A Receipt in Zoho Expense is the proof-of-purchase document attached to an expense entry. Employees capture receipts as photos using the mobile app, as uploaded image files (JPEG, PNG), or as PDF documents. The receipt confirms that the expense occurred, shows the merchant, date, and amount, and provides the audit evidence that accountants and auditors require. Expense policies typically require receipts for any expense above a minimum threshold.
Zoho Expense provides a receipt inbox where employees can forward email receipts directly to a dedicated address, and the system parses and stores them ready to be matched to expenses. Physical receipts photographed in the mobile app are stored in the receipt wallet. Multiple receipts can be attached to a single expense entry for complex purchases, or a single receipt can be split into multiple expense entries if one payment covered multiple expense categories.
For finance audits and tax compliance, having receipts attached to all significant expenses is critical. Zoho Expense’s Missing Receipts Report shows all expenses above the policy threshold that are currently without an attached receipt, helping finance teams chase outstanding documentation before a report period closes. For GST or VAT reclaim, the receipt must show the supplier’s tax registration number, which Zoho Expense can capture in the receipt scanning fields.
Yes. Zoho Expense’s Auto-Scan feature uses OCR (optical character recognition) to read the merchant name, date, total amount, and currency from a photographed receipt and pre-populate the corresponding expense fields. The employee reviews and confirms the extracted data before saving. Auto-scan accuracy depends on receipt quality and print clarity, and employees should always verify the extracted values.
Receipt retention requirements vary by jurisdiction and tax regulation. In India, business expense records including receipts should be retained for at least 6 years for income tax purposes. Zoho Expense stores receipts digitally as part of the expense record, and data retention policies can be configured to meet the company’s compliance requirements. Deleting receipts before the required retention period can create audit and tax compliance risks.
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