Tallie Expense Report Software Endorsed as CPA Practice Advisor “Top 9 Must-Have Apps for Accounting Professionals”

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Alicia Carney

Our team is honored to announce that, earlier this week, CPA Practice Advisor endorsed Tallie’s expense report software as a “Top 9 Must-Have App for Accounting Professionals!” We are humbled to be recognized alongside such household names as: Evernote, TripIt, Uber, Dropbox, AroundMe, Flipboard, Google Maps, and Starbucks. This honor adds even greater fire to our promise of delivering the premier expense report software solution for businesses and accounting firms alike.

Here are the features we think contributed to Tallie’s recognition:

1. Enjoyable, Enterprise-Grade Software

Our team is most excited by the fact that the other eight apps featured on CPA Practice Advisor’s list are consumer apps well-known for their enjoyable user experiences. In fact, Tallie is the only accounting software featured on this list. Our reputation in the accounting community rests on our ability to provide enterprise-grade services without sacrificing simple, intuitive design. We’ve always prioritized customer satisfaction, whether they be accountants or end users–Tallie was designed to please.

2. Truly Bi-Directional Integrations

Tallie’s ability to meet the needs of every business, regardless of their size or workflow, wouldn’t have been possible without first-hand experience with the world of accounting. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that our expense report software was built by actual accountants. You can see it in the features we build, such as one-click multi-exports, and the ability to neatly import project & class into your accounting system. Our bi-directional integrations are what really sets us apart, allowing Tallie to fit seamlessly into your company’s pre-existing accounting system without hassle or compromise.

Available on both Android and iOS, Tallie has been praised as a critical component for any optimized accounting workflow. Boomer Consulting CEO Gary Boomer affirmed that Tallie has “reduced expense reporting time by at least one hour per week and integrates directly with Bill.com and QBOL.” He goes on to say that “it has also reduced others’ time in the processing and integration of expense reports with Bill.com. The workflow is built into the app and the support is excellent.”

3. Lifetime of Live Support

Every Tallie account includes lifetime access to Tallie’s Product Expert Team. Period. This includes same-day account setup with a technical expert, new customer training sessions, continuous education, and bottomless access to our U.S.-based technical support team– available via telephone, email, online, or carrier pigeon. We also make training resources available 24/7 in Tallie’s Resource Room.

4. Delightfully Easy

We believe that all software should be simple to use, and expense report software is no exception. Tallie has been described as the “easiest mobile expense app for traveling teams” by Andrea B. of AccountingDepartment.com. See for yourself what current Tallie clients are saying about their experiences on the Intuit App Center. You’ll notice that the majority of our reviews highlight how easy Tallie is to set up and start using. Nothing makes us happier than knowing that we’re saving our customers time, money, and headaches. Words like “simple,” “intuitive,” and “easy,” are like music to our ears.

The Tallie team is thrilled and honored to receive this recognition from CPA Practice Advisor, the definitive resource for tax and accounting professionals in the public practice. If you’d like to see how our award-winning cloud-based expense management solution can work for your business, schedule a personal Product Demo or give us a call at 800-592-5144.

Read the full article on CPA Practice Advisor’s website.

9.20 Release Notes: Enhanced Sorting, Mileage Powered by Google Maps and Company-Wide Expense Categories

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Marketing Team

Our October 9.20 release is live! With it comes a number of user enhancements and features. To make our expense report submitters’ lives even easier, we’ve made some of the following changes:

Expenses can now be sorted on the Purchases page
Tallie’s Mileage feature is now powered by Google Maps
In addition to defining projects, classes, and departments, administrators can now issue company-wide or expense category defaults for their users’ expenses.

Sort By Feature on the Purchases Page

Now, when visiting the Purchases page, users can sort expenses by date, amount, merchant, expense category, department, class or project. Not only is this helpful if you wish to reorganize and review your purchases, it can be especially convenient when editing expenses en masse. For example, users can sort all of their transactions by merchant, select specific expenses from that list, and then perform a mass edit of the categories, all in a matter of seconds.

Mileage Feature is Powered by Google Maps

Our mileage tracking features have been significantly upgraded with the implementation of Google Maps. Locations are found quicker, which leads to faster and more accurate results. And from an aesthetic standpoint, the maps themselves look better and more detailed.

Billable/Non-Billable Defaults to be Set by Expense Category or by Company

When setting up expense categories or reviewing the Features area, administrators will now be able to determine both the billable status, and whether a project type needs to be set. They can also check a box to prevent users from altering the billable status of items within certain expense categories. For more information, check out our guides on how to configure expense categories, and on using the Features tab to set company-wide defaults for project and class reporting.

Tallie is dedicated to reducing the amount of time and effort our users spend on each expense report. With these updated features, the process of creating, submitting, and approving expense reports has never been easier. If you have any questions about how these changes will improve your accounting workflow, feel free to reach out to our support team at 1-888-874-1118 or through support@usetallie.com.

If you’d like to see for yourself how Tallie can save your business time and money, you can start a 14-day free trial, or schedule a one-on-one product demo with one of our experts.

Four Things You Need to Know About Deducting Business Gift Expenses

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Laurel Carney

Everyone knows it’s better to give than it is to receive, right? Well, when it comes to your business, it turns out that you can do both at the same time. Just as you can expense business meals and entertainment, you may also deduct a portion of the amount you spend on gifts for colleagues, clients, and employees. There are, however, some limitations as to who you can give to, what you can give them, and how much of a deduction you can receive in return. So whether it’s a basket of holiday cookies or tickets to a Beyoncé concert, here are four things you need to know about successfully deducting business gift expenses.

1. You can only deduct up to $25 per business gift.

We know you love your client almost as much as your client loves that gold-plated basket of pears. But as far as the IRS is concerned, you can deduct no more than $25 for each business gift per recipient for each tax year. It doesn’t matter whether you send that gift directly to your client, to their department, or to a member of their family. That $25 limit applies to everyone that may have benefited from your gift, even indirectly. However, if you send a set of gold watches to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, you will still be allowed to deduct $25 from each, provided that you have a separate (work-related) connection to each spouse.

2. You can’t deduct incidental costs.

Let’s say you’ve found that perfect gift for your IT department. While you always have the option of plopping it down in the middle of their desks unadorned, you’re probably going to want to wrap it first. Not to mention, giving gifts to partners at other companies means paying for shipping and handling. Know that in most cases, packing and mailing costs are considered “incidental,” and cannot be deducted. But if the packaging is considered to be part of the gift, like a hand-woven tote, its cost can be included in your deduction. Think the difference between wrapping paper and a decorative basket. Incidental costs may also refer to additional features that enhance the gift without substantially increasing its value–such as engraving.

3. Pens for everyone!

Certain kinds of items are considered to be exceptions to the $25 rule, and will not be counted towards your business gift expense limit. For example, you don’t need to include any widely distributed items that bear your name so long as they cost $4 or less. These small gifts most often manifest as pens, frisbees, and stickers with your company’s logo on them. Other strictly promotional items, such as signs or giant cardboard cutouts for display in your recipient’s storefront, are also not considered “gifts” for the purposes of the $25 deductible.

4. Are you not entertained?

According to the IRS, “any item that might be considered either a gift or entertainment generally will be considered entertainment.” (IRS Document 463 Ch. 3) So when in doubt, err on the side of an entertainment expense. But let’s say you give a client some tickets to an upcoming concert. If you attend the concert together, the cost of admission is automatically considered an entertainment expense. But if your client goes without you, you get to choose whether those tickets will be filed as entertainment or as a business gift expense. You are also free to change your mind about how to classify the expense, even after its been submitted to the IRS. If, after deducting the tickets as a gift, you determine that it would be more accurate (or more beneficial) to expense them as entertainment, you have three years to file an amended return.

You can keep track of all your business expenses, including business gifts, with Tallie’s award-winning expense report automation software. See how we can improve and simplify your accounting workflow FREE for 14 days – no credit card or commitment required. You can also schedule a product demo with one of our experts to help determine the best workflow for your business.

Training Webinar Q&A: 5 Ways Tallie Will Change the Way You Do Expense Reports Forever

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Marketing Team

As you may have already heard, Tallie offers free, weekly training webinars with our fabulous Product Experts. At the end of each session, we open the floor to questions from users, administrators, and accountants alike. Not only does this help our team ensure our clients are getting the most out of Tallie, it also enables us to see which features Tallie customers are eager to learn more about. So, whether you fancy yourself a novice or an expense reports expert, check out these answers to the top five questions asked at our training webinars.

Question #1: “Does Tallie offer support for managing the expense reports of multiple companies?”

Absolutely. At Tallie, each company is referred to as an “enterprise,” and switching between them is a snap. If you look at the upper left-hand corner of your screen, you will see your name, as well as the enterprise you’re currently working under. By clicking the name of your currently active enterprise, you will be given the option of switching to another. As long as all of your enterprises are linked through Tallie, you will not be required to log out before managing your other companies’ expenses.

Question #2: “When you export your expense reports into accounting software (for example, QuickBooks) are the entries also automatically pushed to Bill.com?

Yes! When first setting up your Tallie account, one of our Product Experts will create a custom workflow with your company’s chosen accounting systems. In this case, the asker decided to connect their Tallie account with QuickBooks and Bill.com. Now, when exporting expenses, Tallie will simultaneously push their reimbursable charges to Bill.com, and the non-reimbursable company charges to QuickBooks. If you ever decide to switch accounting services, just give our team a call at 888-874-1118 Ext 2 or email us at support@usetallie.com. We will reconfigure your Tallie account to accommodate these changes, no matter how long its been since your initial setup.

Question #3: “When a user adds an expense, can they also pick which class the transaction should be assigned to? If so, can administrators control which options each user has?”

As an administrator, you have the option of allowing users to select their own classes. These classes can be assigned to individual transactions, or even to entire expense reports. When it comes to controlling user options, you can also choose to require class and department tracking for all expenses, or to assign classes to people and projects yourself behind the scenes. To learn more, come check out our explanation for Tallie’s class configuration and hierarchies.

Question #4: “Which browser works best with Tallie?”

Tallie works well with all modern browsers. While we also offer support for older browsers (such as Internet Explorer 10) we’ve found that users have the best experience with the more technologically advanced options. Therefore, if you want to get the most out of our expense management features, we recommend using the latest versions of browsers like Chrome or Firefox.

Question #5: When setting up items, can I directly import the item list from QuickBooks Online and use them as the Expense Categories in Tallie?

You sure can! In fact, we highly encourage our users to directly import items from their accounting software into Tallie. From there, users can then assign these as custom Expense Categories for future transactions. In a recent article, we outlined how to set up service items, markups, and invoices through QuickBooks Online.

Have some questions of your own? Come join us for our next free Tallie training webinar! If you’re ready to see how Tallie can improve your accounting workflow, schedule a free product demo with one of our experts today. We also offer 14-day trials with no credit card or commitment required.

Become an Expense Report Guru. FREE October Tallie Training Webinars!

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Laurel Carney

We believe in not only offering the industry’s best expense report software, but also a lifetime of top notch customer service. Due to the success of Tallie’s September webinars, we are continuing to offer free weekly training for users, administrators, and approvers alike. Lasting only 30 minutes, these training sessions are packed with information ranging from product guidance to live Q&A with Tallie Experts.

TALLIE USER TRAINING

1. Walk through the creation of a Tallie expense report.
2. Share the tips and tricks to create your expense report in a few minutes.
3. Answer any and every Tallie question you have.

Register:
Tuesday 10/7 8:30 – 9:00 am PDT
Tuesday 10/14 8:30 – 9:00 am PDT
Tuesday 10/21 8:30 – 9:00 am PDT
Tuesday 10/28 8:30 – 9:00 am PDT

APPROVER TRAINING

1. Walk through the expense report approval process within Tallie.
2. Show the expense report edit feature for specified approvers.
3. Answer any and every Tallie question you have.

Register:
Thursday 10/16 8:30 – 9:00 am PDT

ACCOUNTANT TRAINING

1. Provide a tour of the Tallie Accountant Portal.
2. Walk through the client account management process within the Accountant Portal.
3. Show how Tallie streamlines your accounting workflow with 1-click multi-point export and bi-directional accounting system integration.
4. Answer any and every Tallie question you have.

Register:
 Thursday 10/9 8:30 – 9:00 am PDT
Thursday 10/23 8:30 – 9:00 am PDT

ADMINISTRATOR TRAINING

1. Walk through how to set custom policies and approval levels within Tallie.
2. Show how Tallie streamlines your expense workflow with multi-point data export and bi-directional accounting system integration.
3. Answer any and every Tallie question you have.

Register:
Thursday 10/2 8:30 – 9:00 am PDT

If you have any questions between now and your chosen training webinar, please don’t hesitate to contact our Product Expert Team directly at support@usetallie.com or 888-874-1118 Ext 2. We hope to see you there!

Invoicing Expenses in QuickBooks Online: Optimize Billable Expenses Through Service Items, Attachments and Markups

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Jordan Estreito

Tallie’s integration with QuickBooks Online makes it incredibly easy to bill your clients for direct expenses. We’ll teach you how to set up Service Items, use Markups and invoice clients with the expense and receipt.

Part One: Setting up Service Items

Service Items are what shows up in the “Product/Service” column on an invoice. They also dictate the accounts that the expenses will be booked to.

To set up your Service Items in QuickBooks Online, go to the Settings cog in the upper right-hand corner and then click on All Lists. Once there, click on Products and Services. From here, you can create a new Service Item by clicking New. Once it’s brought up, make sure you click “I purchase this product/service from a vendor,” which is key – it’ll bring up an area to enter an expense account. This way, you can map Expenses to Service Items that, in turn, are mapped to the appropriate Income and Expense accounts. Likewise, you can control the invoice description and make the expense, when added to an invoice, look fantastic.

Here’s an example. Let’s say you’ve negotiated travel reimbursement with a client. You would probably set up a Service Item like the one below.

Part Two: Markups

If your organization will mark up the billable expenses, you’ll need to enable this option. In QuickBooks Online, go to the Settings cog in the upper right-hand corner, click Company Settings, and then click Expenses. In the Bills and Expenses area, click the pencil edit icon towards the right. With these settings open, check off “Markup with a default rate of” and feel free to leave the option blank if you don’t have a default markup percentage.

Now, when you have Bills or Checks exported from Tallie, you can either use the default markup percentage you created, or easily add a markup percentage directly to the line item. Going forward, the markup percentage will be applied as billable expenses are added to an invoice.

Part Three: Invoicing Billable Expenses

You’ve collected your expenses in Tallie, exported them to QuickBooks Online and possibly applied a markup. Now you’re ready to invoice your client. The easiest way to do this, in my opinion, is to go to your Customer list and start an Invoice. On the right-hand side of the new invoice, you can easily add any billable expenses you’ve imported.

One of the great features of Tallie is that we also bring the original receipt into QuickBooks Online, so if you’d like to add it as an attachment on the invoice, simply put a checkmark next to the attachment name and send it out.

Your client will receive the invoice in their inbox with a description created by you via the Service Item, markup applied, and the original receipts attached. It’s easy, fast and the complete package!

To see for yourself how Tallie can improve your accounting workflow, click here to start your FREE 14-day trial. No credit card or commitment required. If you have any questions about our award-winning expense management software, feel free to contact our team at support@usetallie.com. Schedule a free product demo with one of our experts today!

Let Us Entertain You: Tips for Deducting Your Business’s Meal and Entertainment Expenses

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Laurel Carney

Taking a client out to dinner may be as common a business practice as buying a plane ticket, but deducting it can be a whole other story. Entertainment expenses, such as the cost of meals and shows, are subject to particular scrutiny from the IRS. The complicated, ambiguous rules surrounding these kinds of expenses can make it difficult for business owners to know which costs are deductible. We here at Tallie wanted to help cut through the ambiguity and give you a better idea of what qualifies as an entertainment expense, and how it can be successfully deducted.

First, the entertainment must be considered ordinary and necessary. While these terms may sound a little vague, in this case, “ordinary,” simply means that the form of entertainment is commonly practiced within your trade. A round of golf with a potential client? Sure. An extravagant dinner complete with a $600 bottle of wine? Probably not going to fly. And despite what it sounds like, “necessary,” does not actually mean that your company’s success hinges on your picking up the dinner tab–the IRS only requires that it be demonstrably helpful for your business.

Next, your expense must meet one of two tests in order to prove that the entertainment is “closely related” to work:

1. The “directly-related” test.

In order to pass this test, you need to be able to prove that “the main purpose of the combined business and entertainment was the active conduct of business.” (IRS Publication 463: Ch. 2) In other words, unless the festivities took place in a “clear business setting,” you must have had real reason to believe they’d lead to a specific benefit for your business, such as increased income, or a partnership with a new supplier.

A clear business setting can be a number of places, such as a designated booth at a convention, or even an office breakroom. Of course, there’s only so much entertainment to be had around a water cooler. For all other venues, not only must the “main purpose” of the expense be the active conduct of business, the location must be distraction free. It doesn’t matter how hard your team toiled away on those spreadsheets in the middle of the club last night–if you couldn’t hear each other over the music, it probably wasn’t a very productive meeting.

2. The “associated” test.

This test can be much easier to pass. According to the IRS, your entertainment expense may be considered deductible if it was “associated with the active conduct of your trade or business,” (IRS Publication 463: Ch. 2) AND if it occurred “directly before or after a substantial business discussion.”

How direct is directly? Essentially, the discussion (ie: meeting, negotiation, etc.) must take place on the same day as the entertainment. Exceptions can be made in extenuating circumstances–if your clients are coming in from out of town, for example, or if strict venue scheduling requires an event to take place the following evening. Whether these extenuating circumstances are approved, or whether the business discussion is deemed sufficiently substantial, is solely up to the IRS. You should always be prepared to explain how the discussion benefitted your business, as well as any working relationship with the client or business associate.

Generally, if your entertainment expenses meet the above requirements, they can be deducted for 50% of the total cost. That being said, there are a number of circumstances in which the 50% rule does not apply. If you provide food and entertainment for the general public on behalf of your business, this is considered as either advertising or a means of “promoting good will.” And, of course, if you went to the movies in your capacity as a professional film critic, the cost of admission would be considered a fully deductible business expense.

Which forms of entertainment are just plain not deductible? Well, you may not deduct the cost of leasing a facility designed exclusively for entertainment, such as a yacht or a hunting lodge. Nor can you deduct membership dues for any golf or country clubs. And when it comes to lavish or extravagant dinners, you may only deduct 50% of what the IRS determines to be a reasonable cost. If you spent $1,000 on a dinner that should only have cost you $100, you will probably only be able to deduct $50, as opposed to the full $500.

For more details, you can look to our previous post on what the IRS considers to be lavish and extravagant vs. ordinary and necessary expenses. This is especially important when deducting business gift and entertainment costs. As makers of expense report automation software, we understand it’s sometimes difficult to know which entertainment costs can be expensed and which don’t qualify. While it might be frustrating that the rules for what’s acceptable aren’t always cut and dry, just remember that common sense and frugality will go a long way.

Save valuable time with Tallie’s award-winning expense report automation software. See how we can improve your accounting workflow FREE for 14 days with no credit card or commitment required. Want some one-on-one help from our trained product experts? Schedule your free Tallie product demo today!

Tips for Surviving (and Thriving) During the Busy Season

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Laurel Carney

As we find ourselves in the thick of fall tax season, many accountants are already feeling the dreaded “burn out.” After a month of working ten to twelve hours a day, six days a week, even the most dedicated CPA might start to dream about setting fire to their paperwork. (That is, if they ever got any sleep!)

Sometimes, when faced with a crushing deadline at work, our healthy habits are the first things to go. Why spend precious time taking care of yourself when there’s an audit underway? Well, the truth is, you don’t always have to sacrifice your sanity in order to make it through the busy season. Below are some ways of caring for your mind and body that will not only help you feel better, but are proven to boost the quality of your work.

1. Step away from the screen!

Image Courtesy of Fotolia.com

The longer you power through those deductibles, the sooner they’ll get done, right? Wrong!

As it turns out, scheduling regular breaks during the workday can actually do more than lift your spirits. Studies have shown that taking a break can significantly increase your performance, as well as your ability to focus on the job at hand. It sounds counterintuitive, but taking time away from a task will allow you to work harder and more efficiently once you return. The most effective breaks are spent away from the screen, preferably on your feet or in conversation. But the best break of all is the one that makes you feel good–so whether it be a twenty minute power nap or a ten minute stroll around the building, know that your brain will always benefit from a little you-time.

2. Leave room on your plate for lunch!

It’s not just your mind that needs some TLC. When you’re buried under mountains of paperwork, it can be easy to lose track of time, and, before you know it, the lunch hour has come and gone. Being pressed for time is never a good reason to skip a meal–going without food is known to decrease productivity, and can leave you irritable, fatigued, and unable to concentrate. If your office makes a habit of ordering in lunch and dinner during tax season, take advantage of it! Otherwise, find the system that works best for you. Do you look forward to going out to lunch with co-workers? Treat yourself! Looking to save money by bringing your meals from home? Try preparing your lunches a couple days in advance, just in case you’re too tired to whip something up the night before.

And believe it or not, just because you’re sitting at a desk all day doesn’t mean you can skimp on the water. Scientists have found that even mild dehydration can lead to decreased cognitive ability, as well as a negative impact on one’s mood and stamina. So don’t forget to drink lots of water in between those pots of coffee!

Oh, and about that desk . . .

3. Deskercise!

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

If you often find yourself exhausted, stressed, and fidgety at the office, you may find relief in a rather unexpected place: exercise. That’s right: according to the American Psychological Association, employees who exercise during the workday are more productive, happier, and have more energy than those who stay sedentary. Of course, accountants don’t always have time for (or access to) a gym during tax season. Fortunately, there are a number of workouts that you can do right there at your desk, even while continuing to work on those returns.

If you feel a little silly working out in the middle of the office, try to spend one of your breaks throughout the day engaged in physical activity. Walking to or from work, or even standing up and doing a lap around the office once every hour can do wonders for your mood and overall health.

Tax season may come only once (okay, twice) a year, but that doesn’t make it any less tough. Just remember that by making time to take care of yourself during these hectic, back-to-back months of long hours and missing weekends, you can skip the burn out and enjoy that well-deserved break.

Of course, another great way to make sure the busy season goes as smoothly as possible is to make sure you’re using the right tools. When it comes to processing expenses, our comparative analysis found that Tallie clients experience 67% time savings when compared with other expense report products. Our software will also save you the hassle of dealing with errors and expense fraud through our automated error prevention features. Tallie offers duplicate detection, auto-merging of matching of credit card transactions and receipts, and will even auto-flag expenses that violate your company’s policies.

Good luck with the rest of the busy season! We’ll see you on the other side.

Ready to save time with Tallie’s award-winning expense management software? See how we can help improve your business’s accounting flow, FREE for 14 days – no credit card or commitment required. How about a walkthrough from one of our trained experts? Schedule your free Tallie product demo any time.

Three Ways to Keep Your Data Safer Online, for Expense Management and Beyond

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Laurel Carney

Sometimes the Cloud can seem like a scary place. Luckily, protecting your data is of the utmost importance to us, and we take pride in designing and implementing security mechanisms around Tallie. We use best-in-class firewalls, secure public servers, and private servers that operate within a Virtual Private Cloud. In short: your expense reports and personal information are safe with us.

However, we recognize that the internet plays an enormous role in the average person’s everyday life. And with the prevalence of social media, Cloud storage, and online banking, it’s more important than ever to protect yourself wherever you go. But don’t despair! Below you’ll find three simple, but effective, ways to keep your data safer online.

1. Use smarter passwords.

In order to prevent users from creating passwords that are easily compromised, Tallie’s most recent release includes a password strength meter. But when it comes to choosing a password, know that the strongest options contain multiple words or fragments of words. While including numbers and special characters certainly can’t hurt, the longer your password, the better. Avoid using guessable words or phrases that contain your personal information. For example, a password like “FidoSanFrancisco” won’t protect you for long after posting snapshots of your pup on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Be sure to never use the same password for multiple accounts. It may make things easier to remember, but once a single account is cracked, it leaves the others defenseless. And don’t forget to change your passwords often—at least once every 1-6 months.

2. Encrypt your most important files.

If you need to store or share data that you’d rather keep confidential, you always have the option of encrypting it first. This essentially renders your file unreadable by everyone without the corresponding passkey. To do this, we recommend using an encrypted file-sharing service like SmartVault. SmartVault allows you to store, encrypt, backup, and share your business’ confidential documents with ease. They also provide seamless integration with other business and financial applications, such as QuickBooks, QuickBooks Online, and, of course, Tallie.

If you ever find yourself uploading or transferring sensitive information elsewhere (say, through a browser,) be sure to look for the small lock icon in the address bar. If you don’t see the lock, or the protocol “https,” then it’s not secure! We know that expense reports contain confidential information vital to your business. That’s why Tallie uses secure SSL connections to encrypt your data while it’s in transit, as well as for absolutely all of our web services.

3. Answer your security questions with lies.

In theory, security questions are a great idea. Sometimes we forget our passwords, and need a simple, painless way to reset or recover them. But if the only thing standing between a hacker and your Cloud account is knowing your mother’s maiden name, then you might be in trouble. Maiden names, birthplaces, and favorite pets are all easily found via Google or social media. So what can you do?

Well, when it comes time to pick your security questions, don’t be afraid to tell a few lies.

It may sound strange, but it’s one of the best ways to protect your password against social engineering. There’s no reason you can’t make it something easy to remember: perhaps your mother’s name is Skywalker, and you have fond memories of playing with some pet droids at your birthplace of Tattooine. The key is to choose something you can remember (or safely record,) but that can’t be searched out by prying strangers. Of course, if you’re on record as a die-hard Star Wars fan, you may want to invent something else! You can also protect your security answers even further by breaking up the words with numbers or special characters. Every extra measure taken makes it that much more difficult for a hacker to access your information.

Remember that you can always trust that your expense reports will be safe with Tallie. And armed with the above advice, you can much better keep the rest of your accounts safe and secure. If you have any questions about these or any other internet safety tips, feel free to leave them in the comments below!

Ready to experience Tallie’s award-winning expense management software? Give us a try, FREE for 14 days – no credit card or commitment required. Would you prefer a walkthough from a trained expert? Schedule your free Tallie product demo now.

Tallie Announces New Android App for Expense Report Management

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Marketing Team

The Tallie Team is proud to announce the launch of an updated Android app, delivering new features and an improved design. Android users can now snap pictures of receipts, create and edit expenses, and submit the expense report for approval with ease. Simple, intuitive, and everything you’ll need to submit expenses on-the-go. Check it out:

Tallie’s Android App Feature Overview

Create New Expenses – Simple and Easy Across the Board

At a business lunch? Simply pull out your phone and take a picture of your receipt – Tallie will capture the restaurant’s name, the date, the total amount and apply an expense category. From there, you can review all that information and make any changes you’d like. Want to track the meal to a particular client or fill in the lunch’s attendees? Well, you can do all of that and more on your phone.

You can either take a new picture of your receipt, upload it from your library, or create it yourself. And in this release, all of the fields to categorize the expense are editable.

Creating and Updating Expense Reports

Now that you have your expenses in Tallie, right from your app you’ll be able to select those expenses and move them into an existing Expense Report or create a new one. Remember that business lunch? If you need to create a separate expense report for that client, simply tap the expense report and select the Report icon in the upper right-hand corner. From there, create a new expense report for that client and your app will move the expense or expenses into that new report.

App to Screen – Complete Picture

You have your expenses and your reports organized in your Tallie app. What next?

First, you may want to dig into the expenses first. We’ll let you know if you’re out of any policies your organization has set up or if Tallie’s detected a possible duplicate.

Submit your Expenses!

After you’re all set, simply submit your expense reports for approval. However, if you need to pull them back to make last-minute correction, you can easily unsubmit the report if it hasn’t been approved yet.

Otherwise, send that report to its approver and you’re all set!

This update to the Tallie Android app is another example of our commitment to delivering a premium expense report software product for our customers. The best news of all? Android users can download the updated app today on Google Play. Just download the app, snap a pic, and start expensing today!

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Tallie Blog

Expense Report Automation