Overview
Note: Help content (except videos) has been updated to reflect the UI/UX changes in BQE CORE.
Data integration between BQE CORE and Xero can make your time billing, accounting, and financial management tasks easier. Although CORE is a full-featured business management and accounting program, you might still be using Xero for general accounting, online banking or payroll. There are some differences between CORE and Xero that should be understood to ensure smooth and accurate data synchronization. Click to watch this video on managing data integration with Xero Accounting.
CORE integrates with Xero 2018 or above. The CORE-Xero data integration is supported with three regional settings: Australia, United States/Canada and New Zealand. This feature can sync data bidirectionally with Xero, which means it can send data as well as get data. The table below shows the direction in which data can flow between CORE and Xero. Whether it flows in one direction or the other (or both) depends on your sync settings. Click here for detailed mappings.
| CORE Data | Data Flow | Xero Data |
| Chart of Accounts |
<-> |
Accounts |
| Activity Items |
<-> |
Products & Services List |
| Expense Items |
<-> |
Products & Services List |
| Employees |
<-> |
Employees |
| Vendors |
<-> |
Suppliers |
| Clients |
<-> |
Customers |
| Projects |
<-> |
Projects |
| Time Entry |
<--> |
Time Sheets |
| Expense Entry |
--> |
Expenses (Vendor Bills) |
| Invoices |
<-> |
Invoices |
| Payments |
<-> |
Payments & Deposits |
| Purchase Orders |
<-> |
Purchase Orders |
| Vendor Bills |
<-> |
Bills |
| Classes |
<-> |
Tracking Categories |
During data synchronization, CORE either overwrites the duplicate data, if any, or leaves it as is, depending on the overwrite rules specified by you in Sync Settings. If you are sending CORE data from individual screens using the Actions > Send To option in the detail view, it does not obey the sync rules and filters set in the Sync Settings screen. The sync settings are effective when doing a batch sync from the Integrations screen. Sometimes you might have to enter data separately in both programs. You can manually check and merge the duplicate data or else, use the smart match Record Mappings option to match or un-match synced data between the two databases.
Although you can use our built-in data integration tool to sync your data between the two programs, there are some limitations in doing that. We recommend that option only if you continue to use both Xero and CORE for your business needs and plan to sync the data regularly. Otherwise, you can get your data migrated or synced from Xero into CORE one time and then continue using only CORE.
How To
Field Descriptions
| Field Name | Field Description |
| Integrations > Xero > | |
| Includes Payroll |
Indicates the Xero company you want to sync with also includes and supports payroll and you want to sync the payroll related items with CORE. This is the case when your Xero company is from Australia or New Zealand. You should not check it in case of other (e.g. US) companies as Xero does not support payroll for them and you won't be able to connect to them with this option checked. |
| Integrations > Xero Sync Detail > Details > | |
| Status |
Displays the connection status between the CORE and Xero company files, say Connected or Disconnected. |
| Company Name |
Name of the Xero company file connected with CORE. |
| Country Code |
Country code of the Xero company file connected with CORE. For Australia it is AU, for United States it is US and for New Zealand it is NZ. |
| Last Sync Date |
In case of first-time connection between Xero and CORE, the Last Sync Date is blank. After you sync data between the two programs, this is set as the date-time when the sync happened and is updated as per the last sync. |
| History |
Displays a history of previous synchronizations taken place between CORE and Xero Accounting, if any. This sync log shows you the date, time, description and action taken. |
| More: Clear Sync Log |
You can clear the sync log if you do not want to see the sync history between the two programs. |
| Export as CSV |
You have an option to export the sync log as a comma-separated values (.csv) file that can be viewed in Microsoft Excel or any other spreadsheet program. This allows you to focus on the most recent sync history while maintaining a record of the previous history. |
| Integrations > Xero Sync Detail > Sync Settings > Get > | |
| If record exists, overwrite? |
You can specify the rule for overwriting data in CORE when getting it from Xero, if that record already exists here. For instance, if both CORE and Xero have a record for employee John Doe, this rule determines whether upon synchronization that record will be updated or not.
|
| Xero Items as Activity Items |
You can select items from the drop-down that you want to get from Xero into CORE as activity items. So if you have an item in the Products and Services list in Xero that you want to get into CORE as an activity, you must select that item here from the drop-down list. |
| Xero Items as Expense Items |
You can select the items from the drop-down that you want to get from Xero into CORE as expense items. So if you have an item in the Products and Services list in Xero that you want to get into CORE as an expense, you must select that item here from the drop-down list. |
| Integrations > Xero Sync Detail > Sync Settings > Send > | |
| Ignore last sync date |
CORE ignores the date when it last synchronized data with Xero for the selected feature. The last sync date is used for reference when we want CORE to send data since this date. |
| If record exists, overwrite? |
You can specify the rule for overwriting data in Xero when sending it from CORE, if that record already exists there. For instance, if both CORE and Xero have a record for employee John Doe, this rule determines whether upon synchronization that record will be updated or not.
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| Include purchase tax amount when sending expense entry to Xero |
When sending expense entries to Xero (as vendor bills), you can choose to include the purchase tax amount specified in CORE. This option is available for Expense Entry only. |
| Mapping: CORE Employee-Xero Vendor |
You can map the CORE employees with the corresponding Xero vendors so that the correct association is made when sending CORE employee expenses to Xero as vendor bills. You can also select a vendor when sending the employee expenses to Xero from the Expense Entries screen. |
| Default Earning Rate |
This represents the default earning rate of employees for the time entries being sent to Xero. The earning rate type, say Ordinary Hours, determines how employees are paid for the work done. The value for this option comes from Xero payroll setup. It is not compulsory to specify this setting while syncing employees from CORE to Xero. You can manually set up this in Xero under the Employees > Employment tab. This setting is available for Employee and Time Entry only. |
| Default Payroll Calendar |
You can set up the default payroll calendar here for the employees being sent to Xero. It determines how often and when the employees are paid for their work. The value for this option comes from Xero Payroll setup. It is not compulsory to specify this setting while syncing employees from CORE to Xero. You can manually set up this in Xero under the Employment tab of Employees. You can set up a payroll calendar with one of these pay periods:
This setting is available for Employee only. |
| Transfer Actual Hours |
For time records only: Sends actual hours worked to Xero instead of billable hours (Client Hours) from CORE. |
| Default Tracking Category |
You can set the default tracking category or option here for the time entries being sent to Xero. These are optional time sheet categories or classes through which we can classify the synced time sheets sent from CORE to Xero, if set. The drop-down brings options from the two active tracking categories in Xero. This setting is available for Time Entry only. Note: In Xero, the tracking category for time sheets is specified through the Payroll settings. |
| Starting Week Date |
CORE syncs five weeks of time sheets with Xero starting from this date. It is a required field when sending CORE time entries to Xero. Example: If you are syncing time entries against an employee from January 6, you have to set the Starting Week Date to January 6 and it will sync only 5 weeks of time entries from CORE to Xero starting from that day and will skip the time entries after the fifth week. To sync the remaining time entries, you have to change the Starting Week Date filter. This setting is available for Time Entry only. |
| Include purchase tax amount when sending vendor bills to Xero |
You can choose to include the Purchase Tax Amount associated with the expense line items of CORE vendor bills when syncing them over to Xero. In this case, CORE syncs the Charge Amount of the associated item bills to Xero instead of the Cost Amount as it calculates the purchase tax in CORE on the Charge Amount and not the Cost Amount. Otherwise, the vendor bills are sent without the purchase tax. This option is selected by default for Australia and New Zealand regional settings. |
| Integrations > Xero Sync Detail > Sync Settings > Accounts > Default > | |
| Sales Account |
You can select a default Xero sales account here that is assigned to all the sales items and transactions sent from CORE to Xero on sync. You can select any account that is usually used for sales transactions in Xero. Note: This account and tax rate affects the sales-related synced data only such as invoices, credit memos, activity items and expense items involving sales details. |
| Tax Rate |
You can select a default Xero tax rate here that is assigned to all the sales tax items and transactions sent from CORE to Xero on sync. This sales tax rate needs to be specified carefully and depends on the Sales Account type selected above. Example: For AU regional settings, if you select a Revenue Account type under Sales Account, then the tax rate should be one that is supported by that account type in Xero, say BAS Excluded, GST Free Income or GST on Income. |
| Purchase Account |
You can select a default Xero purchase account here that is assigned to all the purchase items and transactions sent from CORE to Xero on sync. You can select any account that is usually used for purchase transactions in Xero. Note: This account and rate affects the purchase-related synced data only such as vendor bills, purchase orders, activity items and expense items involving purchase details. |
| Tax Rate | You can select a default Xero tax rate here that is assigned to all the purchase tax items and transactions sent from CORE to Xero on sync.
This purchase tax rate needs to be specified carefully and depends on the Purchase Account Type selected above. Example: For AU regional settings, if you have selected an Expense Account type under Purchase Account, then the tax rate should only be the one supported for this account type in Xero, say BAS Excluded, GST Free Expense and GST on Expense. |
| Payment Sent to Xero: Bank Account |
You can select a default Xero bank account here that is assigned to all the payments sent from CORE to Xero on sync. Synced payments directly get deposited in this account in Xero. On syncing payments from CORE to Xero, it directly deposits them under the bank account specified here. In CORE, you can pay invoices through multiple payment methods, such as check, cash, EFT, money order, wire transfer, ePayments, etc. These types of payments sync over as payments directly deposited to the bank account. However, the payments made through other methods like write-off, credit and retainer sync over to Xero as negative line items for the associated invoices. |
| Do not send MST/MET/Item Taxes as line items to Xero |
Check this option if you do not want the main taxes (MET/MST) or item-level taxes (Tax 1/2/3) to be sent to Xero as separate line items along with the synced invoices. This avoids syncing double taxes to Xero with the invoices. Instead, the tax specified for the Sales Account setting is used for the tax calculations. If you uncheck this option here, the associated invoices synced to Xero create the adjustment lines along with the synced invoices, but if you check this option, it skips these taxes and syncs the invoices without the adjustment line items. Note: This option is turned on by default for Australia and New Zealand regional settings and turned off for US. |
| CORE Code |
Many adjustment line items are created on the fly when you sync invoices for the first time from CORE to Xero. You can specify default sales and purchase accounts for them here and they take precedence over the default accounts you set earlier. If no accounts are set at this level, then the previously specified sales and purchase accounts are used. This setting applies when you are not sending time and expense details over to Xero along with the invoices. Example: For Retainer Paid/Applied adjustment line, three inventory items are created in Xero -- COREInvRetainerAmtApplied, CORERetainerPayment, and CORERetainerChargeItem. For CORERetainerChargeItem, an account called COREUnearnedRetAccount is created on the fly and is set under both the Sales and Purchase details with the set Tax Rate. In addition, two items are created in the Inventory item list in Xero called 'From CORE' and 'GEN WUD'. The adjustment line items created on the fly in Xero > Products and Services list view are:
|
| Xero Sales Account |
Every invoice item in Xero must be assigned to an account. For summarized invoices where you are not sending time and expense details, you must specify the default Xero sales account for various sales items. These are the accounts into which the service amount, tax, discount, miscellaneous amount and other sales-related amounts on CORE invoices transfer upon synchronization. |
| Xero Purchase Account |
Every invoice item in Xero must be assigned to an account. For summarized invoices where you are not sending time and expense details, you must specify the default Xero purchase account for various purchase items. These are the accounts into which the expense amount, tax, discount, miscellaneous amount and other purchase-related amounts on CORE invoices transfer upon synchronization. |
| Integrations > Xero Sync Detail > Sync Settings > Accounts > Project > | |
| Assign To: Project/Project Group |
When sending summarized invoices to Xero, CORE assigns default accounts to the invoice line items. You can override those accounts and assign different G/L accounts to invoice items on a project or project group basis. For the selected project or group, each item on a CORE invoice like tax, discount, retainers, etc. can have a specific G/L account assigned to it. When you sync invoices with Xero, the corresponding G/L account is updated there. Note: This is applicable only in case of summarized invoices and not when sending time and expense details. |
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You can select Xero accounts for each invoice line item at the project level that is transferred from CORE to Xero. This way, the correct accounts are posted for every transaction. Tax items should be assigned to liability accounts. Example: Service Tax Amount can be assigned to Sales Tax Payable account and so on.
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| Integrations > Xero Sync Detail > Sync Settings > Invoices > | |
| Do not send time/expense details... | You can choose not to send the actual time and expense details on invoices for specific project types (contracts). For such summarized invoices, you must specify default Xero sales and purchase accounts on the Accounts tab for various line items. Example: If you have this setting checked for, say, hourly projects and are trying to sync their invoices from CORE, the invoices sync over to Xero for the summarized line items, that is, against the COREServiceAmt or COREExpenseAmt adjustment item instead of the actual time and expense entries. |
Synchronization Rules
To ensure accuracy and completeness of data synchronization, CORE uses some synchronization rules. Some of these rules might not be relevant for the first-time data synchronization between CORE and Xero, but are applicable in future.
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| Xero accepts the transfer of transactions only if their dates are after the start date of the Xero company. Syncing of invoice and payment data is possible only if the record dates are after the start date of the company. Thus, when you are syncing data with Xero for the first time, and manually entering invoices or payments from a prior fiscal year, be sure to check the start date of the Xero company to prevent loss of data. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| When data is received from Xero, the system date is converted to UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) and is recorded in the Last Modified date field for each record. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| Because Xero does not require or have the same data fields as CORE, CORE inserts placeholder data in the required fields—FromXero—when receiving data. As a part of the data checking procedure, you should change ‘FromXero' to whatever value you want for the field. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| When you send data using the Send menu, follow the order of the listed items. For example, sync activity before employee and invoices before payments. | When you get data using the Get menu, follow the order of the listed items. For example, sync activity before employee and invoices before payments. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| Xero can receive only active accounts from CORE. So the inactive accounts sent as active accounts to Xero. They do not get synced to the Archived List in Xero. | |
| CORE allows syncing of updated accounts between CORE and Xero. If you update accounts in CORE after syncing them, you can sync the updated accounts as well. For that, you have to set the Overwrite sync setting for Chart of Accounts as Most Recent or Always. | CORE allows syncing of updated accounts between CORE and Xero. If you update the accounts in Xero after syncing them, you can sync the updated accounts as well. For that, you have to set the Overwrite sync setting for Chart of Accounts as Most Recent or Always. |
| Purchase and Sales accounts are taken from the Sync Settings > Accounts > Default section. Similarly, tax rates for purchase and sales part are also taken from there. If income and expense accounts are set at the Activity Items and Expense Items level itself, then Income account is mapped with the Sales account and Expense account is mapped with the Purchase account in Xero. | If you are re-syncing an account from Xero that has trust fund transactions associated with it, CORE does not allow updating its account type. However, if there are no transactions associated with it, the account type is changed to 'bank' in CORE. |
| CORE syncs the Bank (IOLTA) account as a normal operative bank account to Xero. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| Prior to sending activities from CORE to Xero, if you have not specified the Xero accounts and tax rates in Sync Settings, billable activity items transfer as non-chargeable activities to Xero. Chargeable and non-chargeable fields cannot be updated after data is sent. | |
| Activity items that are synced from CORE to Xero transfer into the Products and Services list view there. In CORE, you have a separate screen for the activity and expense items, but in Xero you have only one list view for both. | |
| While syncing activity items from CORE to Xero, if you do not have income and expense accounts specified at the Activity Items level, it uses the Sales Account and Purchase Account set as the default accounts in sync settings, including the associated tax specified there as well. If you have set accounts at the Activity Items level and also at the sync settings level, priority is given to the accounts at the item level. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| Expense items that are synced from CORE to Xero transfer into the Products and Services list view of Xero. In CORE, you have a separate screen for the activity and expense items, but in Xero you have only one list view for both. | The expense item XeroBQEItem is created on the fly while getting account type bills from Xero in to CORE. It is set as a billable expense item by default. |
| While syncing expense items from CORE to Xero, if you do not have income and expense accounts specified at the Expense Items level, it uses the Sales Account and Purchase Account set as the default accounts in sync settings, including the associated tax specified there as well. If you have set the accounts at the Expense Items level and also at the sync settings level, priority is given to the accounts at the item level. | Xero Sales Unit Price maps to Markup% in CORE by using a calculation in the background. The markup for the synced expense item in CORE is calculated by the formula: Markup = (Sales Unit Price - Purchase Unit Price) / Purchase Unit Price x 100 |
| While getting expense items from Xero to CORE, the Purchase Tax Rate field in CORE maps with the Purchase Tax Code’s default rate. For example, in case of GST on expenses, tax code default rate is 10% and so the purchase tax rate for the synced expense is 10%. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| On syncing employees from CORE to Xero, it syncs only limited employee information. It does not sync the address details of employees in CORE due to the Xero API limitation. | When transferring employee data from Xero, CORE checks to see if the optional bill and cost rate fields in Xero contain values. If they do, it transfers them to the employee’s profile. If the fields are blank, CORE inserts $1 placeholder value in the Bill Rate and Cost Rate fields in the Employees screen. You must check those post-sync and update them as needed. |
| For Australia and New Zealand regional settings, CORE syncs employees to Xero as Payroll Employees. So the synced employees from CORE enlist under the Payroll Employees tab in Xero. However, for that you must set up payroll first in your Xero company. If payroll is not set up in Xero, you cannot sync employees from CORE to Xero. To make sure employees are synced to Xero, enter their names, address and birth date details in CORE, as these are required in Xero for payroll. | You can get employees from Xero to CORE that are under the Contacts > Employees list. CORE syncs only the employee details like name and not the address details. This is mainly due to the Xero API limitation. In case of payroll employees, CORE gets the employees from Xero under the Payroll Employees tab. |
| For US regional settings, Xero does not support payroll. So the synced employees from CORE enlist under the Contacts > Employees screen as well as the All Contacts list. Also, the contacts that go under the Employees list cannot be converted to clients or suppliers in Xero by creating invoices or vendor bills for them there. | |
| For creating time sheets in Xero, you need to have payroll set up and payroll employees created there. Also, the payroll calendar needs to be set under its Employment tab. Alternatively, you can set that up in CORE under Xero > Sync Settings > Send > Employee. | For creating time sheets in Xero, you need to have payroll set up and payroll employees created there. Also, the payroll calendar needs to be set under its Employment tab. Alternatively, you can set that up in CORE under Xero > Sync Settings > Send > Employee. |
| You can use the Overwrite setting for employees under the Send or Get sync settings, which allows you to send or get updated employee details between CORE and Xero. For that, you must specify the Overwrite setting as Always. | You can use the Overwrite setting for employees under the Send or Get sync settings, which allows you to send or get updated employee details between CORE and Xero. For that, you must specify the Overwrite setting as Always. |
| CORE restricts sending inactive and terminated employees to Xero. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
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When sending data to Xero, if you have vendor’s first name and last name specified, but not the company name, then the mapping is as follows: But if you have the company name and do not transfer first and last name of the vendor, then the mapping is as follows: |
When vendors are transferred from Xero, CORE inserts $1 as a placeholder value in the Bill Rate and Cost Rate fields in the vendor records. |
| You can use the Overwrite setting for vendors under the Send sync settings, which allows you to send updated vendor details to Xero. For that, you must specify the Overwrite setting as Always. | You can use the Overwrite setting for vendors under the Get sync settings, which allows you to get updated vendor details from Xero. For that, you must specify the Overwrite setting as Always. |
| You cannot create a new supplier record directly in Xero under the All Contacts list. It needs to have a vendor bill associated with it to be listed as a supplier. So whenever you sync vendors from CORE to Xero, they get synced as regular contacts in Xero and not as suppliers. To mark the vendors as suppliers in Xero, you need to sync the vendor bills associated with those vendors or create vendor bills directly in Xero for the synced vendors from CORE. | |
| Under the Record Mappings > Mapped Records tab in CORE, it displays 'Record not found in Xero' for vendors on the Xero side because the synced vendors are not suppliers in Xero yet, You must sync the associated vendor bills or create vendor bills directly in Xero for the synced vendors. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| You cannot create a new customer record directly in Xero under the All Contacts list. It needs to have an invoice associated with it to be listed as a customer. So whenever you sync clients from CORE to Xero, they get synced as regular contacts in Xero. To mark the clients as customers in Xero, you need to sync the invoices associated with those clients or create invoices directly in Xero for the synced clients from CORE. | CORE does not allow syncing of projects from Xero if the clients associated with those projects are made inactive in CORE. |
| You can use the Overwrite setting for clients under the Send sync settings, which allows you to send updated client details between CORE and Xero. For that, you must specify the Overwrite setting as Always. | You can use the Overwrite setting for clients under the Get sync settings, which allows you to get updated client details between CORE and Xero. For that, you must specify the Overwrite setting as Always. |
| Under the Record Mappings > Mapped Records tab in CORE, it displays 'Record not found in Xero' for clients on the Xero side because the synced clients are not customers in Xero yet. You must sync the associated invoices or create the invoices directly in Xero for the synced clients. | |
| Client contacts are automatically sent to Xero when you sync client records. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| Projects synced from CORE get saved into the Projects list of Xero. Before syncing projects from CORE to Xero, you must enable the Projects feature in Xero under Settings and then start the sync process. | CORE does not allow syncing of projects from Xero if the clients associated with those projects are made inactive in CORE. |
| Active projects in CORE sync to Xero as in-progress projects. Hold/ completed/inactive/canceled projects sync over as closed projects in Xero. In Xero, while adding a new project, you can add in-progress projects and not inactive status. So if you sync a project from CORE to Xero for the first time, it is synced as in-progress project even though it is inactive in CORE. But if the project is already in Xero and you are sending it again to Xero with the inactive status, then it gets synced as a closed project only. | CORE gets only in-progress and closed type projects from Xero. In-progress projects get into CORE as active projects and closed projects get into CORE as completed projects. CORE does not allow syncing of draft type projects from Xero to CORE. |
| While getting projects from Xero to CORE, an employee called XeroEmployee is created on the fly. This is regarded as the manager associated with the projects as it is a required field in CORE. | |
| You can use the Overwrite setting for projects under the Send sync settings, which allows you to send updated project details to Xero. For that, you must specify the Overwrite setting as Always. | You can use the Overwrite setting for projects under the Get sync settings, which allows you to get updated project details from Xero. For that, you must specify the Overwrite setting as Always. |
CORE bypasses some project rules when getting transaction data like time and expense entries, bills, etc. because it restricts entering data on sync, leading to sync failures. These rules are ignored during sync:
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| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| Time entry sync between CORE and Xero is specific to only two regional settings, Australia and New Zealand. The US regional settings do not support payroll and so time entry sync is not supported. | Time entry sync between CORE and Xero is specific to only two regional settings, Australia and New Zealand. The US regional settings do not support payroll and so time entry sync is not supported. |
| Time entries from CORE sync as draft time sheets to Xero. You can approve those entries in Xero or in CORE, as needed. | CORE allows the syncing of unapproved or draft time entries from Xero. You can approve those entries in Xero or in CORE, as needed. |
| Before syncing time entries from CORE to Xero, make sure the 'First Day of the Week' in the Settings screen in CORE matches with the first day of the week against a Payroll Calendar for which we are recording time in Xero for any employee who has that payroll calendar selected. | You can get Xero time sheets into CORE as time entries. Time sheets in Xero are totally dependent on the Payroll setup. However, CORE only syncs time sheets of Xero payroll employees and not the employees that are under the Contacts list. For creating time sheets in Xero, you need to have payroll set up and payroll employees created with the required details such as address, birth date, and payroll calendar. |
| Make sure to set the Default Earning Rate against which you are syncing time to Xero for the specified employee. Although you might have specified this setting at the employee level, this needs to be set at the time entry level as well. | For Time Sheets in Xero, you do not require Activity Item or Project. You just need the associated payroll employee mapped and synced in CORE. To get such time entries without any activity or project information from Xero into CORE, the sync process creates an activity item 'XeroBQEActivity' and project 'XeroProject' on the fly against which you can record time entries. These are created only for the first time sync. |
| You must set the Sync Settings > Send Settings > Time Entry option 'Starting Week Date' before syncing time entries. Because of the CORE API limitations, you can sync only five weeks of time entries from CORE to Xero against a certain employee stating from the date set for this field. So this date determines the time that you are trying to sync in the range starting from the date set here. As an example, if you are trying to sync time against an employee from January 6, you have to set the Starting Week Date to January 6. It will sync only five weeks of time entries from CORE to Xero stating January 6 and will skip the time entries after the fifth week. To sync the remaining time against the same employee, you have to update the Starting Week Date filter. | CORE and Xero can sync time sheets for multiple pay calendars in Xero, such as Weekly, Twice Monthly, Monthly, Quarterly, Four Weekly and Fortnightly, as supported by Xero Payroll. |
| When syncing time entries from CORE to Xero, you need to have synced and mapped employees in Xero against whom time entries have been recorded. | CORE bypasses project assignments, DCAA rules and Manage Access restrictions while getting time entries from Xero into CORE. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| Expense entries are transferred to Xero as vendor bills. Before syncing, you are prompted to map the CORE employee to a Xero vendor. | |
| Expense line items on invoices are transferred when syncing invoices. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| Before syncing invoices to Xero, every dependent entity needs to be synced and mapped prior to invoices, such as accounts, clients, activities, expense items, and classes. This is done to avoid any errors in the sync process. | Before syncing invoices from Xero, every dependent entity needs to be synced and mapped prior to the invoices, such as accounts, clients, activities, expense items, and classes. This is done to avoid any errors in the sync process. |
| You cannot send draft invoices to Xero; only finalized invoices. | You can get draft invoices from Xero into CORE, but not pending and void invoices. |
| You can send summarized and non-summarized invoices to Xero. It is not necessary to send time and expense details on invoices to Xero in order to send detailed invoices. You can send manual invoices to Xero, whether they have activity or expense items associated with them. | All invoices from Xero are synced as manual invoices in CORE. |
| Invoice sync follows a certain hierarchy and precedence of accounts: - Sales Account and its tax rate specified at the item level in Xero under Products & Services tab is given first preference. - Sales Account and its tax rate specified at the CORE > Sync Settings level is given second preference. |
When receiving invoices from Xero, details like associated items, units, rates and credit payments can also be synced to CORE. |
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While syncing invoices for the first time from CORE, adjustment entries are created on the fly under the Product and Services list in Xero. These are required for syncing invoices of different types from CORE to Xero. The Discount and Misc. Amount for manual invoices sync over as invoice lines in Xero against the 'COREInvDiscount' and 'COREManInvMiscAmt' adjustment items. The account and tax rate is fetched from the associated item's sales account and tax rate. If there are line item taxes at the invoice level, CORE syncs them as adjustment items 'COREServiceTaxAmt' and 'COREExpenseTaxAmt' in Xero. For MST (also called GST for AU setting) and MET (also called GST(E)), adjustment items 'COREMSTAmount' and 'COREMETAmount' are created on sync. In case of summarized invoices syncing over to Xero, 'COREServiceAmt' for time entries and 'COREExpenseAmt' for expense entries are created as invoice line items. |
When getting invoices from Xero, several scenarios can arise. - Xero invoice has no project. So CORE automatically creates a new project for that invoice on the fly. The Project ID is based on the Client ID on the invoice. - When getting an invoice from Xero having multiple items, if the clients on the invoice are different, then CORE does not get that invoice. - When getting invoices from Xero into CORE, the ePayments option is turned on by default for those synced invoices. |
| CORE allows the transfer of late fee charges to Xero just as standard invoices. | Credit Notes in Xero are synced as negative invoices in CORE. |
| When invoices are sent to Xero, they transfer with their time and expense line items. If you are applying a WUD to the billing record affecting multiple time entries, it will show up on the invoice as an extra line item in Xero. This happens only when there is a mismatch between the bottom line amount and details of an invoice. | Project-level accounts are used for invoices received from Xero. When getting invoices, CORE posts the related taxes to MET instead of the expense tax. |
| When you are sending invoices to Xero with some write-up/down adjustment, CORE checks if the project has a class associated with it. If it has, then the same class is assigned to the WUD line item. | |
| When credits applied to invoices are sent to Xero, they transfer as discounts because Xero does not support credit type payment at the invoice level. | |
| Zero value invoices in CORE cannot be sent to Xero, including phased invoices. The only exception to transferring a zero value invoice is in case of discounts and retainers. | |
| When sending invoices to Xero, CORE sets the due date based on the payment terms set for the project. | |
| When sending joint invoices to Xero, they transfer as a single invoice with the same invoice number and same client. There are no projects in Xero and invoices are tied to clients instead, so these invoices go over as a single invoice under a client. Overpayments and credits on such invoices can be transferred to CORE as client retainers. | |
| When syncing split billing invoices from CORE to Xero, they sync as a single invoice against the client that is associated with the project for which Split Billing is enabled in CORE. However, only the time and expense details of the project that has Split Billing enabled in CORE are synced; for other projects involved, time and expenses sync as summarized items against the adjustment items 'COREServiceAmt' and 'COREExpenseAmt'. | |
| For invoices created in CORE with Main Service Tax (MST) and Main Expense Tax (MET) attached to them, the values of Service Amount, Expense Amount and Discount are sent to the respective fields in Xero (value prior to taxes). To each item, GST is assigned as the tax code for MST and GST(E) for MET under AU settings, and the MST and MET amount is assigned as the tax amount for Service Amount and Expense Amount. GST includes item taxes when transferring invoices. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| Retainer invoices are not transferred to Xero. | |
| When sending retainer payments to Xero, both client and project retainers are transferred as client credits in a liability account. These liability accounts are created on the fly during the sync. | If you receive an overpayment in Xero at the client level, CORE receives it as a client retainer. You do not need to enter credit payments as retainers manually. |
| Negative payments do not transfer to Xero (retainer refund). You must reduce that amount in CORE using a credit memo or directly from Xero. You can issue a refund check from Xero to the client. | |
| The retainer payments show up in Xero only if you have applied them to the invoices in CORE; otherwise, if you apply retainers to projects, they are not sent to Xero. | |
| 'Accept as Retainer' payment is synced from CORE to Xero as a zero value invoice against the CORE adjustment line items 'CORERetainerChargeItem' and 'CORERetainerPayment'. 'Use Retainer' payment type is synced from CORE to Xero as a negative invoice line against the adjustment item 'CORERetainerChargeItem' and account 'COREUnearnedRetAccount' created on the fly in Xero. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| CORE syncs all payment types to Xero, except for Debit and NSF payments. | All the payments from Xero to CORE are synced as cash type payments only. |
| CORE does not allow updating of synced payments in Xero. It can re-send records only if that data is missing in Xero. So, you can delete synced payments in Xero and then re-send them from CORE. | Payments from Xero do not sync if there are no invoices in CORE to which those payments are applied. Xero payments transfer to CORE along with the related invoice data. If a payment does not have associated invoice data (for example, invoice number), it is transferred as a client retainer in CORE. |
| When paying invoices in CORE using a retainer, CORE debits the liability account in Xero. | If the Client ID on the invoice in CORE does not match with the Client ID on the Xero payment, it is not transferred to CORE. |
| In CORE, you can pay invoices through multiple payment methods, such as check, cash, EFT, money order, wire transfer, ePayments, etc. These types of payments sync over as payments directly deposited to the bank account. However, the payments made through other methods like write-off and credit are synced as Credit Notes, which then get applied on the associated synced invoices automatically. Credit notes are recorded against the adjustment item 'COREBadDebt' that is created on the fly in the Products & Services tab of Xero. | |
| When sending payment applied to multiple invoices to Xero, they are sent as multiple line items of the main payments. | |
| When invoices are sent from CORE, payments are transferred along with the invoice data. | |
| Payment refunds cannot be sent to Xero. | |
| As with retainer payments, CORE syncs 'Accept as Trust Fund' payments as a zero value invoice to Xero against the CORE adjustment items 'CORERetainerChargeItem' and 'CORERetainerPayment'. CORE also syncs the 'Use Trust Fund' payment as a negative invoice line against the adjustment item 'CORERetainerChargeItem', thus adjusting the invoice amount with respect to the payment amount. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| Purchase orders in Xero can be created for clients as well as vendors, but in CORE you can record purchase orders against vendors only. | Purchase orders in Xero can be created for clients as well as vendors, but in CORE you can record purchase orders against vendors only. |
| When sending purchase orders from CORE, they sync into the Purchases Overview > Purchase Orders list view in Xero. | When getting purchase orders from Xero, they sync into the Purchase Orders list view in CORE. |
| CORE bypasses project assignments, DCAA rules and Manage Access restrictions while getting purchase orders from Xero into CORE. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| You can sync vendor bills that have both Items and Accounts in CORE to Xero. When sending vendor bill items from CORE to Xero, they sync into the Purchases Overview > Bills list view there. When syncing vendor account type bills from CORE, they sync over as item type with Item Code as blank because Xero does not support account type bills. | When getting vendor bills from Xero to CORE, the synced bills go into the Vendor Bills list view in CORE. |
| CORE does not support updating synced vendor bills. It can re-send records only if that data is missing in Xero. So, you can delete synced vendor bills in Xero and then re-send them from CORE. | You can edit vendor bills in Xero and transfer them again to CORE. The date associated with the line items is not changed. |
| When sending vendor bills and expenses to Xero, they do not include the purchase tax by default. You can choose this option under sync settings. | Voided vendor bill in Xero do not sync to CORE. |
| CORE bypasses project assignments, DCAA rules and Manage Access restrictions while getting vendor bills from Xero into CORE. |
| CORE to Xero | Xero to CORE |
| Classes are synced from CORE as Options of Tracking Categories in Xero. | You can get all the options of the active Tracking Categories from Xero into CORE Classes. |
| Although Xero supports tracking categories for almost all transaction types, this sync feature is applicable only for invoices as of now. | Although Xero supports tracking categories for almost all transaction types, this sync feature is applicable only for invoices as of now. |
| You can use the Overwrite setting for classes under the Send sync settings, which allows you to send updated class details to Xero. For that, you must specify the Overwrite setting as Always. | You can use the Overwrite setting for classes under the Get sync settings, which allows you to get updated class details from Xero. For that, you must specify the Overwrite setting as Always. |
| When syncing classes for the first time from CORE, it creates a tracking category on the fly in Xero called COREClassTracker. This tracking category enlists all the classes synced from CORE to Xero. | |
| Xero Tracking Categories have some limitations. It allows only two active and two inactive tracking categories. So if there are already two active tracking categories in Xero and you sync the classes from CORE to Xero, the sync fails as it is unable to create the COREClassTracker category on the fly. In this case, you have to rename one of the two active tracking category to COREClassTracker so that CORE classes can sync over to Xero. If you have one active tracking categories set up in Xero, then on sync (Send), CORE creates a new, second category there and saves all its classes under it. |
Connect with Xero
CORE allows you to sync your data with your Xero database by adding that software. You can then connect to your Xero data file. The authentication and company selection process is handled by Xero but CORE provides the synchronization feature to initiate the data transfer. Only one CORE company file with multiple users is connected to a single Xero company file with multiple users.
To add Xero in CORE, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Integrations screen from the side menu > Settings.
- On the Applications panel, select your accounting software, Xero, from the list and click to connect with it. Check the Includes Payroll option, if relevant. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- CORE tries to connect with your Xero database and prompts you to log in.
- It then prompts you to authenticate your Xero account using the two-factor authentication.
- After a successful login, CORE tries to access your Xero database. You are prompted to select the company database and also authorize the sharing of data between the two programs. Click 'Allow access'.
- On the Xero Sync Detail screen in CORE, you can specify your synchronization settings and then start syncing data with Xero. In Xero > Organization Settings > Connected Apps, you can see the connection details of the CORE company file and Xero data file. Here you can also revoke access to CORE by clicking Disconnect.
Specify Sync Settings
CORE provides you the ability to sync your data with Xero. But before doing that, you must review and set the synchronization rules and settings for a smooth and accurate data integration. Not setting up sync settings properly can cause serious errors and discrepancies with the synced data between CORE and Xero. Before specifying the sync settings, read the above section on Synchronization Rules.
To specify your sync settings for Xero, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Integrations screen from the side menu > Settings.
- On the Applications panel, click Xero on the grid if you are already connected to the company file (else you have to add the software first and log in). Check the Includes Payroll option, if relevant. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- On the Xero Sync Detail screen, go to the Sync Settings > Send tab to select the default settings for sending data to Xero.
- Next, go to the Get tab to select the default settings for getting data from Xero.
- On the Accounts and Invoices tabs, you can also assign accounts to various items being synced.
- Click Save Settings.
Sync Data with Xero
CORE allows you to sync your data with Xero. After specifying the synchronization settings, you can start the synchronization process. You should always follow the order of the menu for a smooth data sync. For example, if you want to sync the invoices from CORE to Xero, but have not synced the clients, activity items and expense items yet, there will be sync issues. Similarly, if you want to sync the activity and expense items, but have not synced the accounts yet, CORE will sync the items, but the sales and purchase accounts on the synced items will be blank.
To sync your CORE data with Xero, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Integrations screen from the side menu > Settings.
- On the Applications panel, click Xero on the grid if you are already connected to the company file (else you have to add the software first and log in). Check the Includes Payroll option, if relevant. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- You will see the Xero Sync Detail screen. Make sure you have set the Sync Settings for sending and getting data before you proceed. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Depending on whether you want to get or send data, click on that menu:
- Get
- Send
- From the drop-down menu, select the data you want to get or send, say Account. It is best to follow the order of the menu for syncing data.
- You can see the progress of the data transfer and also check its History on the Details tab.
Assign Accounts for Data Sync
Before syncing your CORE data with Xero, you must specify the synchronization rules and settings for a smooth and accurate data integration. Xero requires accounts for every item and transaction. A key step in the data integration process is to assign general ledger (G/L) accounts to CORE items prior to the synchronization. Normally, the transactions debit or credit these accounts. It is preferable to create activity and expense items in Xero and get them into CORE. This reduces the step of creating or assigning G/L accounts for them in CORE. It is essential for you to specify the default sales and purchase accounts under sync settings. You can delete the Chart of Accounts in CORE and replace it with the Xero accounts by syncing them over from Xero first. Similarly, you should also get the Xero class list into CORE and then assign both accounts and classes to items. Doing this ensures that all the items are correctly mapped to the correct income and expense accounts as well as classes.
Tax items (such as Service Tax, Expense Tax, MST, and MET) should be assigned to liability accounts. For example, Service Tax Amount can be assigned to the Sales Tax Payable account and so on. If you leave this blank, default accounts are used and these items are tagged as 'service' type. Associating tax items to service items has two flaws:
- It treats the tax revenue as income, which is incorrect.
- What you owe to the tax agency does not show up in your sales tax liability report.
To avoid these flaws, we highly recommend that you assign proper liability accounts to these tax items in CORE before sending data to Xero.
To specify accounts for CORE items, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Integrations screen from the side menu > Settings.
- On the Applications panel, click Xero on the grid if you are already connected to the company file (else you have to add the software first and log in).
- On the Xero Sync Detail screen, go to the Sync Settings > Accounts > Default tab.
- Select the default accounts for items. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Then select the default Xero sales and purchase accounts for various adjustment entries created in Xero on the fly the first time you sync invoices from CORE to Xero. This applies to the project types for which you are not sending any time and expense details. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Click Save Settings.
- Next, go to the Accounts > Project tab.
- You can override the default accounts set above by assigning different G/L accounts to invoice items on a project level. Select a Project or a Project Group from the drop-down lists. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- For the selected project or project group, select an account and assign it to invoice items like tax, discount, retainers, etc. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
Note: If you assign accounts to a project group (say the default All group), you do not have to go back to the Sync Settings every time you add a new project to that group. CORE automatically assigns these settings to the new project in that group. - When you have finished, click Save Settings.
- Finally, go to the Invoices tab and select the invoice types (contract types) for which you do not want to send time and expense details. When you have finished, click Save Settings again. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
Get Data from Xero
Xero users who are new to CORE should start by transferring their existing data to a new CORE database. After creating your CORE company and specifying settings, you can get your Xero data into CORE using the Integrations feature and then verify the transferred data. As a best practice, you should delete the Chart of Accounts in CORE and then get that from Xero. This ensures that the activity and expense items synced are properly mapped to the Xero accounts.
In case of all the Get sync settings, filters available work on the 'start with parameter' basis (alphabet or numeric). For example, if you specify Client filter as From 'John Doe' and To 'John Doe, on getting the client data from Xero, it does not bring just this one client. It brings all the clients whose name starts with 'J'.
To get your Xero data into CORE, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Integrations screen from the side menu > Settings.
- On the Applications panel, click Xero on the grid if you are already connected to the company file (else you have to add the software first and log in).
- On the Xero Sync Detail screen, go to the Sync Settings > Get tab and specify your sync preferences for getting data, especially the date filters. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Click Save Settings.
- Then click the Get menu and select the data you want to get, say Account. It is best to follow the order of the menu for syncing data.
You can see the progress of the data transfer and also check its History on the Details tab.
Send Data to Xero
CORE allows you to send your data to Xero using the Integrations feature and then verify the transferred data. After setting the synchronization preferences in CORE, you can send your data to Xero and then verify the transferred data. When sending accounts from CORE to Xero in a batch, you need to send them multiple times (after completing the first sync action, send accounts again to complete the entire process for accounts).
To send your CORE data to Xero, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Integrations screen from the side menu > Settings.
- On the Applications panel, click Xero on the grid if you are already connected to the company file (else you have to add the software first and log in).
- On the Xero Sync Detail screen, go to the Sync Settings > Send tab and specify your sync preferences for sending data, especially the date filters. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Click Save Settings.
- Then click the Send menu and select the data you want to send, say Account. It is best to follow the order of the menu for syncing data.
You can see the progress of the data transfer and also check its History on the Details tab.
Map Records
Before syncing transaction records like invoices, payments, vendor bills, etc. between the CORE and Xero databases, you should check for the associated linked or mapped records. For example, to sync invoices, you must have clients, accounts, employees, activity items and expense items mapped already and then proceed with the invoices sync. After syncing your data, you can view the mapped records as well as the unmapped records in CORE. You have an option to manually un-map the mapped records if they are not correctly matched in both databases. Similarly, you can map the un-mapped records, if needed.
Note: Groups are not included under this smart match feature.
To map the records between Xero and CORE, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Integrations screen from the side menu > Settings.
- On the Applications panel, click Xero on the grid if you are already connected to the company file (else you have to add the software and log in).
- On the Xero Sync Detail screen, go to the Record Mappings tab.
- Choose an option from the 'I want to map' drop-down and then review the un-mapped records of that feature on the Unmapped Records tab.
- Select the records on both sides of the grid that you want to map and click Map Selected.
After your confirmation, these records disappear from the Unmapped Records grid and appear on the Mapped Records grid.
Un-Map Records
After syncing your data between the CORE and Xero databases, you can view the mapped records as well as the unmapped records in CORE. You have an option to manually un-map the mapped records if they are not correctly matched in both databases. Similarly, you can map the un-mapped records, if needed.
Note: Groups are not included under this smart match feature.
To un-map the records between Xero and CORE, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Integrations screen from the side menu > Settings.
- On the Applications panel, click Xero on the grid if you are already connected to the company file (else you have to add the software and log in).
- On the Xero Sync Detail screen, go to the Record Mappings tab.
- Choose an option from the 'I want to map' drop-down and then review the mapped records of that feature on the Mapped Records tab.
- Select all the records on the grid that you want to un-map and click Remove Mapping.
After your confirmation, these records disappear from the Mapped Records grid and appear on the Unmapped Records grid.
Verify Synced Data
You should verify the transferred data in CORE and Xero after the synchronization process. This ensures that your information is accurate and complete before you begin normal processing. Data adjustments are needed especially in CORE after getting data from Xero because it requires certain fields that might be optional in Xero. You can verify the accuracy of data either by running reports or checking screens in detail.
Make sure to check the following data:
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General
Check the names or IDs of records (e.g., employees or projects) transferred from Xero. You can change them or replace placeholders with actual data.
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Accounts
Compare CORE and Xero accounts and aging reports. If the data is the same, your integration is successful. If it is not the same, the cause could be a journal entry that adjusted A/R or A/P. Or a record that did not transfer. The solution is usually making a manual adjustment in CORE.
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Employees
When you get employees from Xero, make sure to check their profile, bill and cost rates, and security settings in CORE. Before entering time, review each employee record in CORE to make sure the Bill Rate and Cost Rate is correct. In addition, if special bill rates (and special cost rates) apply to work done by employees on a project, be sure to define an appropriate fee schedule and assign it to related projects before entering time. CORE uses these rates to calculate the bill amount and cost amount of time.
You can check the data in both screens.
In CORE:
In Xero:
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Vendors
If you enter time for vendors in CORE, be sure to change the Bill Rate and Cost Rate in their profile.
Vendors synced from Xero get saved in the Vendors screen in CORE. When you get vendors, CORE inserts a $1 placeholder value in their records.
You can check the data in both screens.
In CORE:
In Xero:
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Clients
The clients in CORE are synced as customers in Xero. You can check the data in both screens.
In CORE:
In Xero:
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Projects
The projects in CORE are synced as projects in Xero. You can check the data in both screens.
In CORE:
In Xero:
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Activity Items
If you synced activity items from CORE to Xero, it shows up in the Products & Services list view in Xero. You can check the data in both screens.
In CORE:
In Xero:
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Expense Items
If you synced expense items from CORE to Xero, it shows up in the Products & Services list view in Xero. You can check the data in both screens.
In CORE:
In Xero:
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Time Entries
You can get Xero time sheets into CORE as time entries. While syncing, the Xero payroll employees are mapped to CORE employees while the required project and activity are created on the fly. You can update this information post-sync, as needed.
You can check the data in both screens.
In CORE:
In Xero:
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Invoices
All invoices synced from CORE to Xero go into its Business > Invoices list where they reside under the All/Awaiting Payments tab.
You can check the data in both screens.
In CORE:
In Xero:
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Payments
You can check the data in both screens.
In CORE:
In Xero:
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Purchase Orders
You can check the data in both screens.
In CORE:
In Xero:
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Vendor Bills
In CORE, you have items and accounts for vendor bill transactions while as in Xero, you have only the item layout. When sending Vendor Bills > Items from CORE to Xero, they sync into the Purchases Overview > Bills list view there. When getting vendor bills from Xero to CORE, the synced bills go into the Vendor Bills list view in CORE. You can check the data in both screens.
In CORE:
In Xero:
After checking the data, you can change your sync settings to suit day-to-day synchronization, if you plan to use both programs moving forward.