Expense Tracking Made Easy – How Expense Management Works in Magic Heidi

As a freelancer, you know the problem: receipts pile up, slips disappear, and at the end of the year, accounting becomes a nightmare. But it doesn't have to be that way. With the right tool, you can capture your expenses in seconds -- whether on your computer, on the go with your smartphone, or directly from your email inbox.

In this tutorial, we'll show you step by step how to use expense management in Magic Heidi. You'll learn four different methods for capturing expenses, find out how to automate recurring costs, and discover how to export your financial data.

Method 1: Capture expenses on your computer

The most straightforward method is direct entry via the Magic Heidi web app on your computer. Especially convenient: Magic Heidi can automatically scan uploaded invoices and extract the relevant data.

How to do it

1. Navigate to the "Expenses" section in Magic Heidi.
2. Click the plus icon (+) to create a new expense.
3. Upload a document -- ideally right away. Drag your invoice (e.g., as a PDF) into the upload field or select the file manually.
4. Wait for the automatic recognition. Magic Heidi scans the document and fills in the relevant fields automatically -- including amount, supplier, and VAT.
5. Select a payment method from the list or create a new one (e.g., "Bank").
6. Enter the VAT, if you are VAT-registered.
7. Choose the appropriate category for the expense (e.g., office expense, travel costs, etc.).
8. Save the expense.

Tip: You have two saving options. Click "Save" to store the expense as unpaid -- ideal if the payment is still pending. Or click "Save as paid" to immediately mark the expense as completed.

Even faster: Drag & Drop

You can also simply drag and drop invoices and receipts directly into the Magic Heidi interface. The document is automatically analyzed and created as a new expense. This saves extra clicks and is especially efficient when you want to process multiple receipts at once.

Method 2: Scan receipts on the go with your smartphone

You're sitting in a cafe, receive a receipt, and want to capture it right away? No problem. With the Magic Heidi app on your smartphone, you can scan receipts directly with your camera.

How the mobile scan works

1. Open the Magic Heidi app on your smartphone.
2. Use the camera function to take a photo of the receipt.
3. The expense is automatically scanned and stored in your Magic Heidi account.
4. Review the captured data afterwards on your computer or directly on your phone.

The convenient part: The expense appears instantly in your Magic Heidi account. When you log in on your computer and refresh the page, you'll find the new entry already in your expense list.

Tip: This method is excellent for cash expenses and physical receipts. Scan the receipt right away -- nothing gets lost, and you don't have to keep paper receipts.

Method 3: Import expenses via email

Many invoices nowadays arrive digitally via email. Instead of downloading and manually uploading them, you can forward them directly to Magic Heidi.

How to set up email import

1. Open the email with the invoice you want to capture.
2. Forward the email to the address: import@scan.magicheidi.ch
3. Attach the invoice as a file, if it isn't already included as an attachment in the original email.
4. Magic Heidi analyzes the file automatically. The system identifies which account the expense belongs to based on your sender email address.
5. You'll receive a confirmation email once the import is complete.

The imported expense then appears in your expense list and can be edited, categorized, and marked as paid as usual.

Important: Email address must match

For the import to work, the email address you send from must be linked to your Magic Heidi account. If you'd like to use a different email address for imports, contact the Magic Heidi team -- the linking can be set up easily.

Tip: Email import is particularly well-suited for invoices from cloud services, software subscriptions, or online purchases. Set up a filter in your email client that automatically forwards invoices to Magic Heidi -- this way, capturing expenses becomes fully automated.

Method 4: Recurring expenses captured automatically

Not all expenses are one-time costs. Rent, coworking spaces, software subscriptions, or insurance premiums recur regularly. Magic Heidi allows you to have such recurring expenses captured automatically.

How to create a recurring expense

1. Click the plus icon (+) to create a new expense.
2. Select the recurrence frequency -- choose between one-time, monthly, and yearly.
3. Set the duration -- e.g., monthly for 6 months.
4. Enter the description, amount, and category.
5. Save -- Magic Heidi takes care of the rest.

Automatic creation

Magic Heidi automatically creates a new expense entry every month (or every year). The entry is initially created as unpaid. You can see open expenses at a glance and simply mark them as paid when the payment is made. This is ideal for budget planning and cash flow overview.

Ideal for these expenses

• Rent and office costs
• Coworking space subscriptions
• Software licenses and cloud services
• Insurance premiums

Analyze and export expenses

Capturing expenses is the first step. Equally important is keeping an overview and preparing the data for your accounting. Magic Heidi offers an integrated analytics section with the following features:

• Income & Expenses -- clearly displayed per month
• Category Breakdown -- see exactly where your money goes
• Flexible Filters -- filter by year, period, or status
• Excel Export -- export data directly for your accountant

Export data for accounting

When it's time for your tax return or to collaborate with your accountant, you can export all your financial data as an Excel file with just a few clicks. The file is formatted so it can be used directly for accounting purposes.

1. Navigate to the "Analytics" section.
2. Set the desired filters (time period, categories, status).
3. Click "Export" to download the data as an Excel file.
4. Hand the file over to your accountant or use it for your own bookkeeping.

Tip: Export your data regularly -- for example, quarterly. This way, you always have a current backup and can rely on clean, complete records when it's time for your annual accounts.

Overview of all methods

No matter which method you choose, Magic Heidi automatically analyzes your receipts, extracts the relevant data, and categorizes them correctly. You save yourself manual entries and reduce sources of error.