Create and Submit Reports
Easily manage your business expenses in New Expensify with our streamlined report-first workflow. This guide walks you through creating, editing, submitting, and even retracting expense reports when needed.
Note: Report actions like creating, submitting, or retracting can only be done in your own account. If you need to help a teammate, consider asking them to add you as a Copilot.
How to create and submit reports in New Expensify
Follow these steps to build and submit an expense report manually.
Step 1: Create an empty report
- Tap the green ➕ Create button at the bottom of your screen.
- Select Create report.
- The report will be created on your default workspace.
- A draft report will open with the workspace’s default title.
- Click More to change the workspace if needed.
Note: The report will display “This report is empty” until expenses are added.
Step 2: Add expenses to the report
Inside the draft report, tap Add expense to include expense items.
Option A: Create a new expense:
- Tap Add expense > Create expense.
- Enter the expense details (amount, merchant, category).
- The expense is added directly to the report.
Option B: Add existing unreported expenses:
- Tap Add expense > Add unreported expense.
- Select the expenses you want to include.
- Tap Add to report.
Add additional expenses:
Once the report includes at least one expense, the Add Expense option will be under the More menu. Tap More > Add expense to continue adding expenses
Step 3: Submit the report
- Once the report includes at least one expense, the Submit button will appear.
- Tap Submit.
- A confirmation message will appear after submission.
Note: If your workspace uses instant submit, your report may auto-submit once a valid expense is added.
How to retract or edit submitted reports in New Expensify
Submitted a report too early? Need to add or remove an expense? You can retract submitted reports using the More > Undo Submit or Undo Close actions.
Retract means returning a report from closed or processing back to the open state so you can edit it.
- Undo submit: The retract button for processing reports
- Undo close: The retract button for closed reports
Note: Only the person who submitted the report can undo or retract it.
Reporting use cases in New Expensify
New Expensify’s report-first flow supports multiple business needs. Below are some common use cases.
Client-Based Reporting
Best for consultants or teams managing multiple clients.
- Create a separate report for each client.
- Title the report with the client’s name or project code.
- Add all related expenses.
- Submit monthly or after the project ends.
Project-Based Reporting
Best for teams organizing expenses by project.
- Create a new report for each project.
- Use project-specific titles or tags.
- Add expenses in real time or in bulk.
- Submit when the project wraps up.
Monthly or Periodic Reporting
Best for employees submitting regular monthly reports.
- At the start of the month, tap Create report.
- Title it (e.g., “March 2025 Expenses”).
- Add expenses as they occur.
- Submit at the end of the month.
Travel-Specific Reporting
Best for frequent travelers or trip-based expense tracking.
- Create a report at the start of each trip.
- Add travel-related expenses during or after the trip.
- Include notes and receipts if needed.
- Submit after the trip ends.
Team or Department-Level Reports
Best for managers submitting on behalf of a team.
- Create a report titled by team or department (e.g., “Marketing – Q2 Events”).
- SmartScan any team receipts into your own account.
- Add the expenses to the report.
- Tag teammates in descriptions if useful.
- Submit based on your internal process.
Note: You can only include expenses captured in your own account — expenses can’t be transferred between teammates. If you need to submit a report from a teammate’s account, they’ll need to add you as a Copilot.
FAQ
How can an Admin take these actions for another employee?
Admins can’t directly create or submit reports on behalf of others. If you need to manage someone else’s reports, ask them to add you as a Copilot.
What happens if I forget to submit a report?
Unsubmitted reports will remain in your Open reports section. You can go back any time to add more expenses or submit when ready. If your workspace uses instant submit, valid expenses may auto-submit to a new report without you needing to manually do it.
Why don’t I see the “Submit” button?
The Submit button only appears once your report includes at least one valid expense. If the report has already been submitted, the button will no longer be visible.
Can I remove an expense after submitting?
Yes. You’ll need to retract the report using More > Undo Submit or Undo Close, depending on the report’s state. Then you can remove or edit expenses before resubmitting.