Budget and procurement tools
Event invoice reconciliation worksheet
Three invoices arrived after the event and one of them looks very like another.
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The short answer
The worksheet matches each invoice line to a purchase order line by item name, then flags a missing order line, a price different from the order, a quantity above what was ordered or delivered, a repeated invoice reference and anything left blank. Order lines that have not been invoiced are listed too.
It is a worksheet only. It connects to no finance system and makes or schedules no payment. A line with no finding means no mismatch in what you typed, not that it is approved for payment.
What to enter
- Order lines: item, quantity and unit price ordered, the quantity delivered and a note of the delivery evidence, such as a delivery note reference or a signed timesheet.
- Invoice lines: reference, supplier, item as named in the order, quantity and unit price invoiced, and payment status.
- Use fictional or non-sensitive labels. Do not enter bank details, account numbers or personal data.
What is flagged
- No matching order line, or a unit price different from the order.
- Invoiced quantity above the quantity ordered, or above the quantity evidenced as delivered. A blank delivered quantity is unresolved, not zero.
- The same invoice reference and item entered twice, or one reference used by different suppliers.
- Blank quantity or price, which stops that line being totalled.
- A line marked paid while a finding is open.
Working through the findings
Start with duplicates and anything marked paid, because those are the hardest to reverse. Then clear price and quantity differences with the supplier, and ask for delivery evidence where it is missing.
Once an item is resolved, correct the entry and the finding disappears. Keep the corrected worksheet with the invoice file.
Limits
Lines are matched by name only, ignoring capitals and extra spaces, so typing the item the same way in both tables matters. The worksheet cannot tell whether an invoice is correct, only whether the entries agree with each other. For budgets and payment planning, see the budget variance calculator and the cash payment schedule builder.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional post-event reconciliation
Fictional suppliers, items and amounts, to show the findings.
Six fictional invoice lines are checked against four order lines. The lunch buffet matches exactly. Service staff appears twice under one reference at RM 195 against an order of RM 180, so it is flagged as a duplicate, a price difference and 12 invoiced against 6 ordered.
The interpretation booth is marked paid but no delivery was evidenced, so it is flagged as paid with a finding open. The printed programme was invoiced at 450 against 400 ordered, and the name badges were never on an order. Five of six invoice lines have a finding.
| Invoice line | Finding |
|---|---|
| INV-2001 Lunch buffet, 300 at RM 42.00 | No mismatch found in the entered data |
| INV-2001 Service staff, 6 at RM 195.00 (twice) | Duplicate; price differs from the order; above quantity ordered and delivered |
| INV-3050 Interpretation booth, paid | No delivery evidence entered; marked paid while a finding is open |
| INV-4410 Printed programme, 450 at RM 3.50 | Above quantity ordered and delivered |
| INV-4411 Name badges, 300 at RM 1.20 | No matching order line |
Use this yourself
Invoice reconciliation sheet
One row per invoice line. Tick each check only when you have seen the evidence.
| Invoice reference and item | On the order? Ordered quantity and price | Quantity and price invoiced | Delivery evidence seen (reference) | Duplicate checked? | Finding and who resolves it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Order lines with no invoice yet | |||||
| Lines already paid with an open finding |
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- There are a handful of suppliers, clear purchase orders and delivery notes, and a treasurer who can query each finding.
- The aim is a tidy record before payment.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Orders were changed verbally, delivery evidence is thin and several invoices overlap.
- Many suppliers invoice in different formats and someone must chase corrected invoices.
- The records must be ready for an auditor, funder or sponsor query after the event.
Need post-event invoices chased and reconciled?
A project lead can gather the orders, delivery evidence and invoices into one reconciliation, chase suppliers for corrections and prepare the list of open items for your finance team. Payment approval and execution stay with you.
Questions organisers ask
Does the worksheet connect to my accounting software?
No. It uses only the lines you type, and it makes or schedules no payment.
When is an invoice reference a duplicate?
When the same reference and item appear more than once, or one reference is used by different suppliers. Several different items under one reference is normal.
Why is a blank delivered quantity not treated as zero?
Because no evidence entered yet is not the same as nothing delivered. It stays unresolved until you record the evidence.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.