> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.agatabo.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Viewing Expense History > Review and analyze past organizational spending with pagination, filtering, and sorting ## Overview The expense history page shows all recorded expenses, allowing you to review spending, identify trends, verify transactions, and analyze patterns. You can filter by date range, search by title, and sort by various fields. ## Accessing Expense History Click **Expenses** in the sidebar All expenses displayed with pagination Filter, search, and sort as needed ## Expense List Display Each expense in the list shows: | Field | Description | Source | | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | | **Title** | Expense description/name | Free-form text (use for categorization) | | **Amount** | How much was spent | From journal entry | | **Date** | When the expense occurred | Transaction date | | **Description** | Additional details | Optional field | | **Bank Account** | Which account paid (if shown) | From CASH ledger line | | **Reserve** | Reserve allocation (if funded from reserve) | Reserve-funded expenses only | | **Bank Charge** | Linked bank charge (if any) | Separate linked entry | **No "Category" column**: Agatabo doesn't have a built-in category field. Categories are implemented through consistent title naming patterns (e.g., "Operating Expenses - Rent", "Salaries - Treasurer"). ## Pagination Expenses are displayed in pages to improve performance: **Default settings**: * **Page size**: 10 expenses per page * **Default sort**: Newest first (by date, descending) **Navigation**: * Use page numbers or next/previous buttons * Jump to specific page * Change items per page (typically 10, 25, 50, or 100) **Total information**: * Total count of expenses * Total pages * Current page number ## Filtering Expenses ### By Date Range Filter expenses to a specific time period using start and end dates: Expenses on or after this date Expenses on or before this date List updates to show only expenses in range **Common date ranges** (implemented in frontend): * Today * This Week * This Month * Last Month * This Quarter * This Year * Custom Range **Example filters**: ``` Start Date: 2026-06-01 End Date: 2026-06-30 Result: All June 2026 expenses Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: (empty) Result: All expenses from Jan 1, 2026 onwards Start Date: (empty) End Date: 2026-05-31 Result: All expenses up to May 31, 2026 ``` ### By Title (Search) Search for expenses by title using text search: Type keyword or phrase in search box Case-insensitive partial match on title field Only matching expenses shown **Search is case-insensitive and matches partial titles**: **Examples**: ``` Search: "rent" Matches: - "Operating Expenses - Office Rent - June 2026" - "Operating Expenses - Office Rent - May 2026" - "Rent payment" Search: "salaries" Matches: - "Salaries - Treasurer Stipend" - "Salaries - Accountant Fee" - "Staff Salaries - June" Search: "bank charges" Matches: - "Bank Charges - Wire Transfer" - "Bank Charges - Account Maintenance" ``` **Using search for categories**: Since categories are in the title, you can search by category prefix. Search "Operating Expenses" to see all expenses with that category in the title. ## Sorting Expenses Click column headers or use sort controls to reorder the list: **Available sort fields**: * **Title**: Alphabetical order (A-Z or Z-A) * **Amount**: Smallest to largest or largest to smallest * **Date**: Oldest to newest or newest to oldest * **Created At**: When expense was recorded in system **Sort order**: * **Ascending (asc)**: Low to high, A to Z, oldest to newest * **Descending (desc)**: High to low, Z to A, newest to oldest **Default**: Date descending (newest expenses first) ### Sorting Examples **Sort by Title (ascending)**: ``` Results appear alphabetically: - "Bank Charges - Account Fee" - "Bank Charges - Wire Transfer" - "Meeting Expenses - Refreshments" - "Operating Expenses - Electricity" - "Operating Expenses - Rent" - "Salaries - Treasurer" ``` **Benefit**: Groups expenses with same category prefix together *** **Sort by Amount (descending)**: ``` Results appear largest to smallest: - 500,000 RWF - "Annual Audit Fee" - 200,000 RWF - "Equipment Purchase" - 150,000 RWF - "Office Rent" - 50,000 RWF - "Treasurer Stipend" - 15,000 RWF - "Office Supplies" ``` **Benefit**: Identify largest expenses quickly *** **Sort by Date (descending)**: ``` Results appear newest to oldest: - 2026-06-15 - Recent expense - 2026-06-10 - Last week - 2026-06-01 - Beginning of month - 2026-05-28 - Previous month ``` **Benefit**: See most recent spending first (default) ## Combining Filters and Sorting You can combine multiple filters and sorting for powerful analysis: ### Example 1: June Operating Expenses by Amount ``` Filters: - Start Date: 2026-06-01 - End Date: 2026-06-30 - Search: "Operating Expenses" Sort: - Sort By: Amount - Order: Descending Result: All June operating expenses, largest first ``` ### Example 2: Recent Salary Payments ``` Filters: - Start Date: 2026-01-01 - End Date: (empty) - Search: "Salaries" Sort: - Sort By: Date - Order: Descending Result: All salary payments from this year, newest first ``` ### Example 3: All Bank Charges Alphabetically ``` Filters: - Search: "Bank Charges" Sort: - Sort By: Title - Order: Ascending Result: All bank charges grouped by title ``` ## Viewing Expense Details Click on an expense to see full details: **Detailed view shows**: * Complete title and description * Exact amount * Transaction date * Bank account used * Reserve allocation (if reserve-funded) * Linked bank charge (if any) * Documents/receipts attached * Who recorded the expense * When it was recorded * Journal entry information * Edit and delete options (if permitted) **From detail view you can**: * Edit expense details * Delete expense * View/download attached documents * See related journal entries * Access bank account details ## What Expenses Are Shown The expense list includes: **Included**: * ✅ Standard expenses (EXPENSE\_PAYMENT kind) * ✅ Reserve-funded expenses (RESERVE\_EXPENSE kind) * ✅ Posted (active) expenses only **Excluded**: * ❌ Bank charges (shown as linked to parent expense, not standalone) * ❌ Reversed/deleted expenses * ❌ Loan disbursements (not expenses) * ❌ Dividend distributions (not expenses) * ❌ Savings withdrawals (not expenses) **Bank charges**: Separate BANK\_CHARGE journal entries are linked to their parent expense and shown within the parent's details, not as standalone items in the expense list. ## Common Use Cases ### Monthly Expense Review **Goal**: Review current month's spending Start Date: First day of month (e.g., 2026-06-01) End Date: Last day of month (e.g., 2026-06-30) Groups expenses by category prefix Check amounts against budget Look for unexpected or large amounts *** ### Find Specific Expense **Goal**: Locate a particular expense by description Enter keyword from title or description Narrow down if you remember approximate date Find matching expense See full information **Example**: ``` Looking for: Audit fee payment from April Search: "audit" Start Date: 2026-04-01 End Date: 2026-04-30 Result: "Professional Services - Annual Audit Fee" ``` *** ### Category Analysis **Goal**: See all expenses in a specific category Enter category name (e.g., "Salaries", "Operating Expenses") Limit to specific period Depending on what you want to analyze Calculate totals, identify patterns **Example**: ``` Analyze salary expenses for the year: Search: "Salaries" Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31 Sort By: Date Order: Ascending Result: All salary payments chronologically Manual calculation: Sum all amounts for yearly total ``` *** ### Prepare for Audit **Goal**: Generate complete expense list for auditor Use date range for fiscal year or audit period Show all expense types Chronological order (ascending) * Ensure all expenses have descriptions * Check for missing receipts/documents * Verify amounts are reasonable Missing documentation, unclear expenses **Export capability**: Check if your implementation supports exporting expense data to Excel/CSV. If not, you may need to manually compile the list or use the Profit & Loss report. *** ### Compare Month-to-Month **Goal**: Compare spending across months Example: June 2026 Example: "Operating Expenses" Manually sum or use calculator Example: July 2026 Identify increases or decreases ## Limitations and Workarounds ### No Amount Range Filter **Backend doesn't support**: Minimum/maximum amount filtering **Workaround**: 1. Retrieve all expenses for period 2. Sort by amount 3. Manually scan for desired range 4. Or export and use spreadsheet filters *** ### No Category Filter **Backend doesn't support**: Dedicated category dropdown filter **Workaround**: * Use title search with category prefix (e.g., search "Salaries") * Sort by title to group categories together * Consistent naming makes this effective *** ### No Export Function **Backend doesn't support**: Direct export to Excel/CSV (at API level) **Workarounds**: * Check if frontend implements export * Use Profit & Loss report (includes expense breakdown) * Manual data entry from expense list * Copy-paste into spreadsheet *** ### No Bank Account Filter **Backend doesn't support**: Filter by which bank account paid **Workaround**: * View bank account transaction history instead * Review all expenses and note bank account manually * Use bank reconciliation reports *** ### Maximum 100 Per Page **Backend limitation**: Maximum 100 expenses per page request **Workaround**: * Use date filters to narrow results * Navigate through multiple pages * Use search to reduce results ## Best Practices **Expense review tips:** **Regular reviews:** * Review expenses weekly for recent period * Monthly review of entire month * Quarterly and annual reviews for trends **Search effectively:** * Use category prefixes in search (benefit of consistent naming) * Combine search with date filters * Try different keywords if first search doesn't work **Sorting strategies:** * Sort by title to group categories * Sort by amount to find largest expenses * Sort by date for chronological review **Verification:** * Compare expense list to bank statements * Check for missing expenses (gaps in dates) * Verify large or unusual amounts * Ensure all expenses have adequate descriptions **Documentation:** * Click through to verify documents are attached * Note any missing receipts for follow-up * Ensure descriptions are clear enough for audit **Analysis:** * Look for spending patterns * Identify categories with consistent overspending * Notice seasonal variations * Track recurring expenses (are amounts consistent?) ## Permissions Required | Action | Permission | Scope | | -------------------- | ---------------- | ----- | | View expense list | `expenses:read` | ANY | | View expense details | `expenses:read` | ANY | | Edit expense | `expenses:write` | ANY | | Delete expense | `expenses:write` | ANY | **Typical access**: Most members have `expenses:read` to review organizational spending. Only Accountants and Administrators typically have `expenses:write` for editing. ## Related Topics Add new expenses to the system Organize spending with title conventions Understand expense types and features See expense impact on profitability