Short answer
To send receipts to your accountant, ask what format they want, then send a CSV of every expense (date, supplier, category, net, tax, total) plus a readable summary and access to the receipt images. Send monthly if they do your books, at year end if they only prepare your return. If they already use Dext or Hubdoc, upload there instead.
Key takeaways
- Ask first: format, frequency and channel. Every practice works differently.
- A CSV gives the numbers, a PDF gives the summary, the images give the proof. Accountants want all three.
- Monthly beats year-end if your accountant keeps your books or files MTD updates.
- If the practice gives you Dext or Hubdoc, use it — it feeds straight into their workflow.
Step 1: Ask what your accountant wants
A two-minute conversation saves hours. Ask your accountant or bookkeeper four questions:
- Which format? A CSV or spreadsheet, a PDF summary, the receipt images, or uploads into their own tool?
- Which categories or account codes? If you use theirs, they can import without re-coding.
- How often? Monthly, quarterly, or once after year end?
- Which channel? Email, a shared folder, their client portal, or an app such as Dext or Hubdoc?
Write the answers down and set up your receipt app to match. In NexaLink Scanner that means custom categories (Pro) named after their account codes.
Step 2: Send the three things accountants need
| Format | What it gives the accountant | In NexaLink |
|---|---|---|
| CSV | Every expense as a row they can sort, check and import | Free on every plan |
| PDF expense report | A readable summary by category and period, for review | Pro |
| Receipt images | Proof for any line they need to check, or a VAT/GST reclaim | Image export coming; the images stay in the app on your phone meanwhile |
| Accounting import file | Data already shaped for Xero or QuickBooks | Coming (Pro) |
| Direct connection / accountant access | No hand-off at all | Premium, as each connection launches — Xero first (V1.1), then QuickBooks Online |
The CSV should have one row per receipt with date, supplier, category, project if you use them, net, tax, total, currency and a note of business purpose. The expense report template explains each column. Keep foreign-currency receipts in their own currency — NexaLink gives per-currency totals rather than converting — so your accountant can apply the exchange rate their rules require.
Step 3: Monthly or year-end?
| Your arrangement | Send | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Accountant keeps your books | Monthly, in the first week | They reconcile each month; late receipts mean re-work |
| UK sole trader or landlord in Making Tax Digital | At least quarterly, before each update | Quarterly updates are sent from MTD-compatible software[3] |
| VAT/GST-registered business | Before each return period closes | Input tax needs the receipt in the right period |
| Accountant only prepares the annual return | Once, soon after year end | Plus a CSV for the whole tax year and a PDF summary |
Even with a year-end-only accountant, export monthly for yourself. Receipts in NexaLink are stored on your phone and do not sync to the web, so the monthly CSV is also your backup. The tax year end receipt checklist covers the annual hand-off step by step.
If your accountant already uses Dext or Hubdoc
Many practices give clients access to Dext or Hubdoc. Both are built to collect documents from many clients and push them into the practice's accounting software, and Hubdoc is included with Xero's accounting plans[4]. If your accountant has set one up for you, the honest advice is to use it: the receipts land directly in their workflow and they have already configured the rules.
A personal receipt app still makes sense if you want your own organised, searchable copy on your phone, you want to keep data on your device until you choose to share it, or your accountant is happy with a CSV. You can also run both: capture in your own app for your records and upload to theirs. Comparisons: Dext alternative, Hubdoc alternative, Dext vs Hubdoc.
Step 4: Package it so there are no follow-up questions
- Name files consistently: "expenses-2026-10.csv", "expenses-2026-10.pdf".
- Add a short covering note: anything unusual — a large equipment purchase, a mixed-use item and its business share, a refund, a receipt you could not get.
- Flag capital purchases separately; they are treated differently from running costs.
- Answer queries from the app: search by supplier, amount or any word printed on the receipt.
- Send personal and business separately, never mixed in one file.
Key facts about NexaLink Scanner
- What it is: NexaLink Scanner is a private receipt and expense organiser for iOS and Android, built for freelancers, sole traders, contractors and small businesses. It is not accounting software and does not file tax returns.
- How it reads receipts: text is read on the phone (on-device OCR) and capture works offline. Merchant, date, total and tax are filled in; any value it is unsure of is flagged, and a low-confidence total cannot be saved until you confirm it.
- Where data lives: receipts are stored on your phone and do not sync to the web. Data leaves only when you export it.
- Free plan: 50 receipts, on-device reading, search, 5 default categories and CSV export. CSV export is free on every plan, always.
- Pro: $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year — unlimited receipts, custom categories, projects and tags, a PDF expense report in the app, tax and multi-currency reports. Image ZIP export and Xero / QuickBooks import files are coming soon.
- Accounting connections (none live yet): Xero — First · V1.1 · QuickBooks Online — Next · V1.2 · FreeAgent — Planned · Sage Accounting — Planned · Zoho Books — Planned · TallyPrime — Import file first. CSV export works with any accounting tool today. Status as of 2026-11-10; see accounting integrations.
Frequently asked questions
What format do accountants want receipts in?
Most want a spreadsheet or CSV of expenses plus access to the receipt images, and many like a PDF summary. Some prefer uploads to their own tool such as Dext or Hubdoc. Ask yours — and use their category names so they can import without re-coding.
Can I just email photos of my receipts?
You can, but it means your accountant has to read and key every one, which you pay for. A CSV with the details already extracted, plus the images for reference, is faster and usually cheaper. If photos are all you have, at least name them by date and supplier.
How often should I send receipts to my accountant?
Monthly if they keep your books or you are in Making Tax Digital; before each period closes if you are VAT or GST registered; once after year end if they only prepare your annual return. Whatever you agree, keep exporting monthly for yourself as a backup.
Can my accountant log in and see my receipts?
Not yet. Accountant sharing is part of NexaLink Premium as it launches. Today, export a CSV (free) or a PDF expense report (Pro) and send it. Receipts are stored on your phone and do not sync to a web dashboard.
Does NexaLink send receipts to Xero or QuickBooks?
Not yet. A Xero connection is first (V1.1, in development), then QuickBooks Online (V1.2). Import files shaped for both are coming. Until then, CSV export works with both. See Xero and QuickBooks. You can join early access for each connection from the integrations page.
My accountant uses Dext. Should I still use another app?
If the practice has set Dext up for you, uploading there is usually simplest for both of you. Use a separate app only if you also want your own organised copy on your phone or prefer to keep data on your device.
Do I need to keep receipts after sending them?
Yes. The legal duty to keep records stays with you, not your accountant. Keep your own copy for the full retention period — five years after the 31 January deadline in the UK, generally three years or more in the US.
Sources
- IRS — What kind of records should I keep — checked on 2026-11-10
- IRS — Publication 463, Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses — checked on 2026-11-10
- GOV.UK — Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax — checked on 2026-11-10
- Xero App Store — Hubdoc — checked on 2026-11-10
- GOV.UK — Business records if you're self-employed: how long to keep your records — checked on 2026-11-10
- IRS — How long should I keep records — checked on 2026-11-10