---
title: "Creating and editing Expenses categories"
slug: "creating-and-editing-expense-categories"
description: "Edit and create expense categories tailored to your organisation's needs, ensuring users can easily find and claim expenses."
updated: 2026-08-19T14:55:14Z
published: 2026-08-19T14:55:14Z
canonical: "help.cintra.co.uk/creating-and-editing-expense-categories"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.cintra.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating and editing Expenses categories

Expenses includes a set of default categories that you can edit to match your organisation's requirements. You can also create new categories from scratch.

> [!NOTE]
> Important!
> 
> If a category **does not appear** in a user's category list when raising a claim, check that the Tag fields on the category record are empty. A category with tags assigned is only visible to users who have matching tags on their account.

### Creating a category

1. Go to **Setup > Categories**.
2. Click **+ Category**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image(361).png)

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image-EU72JNQO.png)

1. Select the **Category Type**. This determines which expense types the category is available for. For more information, see [Category fields and settings](/docs/creating-and-editing-expense-categories#category-fields-and-settings) below.
2. Enter a **Name**.
3. Optional: select a **Group**. Groups add subheadings to the category list on the expense form, making it easier for users to find the right category.
4. Optional: select a **Filter**. When a user is selecting a category, they can select a filter and only categories matching the filter will be returned. .
5. Enter a **GL Code**. This links the category to the corresponding nominal record in your accounting software.
6. Select a **VAT** code.
7. Select any additional settings as required. For a full description of all available options, see [Category fields and settings](/docs/creating-and-editing-expense-categories#category-fields-and-settings) below.
8. Click **Save**.

****Video**: Create a category**

[Embedded content](https://app.trupeer.ai/embed/sFsWrVu0i)

These videos were recorded in Capture Expense. Some screens and labels may look slightly different in Expenses, but the steps remain the same.

### Editing a category

1. Go to **Setup > Categories**.
2. Click the **Edit** icon on the relevant category record. The category details appear.
3. Update the settings as required.
4. Click **Save**.

****Video**: Edit categories**

[Embedded content](https://app.trupeer.ai/embed/F9ddn1v0F)

These videos were recorded in Capture Expense. Some screens and labels may look slightly different in Expenses, but the steps remain the same.

### Category fields and settings

The settings below are available when creating or editing a category. Only **Name, GL Code,** and **VAT** are mandatory.

#### Category Type

Determines which expense types the category is available for:

| Type | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **All** | Available for both cash expenses and business card expenses. |
| **Cash Expense** | Available for cash expenses only. |
| **Business Card** | Available for card expenses only. |
| **Business Refund** | Used for refunding personal mileage where personal mileage calculation is enabled on a vehicle record. |

#### Basic settings

| Setting | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **Active** | Ensures the category appears in the system. Deselect to hide the category without deleting it. |
| **Is P11D Expense** | Flags the category for Benefit-in-Kind reporting purposes. |
| **Exclude from Export** | Prevents the category's expense amounts from being passed to your accounting software. Used for business mileage categories where the claim is raised for tracking purposes only. |
| **No Receipt Warning** | Warns the user that a receipt is required when raising a claim under this category. |
| **Allow Multiple Currency** | Allows the user to raise expenses in a currency other than the base currency. |
| **Policy Notes** | A message that appears on the expense form when the user selects this category. Use this to communicate policy rules or guidance at the point of claim. |

#### Entry type and amounts

| Setting | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **Configure Entry** | Controls how the expense amount is entered. Options are: Variable Amount Only (no fixed cost); Fixed Amount Only (a set amount the user cannot change, e.g. a daily lunch allowance); With Quantity and Variable Rate (e.g. number of hotel nights at a nightly rate); With Quantity and Fixed Rate (e.g. mileage at a fixed rate); Vehicle Mileage (for business or personal mileage not set up in Vehicles and Rates). |
| **Default Value** | Default amount. Applies to Variable Amount Only. |
| **Default Quantity** | Default quantity. Applies to Quantity and Variable Rate, and Quantity and Fixed Rate. |
| **Default Rate** | Default rate. Applies to Quantity and Fixed Rate. |
| **Fixed Value** | Fixed amount. Applies to Fixed Amount Only. |
| **Distance Calculator** | Allows the user to enter waypoints and have the distance calculated automatically. Applies to mileage categories. |
| **Show Passenger** | Adds a passenger allowance of £0.05 per mile per passenger to the claim. |

#### Spend controls

| Setting | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **Set Spend Limit** | Enables a spending limit on this category. |
| **Spend Limit Amount** | The maximum amount allowed per claim. |
| **Warning only** | If selected, the user is warned when they exceed the spend limit but can still submit the claim. The approver is notified. If not selected, the user cannot submit a claim that exceeds the limit. |
| **After being divided by** | Applies the spend limit per unit of quantity, for example per night for a hotel category, rather than to the total claim amount. |

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** Spend limits apply per claim by default. If you need to apply a limit across a time period, such as per week or per month, this can be configured using the period options available on the spend limit settings.

#### VAT and receipts

| Setting | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **Show VAT Rates** | Displays VAT rates to the user on the expense form. |
| **Allow user to change VAT** | Allows the user to amend the VAT amount on their claim. |
| **VAT** | The VAT rate applied to this category. If a receipt is attached, the selected VAT rate is used. If no receipt is attached, the claim defaults to the zero rate set up in VAT Records. |

#### Time and additional fields

| Setting | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **Track Time** | Allows users to record hours worked, such as overtime. |
| **Show Number Field** | Adds a custom number field to the category. |
| **Field Label** | The label for the custom number field. |
| **Field Default Value** | A default value for the custom number field, if applicable. |
| **Field Compulsory** | Makes the custom number field mandatory. |
| **Show Merchant** | Prompts the user to record the merchant name and a description on the claim. |
| **Add Attendees** | Allows the user to record attendees for entertainment expenses. |
| **Show Business Use Field** | Adds a free-text field for capturing additional information about the expense. |
| **Business Use Label** | The label for the business use field. |
| **Business Use Compulsory** | Makes the business use field mandatory. |
| **Description Label** | A description of the category that appears in the export template, useful for reporting. |
| **Description Compulsory** | Makes the description field mandatory. |

#### Projects and tasks

| Setting | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **Enable Costing (Project, Task)** | Enables project and task selection on the expense form for this category. |
| **Project and Task Compulsory** | Makes the project and task fields mandatory. |
| **Project and Task Read only** | Locks the project and task fields. Use this when a default project is set on the category. |
| **Project** | The default project assigned to this category. |
| **Task** | The default task assigned to this category. |

#### CO2 calculation

| Setting | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **Calculate CO2** | Calculates CO2 emissions for the expense. Select the appropriate type: Transport (taxi or bus mileage), Flight, Hotel, or Utility (electricity and fuel, requires the user to enter litres on the claim). |

#### Tags

| Setting | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **Tags** | Restricts the category to users with matching tags, or excludes it from users with specific tags. For example, you can make a category available only to users with a Sales or Development department tag, or hide it from users with those tags. If the tag fields are empty, the category is visible to all users. |