Revenue groups are the translation layer between Bas and your accounting package. They determine where every euro ends up in your accounts. If you set them up correctly, you'll know exactly how much revenue you're generating on removals, how much on storage, how much on the boxes service - and your accountant can do their job without having to ask questions.
This is one of the first steps you take when setting up Bas. You need revenue groups before you configure your packages.
What are revenue groups?
A revenue group is a label you attach to an invoice line. Each label is linked to a general ledger account in your accounting package. When you send an invoice, the revenue group tells your accounting package which account the revenue should be booked to.
Example: you create an invoice with three lines:
Invoice line | Revenue group | General ledger account |
Removal costs | Residential removal | 8000 |
Boxes service | Box sales | 8050 |
Warranty certificate | Warranty certificate | 8150 |
Without revenue groups, everything ends up in the same pile. You then don't know how much revenue you're making per service.
Why good naming is crucial
The name of your revenue group needs to be understandable for everyone who works with it. Not just for you or your accountant, but also for the employee drawing up an invoice or adding a manual line.
Benefits of clear naming
Employees immediately understand what to select
Fewer mistakes when invoicing
Faster quote creation
Better reporting
Good naming
Revenue group | What it is |
Residential removal | All revenue from residential removals |
Commercial removal | All revenue from commercial removals |
Private storage | Storage revenue from private customers |
Box sales | Sale and hire of boxes |
Warranty certificate | Revenue from certificates |
Admin fee | Fixed fee per case file |
Poor naming
Wrong | Why it's wrong |
"8000" | Nobody knows what this means |
"Intra-community 21% article 9b reverse-charged" | Your employees won't understand this |
"Miscellaneous" | Too vague - everything ends up in the same bucket |
"Revenue 1" | Meaningless |
Note: You set up the link to the general ledger account separately. The name of the revenue group doesn't need to match the general ledger account name. Use a name your team understands, not one your accountant understands.
Step 1 - Open revenue groups
Go to Settings > Working method > Revenue groups. Here you'll see an overview of all the revenue groups already in the system.
Step 2 - Create revenue groups
Click New revenue group and enter the name. Repeat this for every revenue group you need.
Standard revenue groups
Start with this list and adjust it based on your business:
# | Revenue group | When needed |
1 | Residential removal | Always |
2 | Commercial removal | If you have business customers |
3 | Storage | If you offer storage |
4 | Boxes service | If you sell or hire out boxes |
5 | Warranty certificate | If you work with certificates |
6 | Admin fee | If you charge a fixed fee per case file |
7 | Transport | If you invoice transport separately |
8 | Packing service | If you invoice packing services separately |
Tip: Less is more. Start with 5 to 8 revenue groups. You can always add more later. But if you start with 20 revenue groups, your team will get confused.
Step 3 - Link revenue groups to packages
Once your revenue groups have been created, you link them to the invoice lines in your packages. Every invoice line in a package has a Revenue group field where you select the correct group.
Example for a residential package:
Invoice line | Revenue group |
Removal costs | Residential removal |
Admin fee | Admin fee |
Boxes service | Boxes service |
Warranty certificate | Warranty certificate |
Packing service | Packing service |
You do this when setting up your packages. The revenue groups therefore need to exist before you configure your packages.
Step 4 - Linking to the general ledger account
You set up the link between revenue groups and general ledger accounts in your accounting integration. You do this later in the onboarding process, together with your onboarding specialist.
For each revenue group, you link: 1. A general ledger account in your accounting package (e.g. 8000, 8050, 8150) 2. A VAT code (21% standard rate, 0% reverse-charged, etc.)
Available integrations: Exact Online, SnelStart, Yuki, Reeleeze, Octopus, King Finance, Exact Globe.
Note: This is a step you always do together with your onboarding specialist. It requires knowing which general ledger accounts your accounting package uses. If you don't know this, ask your accountant before you schedule the session.
Where are revenue groups used?
Packages
Every invoice line in a package is linked to a revenue group. When the system generates an invoice, the revenue group tells it where the revenue needs to go.
Manual invoice lines
If you add an extra line to an invoice (e.g. parking costs), you manually select the correct revenue group.
Reports
In your reports, you can filter by revenue group. This lets you see how much revenue you've generated on removals, how much on storage, how much on the boxes service.
Export to accounting package
When exporting invoices to your accounting package, Bas sends the revenue group along. Your accounting package then automatically books the revenue to the correct general ledger account.
Tips
Start with 5 to 8 revenue groups. You can always add more later. Too many revenue groups makes things confusing for your team.
Use understandable names. "Private storage" is better than "8100" or "Miscellaneous".
Imagine a new employee creating an invoice. Can that person select the correct revenue group without any explanation? If not, the name isn't good enough.
Create revenue groups before setting up your packages. You'll need them when linking invoice lines.
Discuss the general ledger accounts with your accountant. Ask which accounts your accounting package uses before you set up the accounting integration.
Please note
Missing revenue group on an invoice line means the revenue doesn't end up anywhere in your accounts. After setting up your packages, check that every invoice line has a revenue group.
An incorrect link to a general ledger account is something you'll only notice when your accountant calls. Always send a test invoice to your accounting package before going live.
Avoid the revenue group "Miscellaneous". If everything ends up in "Miscellaneous", you have no insight at all. It's better to create an extra revenue group.
Changing the name after use. You can change the name of a revenue group later without it affecting the link with your accounting package.
Next step: What is a package?