Expenses and Claims

Expense claims consist of one or more costs to be paid back to an employee, such as purchases, travel, or meal allowances. Expenses may be imported, for example, from a company credit card, or created manually. Expenses are collected together in a claim document, which is submitted for approval and subsequent payment.

On the Expenses and Claims page, you can work with your own expenses, as well as those of anyone that has your mySparkrock user set up to act as an expense claim alternate.

Expense claim alternates

On the Expenses and Claims page, to switch between your own claims and those of others, pick from the options in the Alternate dropdown list.

Note

Note: The Alternate dropdown list only appears when you are designated and active as an expense claim alternate for one or more other users.

When acting as an alternate, users can only view the claims of the user on whose behalf they are an alternate.

Otherwise, the expenses and claims workflow as an alternate is identical to using the functionality on your own behalf.

Create expenses

You can use the following methods to create, and then submit an expense:

  • Add expense lines: With this method, you create individual expense lines on the Expenses tab, group them together into a claim, and then submit the claim for approval.

  • Create an expense claim: With this method, you create an expense claim on the Claims tab, import or add expenses to that claim, and then submit the claim for approval.

Create unassigned expense lines

You can create expense lines without immediately assigning them to a claim. For example, you may want to record some expenses now, and enter others later, all of which you intend to assign to one claim. Such expense lines are called unassigned, meaning that these lines are not yet associated with a claim document. Eventually, for unassigned expense lines to be approved and processed, you have to add them to a claim.

Note

Note: The term unassigned does not mean that the expense lines are not associated with a mySparkrock user. Unless you are acting as an alternate, you can only see expense lines that are yours.

You may have unassigned expenses that are imported and assigned to you through the purchase card import functionality, for example, corporate credit card expenses that you have incurred.

Note

Note: If your mySparkrock solution is configured to only permit claims, the unassigned expenses list does not appear. Also, the Expenses or Claims tabs do not appear, and you cannot create expense lines outside of a claim.

To create expense lines

  1. Go to My Self Service > Expenses and Claims.

    The Expenses and Claims page opens.

  2. On the Expenses tab, choose New Expense.

    An expense page opens.

  3. In Expense Type, specify the expense type.

    After you specify a value, the screen refreshes and mySparkrock displays the fields that are relevant to the expense type.

  4. Specify the expense details. The following table includes information about some of the fields that appear for an expense.

    Field Description
    Details This field is defaulted based on the expense type that is specified, but can be changed.
    Note: Your administrator determines whether this field is mandatory.
    Date This field defaults to the current date. It is recommended that this field be changed to the date that the expense was incurred.
    Cost Specify the expense amount and if applicable, the currency.
    Each expense type may have a minimum allowable amount, maximum allowable amount, or both.
    For example, a per diem may require expense amounts greater than zero, but less than $100.
    Note: For distance expense types, cost and currency are calculated and cannot be changed.
    Quantity Specify the quantity and if applicable, the unit of measure.
    Depending on the expense type, the unit of measure may be automatically selected.
    If a quantity is not quantifiable, use 1.
    Note: For some distance expense types, quantity is predetermined. For all distance expense types, unit of measure is predetermined. These values cannot be changed.
    Total This pre-tax total is informational. It is automatically calculated.
    Tax
    Also known as Purchase Location    		 Specify the sales tax jurisdiction where the expense was incurred.
    This field is based on your primary location, but it can be changed.
    Note: This field may not be present, or may be named differently, based on your mySparkrock configuration.
    Account Set This code represents a unique combination of dimensions. For example, department, location, or project.
    If required, dimensions can be updated individually.
    G/L Account This field is defaulted when the selected account set includes a general ledger account number, otherwise you must specify a general ledger account.
    From Location and To Location For distance expense types, these two fields appear when the distance expense type is set to allow travel between predefined locations.
    Setting a value in either of these fields restricts the choices that can be made for the other, based on combinations that are defined by your administrator.
    Round Trip For distance expense types, to indicate a round trip journey, select this check box. Selecting this check box doubles the value for Quantity.

  5. If required, add one or more attachments.

    Depending on the expense type and total pre-tax amount, an expense may require an attachment, such as a receipt. If a receipt is required, a message appears, for example:

    An attachment is required when the Total amount is over 20.00

    To add an attachment, perform one of the following steps:

    • Select click to upload or drag it here, browse to your receipt, and then choose Open.

    • Drag and drop your receipt into the click to upload or drag it here area.

    Note: Supported attachment types for expenses are JPG, PNG, PDF, XLS, or XLSX.

  6. Choose Save.

    The new expense appears in the list of expenses.

Override taxes

Taxes are automatically calculated based on the value that is specified in the Tax field. You may want to override these values when the tax on the receipt does not match the default calculated tax.

To override sales tax amounts

  1. Go to My Self Service > Expenses and Claims.

    The Expenses and Claims page opens.

  2. Open the expense for which you want to override the sales tax amount.

    The procedure to open an expense is different depending on whether you are using the desktop or mobile version of mySparkrock. To open an expense, perform one of the following steps:

    • In the desktop version, select the expense that you want to open.
    • In the mobile version, tap the expense that you want to open, and then choose View.

    The Expense page opens.

  3. On the Advanced Details tab, in the Taxes section, enter the one or more override amounts.

To prepare an expense claim

  1. Go to My Self Service > Expenses and Claims.

    The Expenses and Claims page opens.

  2. Choose the Claims tab.

    The Claims tab displays all expense claims that are associated with your user, or claims you have entered for another user while acting as an expense claims alternate.

    You can filter this list by selecting a claim Status, for example, open claims or claims waiting approval.

    If your mySparkrock solution is configured to only permit claims, the Expenses tab, Claims tab, and unassigned expenses list do not appear, and you cannot create expense lines outside of a claim.

  3. To create a claim, choose New Claim.

    A Claim page opens and mySparkrock generates a claim number.

  4. In the Details section, perform the following steps:

    1. In Date, specify the date for the expense claim date.
      This field defaults to the current date, but can be changed.
    2. In Type, specify the appropriate expense claim type.
    3. In Description, specify a description for the expense claim.
      This field is required.
    4. In Employee Comment, specify any additional notes for the approving manager.
    5. To attach expenses to your claim, perform one of the following steps:
      • To add an existing expense to your expense claim, choose Select Expense.
      • To create an expense that you want to add to your expense claim, choose New Expense.

Merge an unassigned expense into a purchasing card expense

mySparkrock provides the capability to merge unassigned expenses into a purchasing card expense. When you merge an unassigned expense into a purchasing card expense the following steps occur:

  1. The expense type, account set, general ledger accounts, dimensions, attachments, and details are added to the purchasing card expense.

  2. The unassigned expense is deleted.

Prerequisite

To enable this feature in mySparkrock, you must turn on the feature in Sparkrock 365. To turn on this feature in Sparkrock 365, on the Purchases & Payables Setup page, on the Expense Claims FastTab, turn on Enable Expense Merge.

To merge an unassigned expense into a purchasing card expense

  1. Go to My Self Service > Expenses and Claims.

    The Expenses and Claims page opens.

  2. Open the purchasing card expense for which you want to merge an unassigned expense.

    The procedure to open an expense is different depending on whether you are using the desktop or mobile version of mySparkrock. To open an expense, perform one of the following steps:

    • In the desktop version, select the expense that you want to open.
    • In the mobile version, tap the expense that you want to open, and then choose View.

    The Expense page opens.

  3. In Move From Expense, specify the unassigned expense that you want to merge into the purchasing card expense.

    When Lookup Icon is chosen for the Move From Expense field, a list of unassigned expenses that are linked to the user opens.

    After you specify an unassigned expense, a dialog box appears and displays the following question:

    Are you sure you want to continue?

  4. Choose Yes.

    The expenses are merged.

    If the value for Details on the unassigned expense is blank, the value for Details on the purchasing card expense is retained.

  5. Specify values for fields as required.

  6. Choose Save.

Create a claim using existing expenses

You can also create or update a claim directly from the Expenses tab.

To create a claim using existing expenses

  1. Go to My Self Service > Expenses and Claims.

    The Expenses and Claims page opens.

  2. On the Expenses tab, use the checkboxes on the left side to select the individual expense lines that you want to include on a claim, or use the check box in the header row to select all available lines.

    Buttons appears at the bottom of the page.

  3. Depending on whether you want to add to an existing claim or make a new claim, perform one of the following procedures:

    • To add to an existing claim, perform the following steps:

      1. Choose Add to Existing Claim.
        A list of open claims is displayed.
      2. Select the claim to which you want to add the one or more expenses that you selected.

    • To make a new claim, perform the following steps:

      1. Choose Make a New Claim
        A claim document is created that includes the one or more expense lines that you selected.
      2. Complete the claim details.

Detach an expense line from a claim

If required, you can detach an expense line from a claim. Detached lines return to the list of unassigned expenses.

To detach an expense line from a claim

  1. Go to My Self Service > Expenses and Claims.

    The Expenses and Claims page opens.

  2. Choose the Claims tab.

  3. Open the claim for which you want to detach an expense line.

    The procedure to open a claim is different depending on whether you are using the desktop or mobile version of mySparkrock. To open a claim, perform one of the following steps:

    • In the desktop version, select the claim that you want to open.
    • In the mobile version, tap the claim that you want to open, and then choose View.

  4. On the Expenses tab, on the expense line that you want to detach, choose Detach.

    A dialog box appears that displays the following text:

    Are you sure you want to detach this expense?

  5. Choose Yes.

Submit expense claims for approval

When you have completed filling out a claim, you can submit the claim for approval.

Who approves a claim depends on a number of factors and business rules. The approval setup is performed in Sparkrock 365. Your claim may have one or more direct approvers based on your mySparkrock user. Approvers may also be based on claim amounts, account code, dimensions, or budget limits. Approvers can approve or deny the claim in Sparkrock 365 or mySparkrock.

To submit a claim

  1. Go to My Self Service > Expenses and Claims.

    The Expenses and Claims page opens.

  2. Choose the Claims tab.

  3. Open the claim that you want to submit.

    The procedure to open a claim is different depending on whether you are using the desktop or mobile version of mySparkrock. To open a claim, perform one of the following steps:

    • In the desktop version, select the claim that you want to open.
    • In the mobile version, tap the claim that you want to open, and then choose View.

  4. If the manual approver selection functionality is turned on in your environment, perform the following steps:

    1. To view a list of approvers, on the Approver Selection tab, choose Verify.
      To avoid errors, before you choose Verify, ensure that you specify values for all required fields on the claim.
    2. To specify the one or more approvers of the claim, in the Enabled column, select and clear the respective checkboxes.
      You can only enable one approver per sequence.

  5. Choose Submit Claim.

    A dialog box appears and displays the following message:

    Are you sure you want to submit this claim for approval?

  6. Choose Yes, Submit.

    After you submit a claim, the Approvers tab becomes available. In the Approvers tab, you can view the details of the approval process.

Reopen a claim

If you need to change a submitted claim before approval, you can reopen the claim. Reopening an expense claim removes all prior approvals and requires the claim to be resubmitted.

To reopen a claim

  1. Go to My Self Service > Expenses and Claims.

    The Expenses and Claims page opens.

  2. On the Claims tab, to see the claims that are awaiting review by one or more approvers, in Status, specify Pending Approval.

  3. Open the claim that you want to reopen.

    The procedure to open a claim is different depending on whether you are using the desktop or mobile version of mySparkrock. To open a claim, perform one of the following steps:

    • In the desktop version, select the claim that you want to open.
    • In the mobile version, tap the claim that you want to open, and then choose View.

    The Claim page opens.

  4. Choose Reopen Claim.

Delete an expense

If required, you can delete an expense.

To delete an expense

  1. Go to My Self Service > Expenses and Claims.

    The Expenses and Claims page opens.

  2. On the Expenses tab, on the row of the expense that you want to delete, choose Delete (Delete button).

    A dialog box appears that displays the following text:

    Are you sure you want to delete this expense?

  3. Choose Yes.

Delete a claim

If a claim has a Status of Open, you can delete the claim. When you delete a claim, mySparkrock removes the claim record entirely, including permanently deleting any expense lines that are linked to the claim.

Note

Note: Some organizations may choose to disable the delete option.

To delete a claim

  1. Go to My Self Service > Expenses and Claims.

    The Expenses and Claims page opens.

  2. On the Claims tab, open the claim that you want to delete.

    The procedure to open a claim is different depending on whether you are using the desktop or mobile version of mySparkrock. To open a claim, perform one of the following steps:

    • In the desktop version, select the claim that you want to open.
    • In the mobile version, tap the claim that you want to open, and then choose View.

  3. Choose Delete Claim.

    A dialog box appears and displays the following question:

    Are you sure you want to delete this claim?

  4. Choose Yes.

Cancel a claim

If a claim has a Status of Open, you can cancel the claim.

To cancel a claim

  1. Go to My Self Service > Expenses and Claims.

    The Expenses and Claims page opens.

  2. On the Claims tab, open the claim that you want to cancel.

    The procedure to open a claim is different depending on whether you are using the desktop or mobile version of mySparkrock. To open a claim, perform one of the following steps:

    • In the desktop version, select the claim that you want to open.
    • In the mobile version, tap the claim that you want to open, and then choose View.

  3. Choose Cancel Claim.

    A dialog box appears and displays the following question:

    Are you sure you want to cancel this claim?

  4. Choose Yes.

Export expenses

If required, you can export expenses.

To export expense claims

  1. Go to My Self Service > Expenses and Claims.

    The Expenses and Claims page opens.

  2. Choose the Expenses tab.

  3. Choose Export.

    An XLSX file named Expenses.xlsx is downloaded to your browser. It can be opened in Microsoft Excel.

Export claims

If required, you can export claims.

To export claims

  1. Go to My Self Service > Expenses and Claims.

    The Expenses and Claims page opens.

  2. Choose the Claims tab.

  3. Choose Export.

    A dialog box appears that displays the following text:

    Do you want to download "Expense_Claim_List.xslx?

  4. Choose Yes.

    A file named Expense_Claim_List.xlsx is downloaded to your browser. It can be opened in Microsoft Excel.

Duplicate an expense

If required, you can duplicate an expense.

Note

Note: When you duplicate an expense, mySparkrock uses the cost from the expense type. The cost of the source expense is not duplicated on the target expense. In other words, if you overwrite the cost, and then duplicate the expense, the original cost appears on the new expense.

To duplicate an expense

  1. Go to My Self Service > Expenses and Claims.

    The Expenses and Claims page opens.

  2. On the row of the expense that you want to duplicate, choose Duplicate (Duplicate Icon).

    The Expense page opens for the new expense.

  3. Specify values for fields as required, and then choose Save.

Duplicate a claim

If required, you can duplicate a claim.

To duplicate a claim

  1. Go to My Self Service > Expenses and Claims.

    The Expenses and Claims page opens.

  2. On the row of the claim that you want to duplicate, perform one of the following steps depending on whether you are using the desktop or mobile version of mySparkrock:

    • In the desktop version, choose Duplicate (Duplicate Icon).

    • In the mobile version, tap the claim that you want to duplicate, and then choose Duplicate.

    The Claim page opens for the new claim.

  3. Specify values for fields as required.

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