Accounting Export for Your Tax Advisor

Overview

The Accounting Export creates a complete financial snapshot packaged as a ZIP file that you can share with your tax advisor, accountant, or bookkeeper. It contains all the data they need to file your taxes or perform accounting analysis.

What's Included in the ZIP

1. General Ledger (general_ledger.csv)

A CSV file with every non-draft invoice in the selected date range. Each row contains the following columns:

Column	Description
document_no	Invoice number
document_date	Date the invoice was issued
posting_date	Date the transaction is posted
description	Line item or invoice description
net_amount	Net amount (before VAT)
vat_rate	Applicable VAT percentage
vat_amount	Calculated VAT amount
gross_amount	Total amount including VAT
debit_account	Debit account assignment
credit_account	Credit account assignment
customer_id	Customer identifier
currency	Currency code (e.g., EUR)

This allows your accountant to verify all financial activity and ensure proper categorization.

2. Customers/Vendors List (customers_vendors.csv)

A CSV file listing all unique customers referenced in the exported invoices. Your accountant uses this to verify customer relationships and tax obligations.

3. Invoice PDFs

PDF copies of every non-draft invoice within the selected date range. Each PDF is named by its invoice number for easy reference. If your invoices include ZUGFeRD/Factur-X embedded data, that data is preserved in the PDF.

How to Generate an Export

Step 1: Navigate to Exports

1. Click Exports in the main menu
2. Select Package Export

Step 2: Choose Your Date Range

Select a start and end date for the export. Common choices include:

• A single month (e.g., January 1 — January 31)
• A full quarter (e.g., January 1 — March 31)
• A full calendar year (e.g., January 1 — December 31)
• A custom range matching your reporting period

tip

Most accountants ask for exports on a monthly or quarterly basis. Choose the same date range consistently to keep your records organized.

Step 3: Generate the Export

1. Verify the date range is correct
2. Click Generate Export
3. docs101 compiles the data and creates the ZIP file (this may take a few seconds to a couple of minutes depending on volume)

Step 4: Download

Once the ZIP is ready, it appears in your Downloads section. Click Download to save it to your computer.

File Naming

Exports are named automatically based on the date range, making it easy to organize and share with your accountant.

Sharing with Your Accountant

Best Practices

1. Regular Exports — Generate exports monthly or quarterly, not just at year-end
2. Early Sharing — Share exports before your accountant asks; they appreciate proactive data
3. Include a Note — When emailing, mention the date range covered
4. Keep Backups — Download exports locally as your own backup

Email Template

Hi [Accountant Name],

Please find attached the financial export for [Date Range] from docs101.

The ZIP contains:
- General Ledger CSV (all invoice transactions)
- Customers/Vendors CSV
- Invoice PDFs

Let me know if you need anything else.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Importing into Excel or Accounting Software

Your accountant can import the CSV files directly into:

• Microsoft Excel — Open .csv files directly or use the CSV import wizard
• Google Sheets — Upload or drag and drop .csv files
• Other accounting software — Most programs accept standard CSV format for data import

info

The CSV files use standard formatting and should be compatible with any software that supports CSV import.

Handling Large Exports

If you have many invoices:

• The export may take 1--2 minutes to generate
• File size can grow large due to included PDF copies
• Consider exporting by month rather than by year for easier handling
• Contact support if exports are timing out

Troubleshooting

Issue: "Export generation failed"

• Check that your date range is valid (start date before end date)
• Try again with a smaller date range

Issue: "CSV looks corrupted in Excel"

• Try importing the CSV via Excel's data import function rather than double-clicking the file
• Ensure the correct encoding (UTF-8) is selected during import

Issue: "Missing invoices in the export"

• Only non-draft invoices with dates in the selected range are included
• Verify the invoice dates fall within your chosen range

Issue: "File is too large"

• Export by month or quarter instead of a full year to reduce file size

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Next: Learn how to manage your exports and downloads.