Adding Expense Transactions

When you spend money on your trading business—tools, education, subscriptions, or other costs—record it as an expense transaction.

What Counts as an Expense Here

General business expenses include:

Tools & Software:

  • TradingView subscription

  • Charting platforms

  • Trading journals

  • Backtesting software

Infrastructure:

  • VPS (Virtual Private Server)

  • Internet (business portion)

  • Hardware (monitors, computers)

Education:

  • Trading courses

  • Books and materials

  • Coaching and mentorship

  • Conference tickets

Data & Research:

  • Market data feeds

  • News subscriptions

  • Research services

Other Business Costs:

  • Office supplies

  • Professional services (accounting, legal)

  • Advertising and marketing

What Doesn't Belong Here

These expenses have their own modules:

Expense Type

Where to Record

Challenge purchases

Challenges

Private account deposits

Private Accounts

Challenge costs are a specific category tracked in their own module because they're part of the prop trading pipeline.

How to Add an Expense Transaction

  1. Navigate to Transactions in the sidebar

  2. Click Add Transaction

  3. Fill in the form

  4. Click Add Transaction to save

Required Fields

Transaction Name

A clear description of the expense.

Good examples:

  • "TradingView Pro monthly - January"

  • "SMB Training course"

  • "Dell monitor for trading setup"

  • "VPS hosting - Q1"

Type

Select Expense.

Amount

Enter the expense amount (positive number—the system knows it's an expense based on the type).

Currency

Select the currency you paid in.

Date

When you paid for the expense.

Category

Select the most appropriate category:

  • Tools & Software

  • Education & Coaching

  • Data & Research

  • Hardware

  • Office/Admin

  • Other Expenses

Good categorization makes reports more useful.

Payment Status

  • Paid — You've paid for this

  • Unpaid — Bill received but not yet paid

Important: Only Paid expenses affect your Dashboard metrics.

Notes

Add helpful context:

  • What the expense covers

  • Subscription period

  • Invoice or receipt reference

  • Any other relevant details

Payment Status Explained

Paid

The money has left your account. Selecting "Paid":

  • Creates a ledger entry

  • Appears in Dashboard "Money Out"

  • Counts toward your expense totals

Unpaid

You have the expense but haven't paid yet. Useful for:

  • Tracking upcoming bills

  • Managing cash flow

  • Remembering what's due

Unpaid expenses don't affect your metrics until marked as Paid.

After Adding the Transaction

Once saved, the expense transaction will:

  1. Appear in the Transactions table

  2. If marked "Paid," add to Dashboard expenses

  3. Be available in expense reports

  4. Reduce your Net Business Result (Income − Expenses)

Common Expense Scenarios

Monthly Subscriptions

Record each month's payment as it occurs. Use consistent naming:

  • "TradingView Pro - January 2025"

  • "TradingView Pro - February 2025"

Or use recurring transactions if available.

Annual Subscriptions

Record the full amount on the payment date. Note the period covered:

  • "TradingView Pro - Annual (Jan 2025 - Jan 2026)"

One-Time Purchases

Record when paid:

  • "Course: Trading in the Zone by Mark Douglas"

  • "2x 27" Dell monitors"

Partial Business Use

If something is partially for trading (e.g., home internet), record only the business portion:

  • "Internet - business portion (50%)"

Consult a tax professional for proper allocation.

Recording Past Expenses

If catching up on historical data:

  1. Enter with the original payment date

  2. Mark as Paid

  3. Add notes for context

Historical expenses will appear in the correct period.

Expenses and Taxes

Properly categorized expenses help with tax deductions:

  • Expense Report lists all business expenses

  • Categories show spending by type

  • Annual Summary includes expense totals

Keep receipts and records for your accountant.

Best Practices

Record when paid

Add expenses immediately after paying to capture accurate dates.

Be specific with names

"Software" is vague. "TradingView Pro - January 2025" is clear.

Categorize consistently

Always put the same type of expense in the same category.

Note subscription periods

For recurring costs, note what period the payment covers.

Save receipts

Keep digital copies of receipts for tax purposes.

Next: Understanding Payment Status →