or expenditure, so they will not inflate your Profit & Loss totals.
This is different from recording a payment on an invoice or bill. Income is recorded when the money is first received (for example when a member's card payment lands in the clearing account). The transfer only moves that cash to the account where it is actually held.
Recording a Transfer
- Open Treasurer → Bank Accounts and click the account the money is leaving.
- Click Transfer.
- Choose the destination account, then enter a title (e.g. "Stripe payout 28 Aug"), the amount, and the date.
- Click Record Transfer.
You need at least two bank accounts. The transfer is recorded on both accounts at once: money out on the source account (shown in red) and money in on the destination account.
A typical card‑gateway workflow is:
- Record each card payment as income on the clearing account (or via an invoice payment into that account).
- Record any gateway fees as a normal expense on the clearing account.
- When the gateway pays out a collated amount to your real bank, use Transfer for that lump sum from the clearing account to the General Fund.
Editing, Reconciling, and Deleting
- Click either side of the transfer to edit the title, amount, date, or financial year. Both sides stay in sync.
- Each side can be reconciled independently, so you can tick them off against each bank statement separately.
- Deleting either side removes the whole transfer from both accounts.
How Transfers Appear in Reports
- Profit & Loss, year income/expense totals, and the monthly cash‑flow chart ignore transfers.
- The Income & Expenses page lists them in a separate Transfers section so you can still see them, but they are not included in Total Income, Total Expenses, or Net Profit.
- The Bank Account Summary includes a Transfers column so each account's closing balance still adds up correctly. Across all accounts, transfers net to zero.
- The All Lodge Transactions listing labels both sides as Transfer.
If you previously used a matched pair of "XFER IN / XFER OUT" account codes, leave those historical entries as they are and use Transfer for new movements.
Reports
Reports are available within each financial year:
- Profit & Loss – income and expenses by account code for the year. Can optionally be filtered to a single bank account using the filter panel.
- Bank Account Summary – a per‑account overview for the year showing each bank account's opening balance, total income, total expenses, transfers, net movement, and closing balance. This is a summary only – it does not list individual transactions.
- All Lodge Transactions – a full listing of every transaction across all of your bank accounts for the year, in one place. Click View Report to open the on‑screen listing (with a net total), which can also be printed.
- Balance Sheet – a summary of assets, liabilities, and equity.
Exporting Reports
The Profit & Loss, Bank Account Summary, and All Lodge Transactions reports each have Export CSV and Export XLSX buttons, so you can download the figures for use in a spreadsheet or to share with your auditors. The Profit & Loss export respects the bank‑account filter, and the exported file is named after your Lodge, the financial year, and the report.
Reports can also be printed or used as part of the year‑end close process.
Year‑End Close
When you are ready to close a financial year, navigate to Close Year from the year header. The process follows four guided steps:
- Print Auditor's Report – generates a combined Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet with signature blocks for your auditors or audit committee to sign.
- Download Year Data (CSV) – exports all financial data for the year (summary, income/expenses by account, invoices, bills, transactions, and prepaid credits carried forward) as a CSV file that can be provided to auditors.
- Upload Signed Auditor's Report (optional) – upload a scanned or photographed copy of the signed audit report for future reference. Accepted formats: PDF, JPG, PNG, GIF, WEBP (max 4 MB). Multiple documents can be uploaded.
- Close Year – review the opening balance, total income, total expenses, calculated closing balance, and any prepaid credits that will carry forward. You have two options:
- Close Year – closes the year. All data becomes read‑only.
- Close & Create Next – closes the year and automatically creates the next financial year with the closing balance carried forward as the new opening balance.
A closed year can be reopened if corrections are needed. Reopening restores the year to an Open state, allowing edits again.
Settings
Treasurer Settings are available from the main navigation and include:
- Account Codes (Nominals) – manage the income and expense categories used across invoices, bills, and transactions.
- Lodge Year End – set the date/month used to suggest financial year start and end dates.
- Invoice Text – custom wording that replaces the standard remittance note at the bottom of every invoice.
- Base Currency – the currency symbol displayed throughout the Treasurer section.
Tips
- Use batch creation with Per‑member amounts for scenarios like meal charges where each member may owe a different amount.
- Use Fixed amount to bill the same amount to a subset of members regardless of dues level.
- Record payments directly on invoices and bills to keep bank transactions linked and your books reconciled.
- Check the Income & Expenses page regularly to allocate any unallocated transactions to the correct year.
- Use Transfer to move a gateway payout from a clearing account to the General Fund, rather than a pair of income and expense account codes.
- Use the Close & Create Next option at year‑end for a seamless transition between financial years.
- The Pro Rata Dues Calculator on the Treasurer home page can help work out partial‑year dues for new members.
- Use Send Reminder on Outstanding Invoices to chase members who have not yet paid — it works on invoices already marked Sent, unlike Send Selected.
- Record monthly or quarterly dues instalments on the Credits page when they should apply to next year's invoice rather than this year's.
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