Short answer
Consultants need an expense tracker that groups travel receipts by client engagement, keeps foreign receipts in their original currency, and produces a clean report for client rebilling. NexaLink Scanner does this with one project per engagement on Pro, per-currency totals, and a PDF expense report on Pro or a free CSV.
Key takeaways
- Organise by engagement (client + project), not by month — rebilling and disputes happen per engagement.
- Never convert foreign receipts at capture; keep the original currency and let the rebilling or tax rate be applied later.
- In the US, keep receipts for all lodging and for other travel expenses of $75 or more.
- Read each client's expense policy before the trip — what they will reimburse decides what you tag as rebillable.
Organise by engagement
A consultant on two engagements might be in Frankfurt on Monday for one client and Singapore the next week for another. Create a project per engagement (Pro) and file every receipt to it. Use categories for the type of cost — Airfare, Lodging, Ground transport, Meals, Client entertainment — and a tag for anything the client has agreed to reimburse.
| Receipt | Currency | Category | Rebill? | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return flight | GBP | Airfare | Yes | Client policy: economy reimbursed |
| Hotel folio, 3 nights | EUR | Lodging | Yes | Capture the itemised folio, not the card slip |
| Minibar on folio | EUR | Personal | No | Excluded by policy; split off on the folio |
| Airport train | EUR | Ground transport | Yes | Small but adds up across trips |
| Team dinner with client staff | EUR | Client entertainment | Check | Many policies exclude it; tax treatment differs too |
| Lounge pass | GBP | Travel — other | No | Your own cost |
Multi-currency trips without the mess
Converting a euro receipt to pounds or dollars at the moment of capture bakes in an exchange rate that is probably wrong for both your client invoice and your tax return. NexaLink keeps each receipt in the currency printed on it and gives per-currency totals in the review screen. When you rebill, apply the rate your contract specifies; when you file, your accountant applies the rate your tax rules require.
Per diems and meal allowances
Some clients pay a flat per diem instead of actual meal costs. US tax rules also let self-employed people use the federal meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) rate — the "standard meal allowance" — instead of keeping every meal receipt; the rates are published by the GSA[1] and the method is set out in IRS Publication 463[2]. Lodging is different: self-employed people claim actual lodging costs, and need the receipts.
Practical upshot: always capture the hotel folio and anything over $75, and keep a note of trip dates and purpose — a tag per trip does this neatly. A US self-employed person whose client reimburses meals with adequate records may also escape the usual 50% meals limit; Pub 463 sets out the conditions[2]. UK and other readers should follow their own rules — HMRC's allowable expenses page covers travel costs[3].
Rebilling the client
- At the end of the trip, filter by the engagement project and the rebill tag.
- Check the totals per currency in the review screen.
- On Pro, export a PDF expense report for the client — many corporate clients' accounts-payable teams want a report plus receipts, not a spreadsheet.
- Export a CSV (free) to add the lines to your invoice in your invoicing tool. NexaLink itself does not send invoices.
- Keep the client's expense policy with the project as a captured document so you can check it next trip.
Image export is coming; until then, the PDF expense report (Pro) lists each receipt and the originals stay in the app, searchable, to show on request. For columns that make a client-ready report, see the expense report template.
Consultant pitfalls
- The card slip instead of the folio. A hotel card slip shows one total; the folio shows room, tax, meals and extras separately — and only the folio lets you split out personal items.
- Booking-site confirmations. These are not always receipts. Capture the final invoice from the hotel or airline.
- Rebilling client entertainment. Policies and tax treatment for entertainment are restrictive in many countries; tag it separately so it is easy to exclude.
- Mixing engagements on one trip. If one trip serves two clients, agree the split with both before you travel and record it on the receipts.
Shorter-engagement freelancers will find the receipt scanner for freelancers page closer to their workflow.
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 is the best expense tracker for independent consultants?
One that organises by client engagement, keeps foreign receipts in their own currency and produces a report a client's finance team will accept. NexaLink Scanner does that on Pro. If you work inside a client's systems and must use their expense tool, use theirs for reimbursement and keep your own copy for tax.
How do I track expenses in several currencies?
Capture each receipt in the currency printed on it. NexaLink keeps the original currency and shows totals per currency, so you can apply your contract's exchange rate for rebilling and your tax rules' rate for your return. Never add currencies together into one total.
Do I need receipts if I use per diems?
In the US, the standard meal allowance can replace meal receipts, but you still need records of the time, place and business purpose of travel, and receipts for all lodging. Client per diem arrangements depend on your contract. Check IRS Publication 463 or your local rules.
Which travel receipts must I keep for the IRS?
IRS Publication 463 requires documentary evidence for all lodging and for any other travel expense of $75 or more, plus a record of the time, place and business purpose. Capturing everything is simpler than deciding receipt by receipt. A tag per trip keeps the dates and purpose together.
Can I send a client an expense report from the app?
Yes. On Pro you can export a PDF expense report for an engagement. A CSV is free on every plan if the client or your invoicing tool prefers a spreadsheet. Filter by the engagement project and the rebill tag first, so the report contains only what the client agreed to reimburse. Image export is coming for clients who want every receipt.
Does NexaLink book travel or manage reimbursements?
No. It does not book travel, run approvals or reimburse anyone. It records and organises the receipts. Clients with formal reimbursement processes will run them in their own systems. If a client insists that you submit expenses through their own tool, do that for reimbursement and keep your NexaLink copy as your own record for tax.
Will my client's confidential trip details leave my phone?
Not unless you export them. Receipts are read and stored on the device and do not sync to a web dashboard. Text is read on the device rather than sent to a server for recognition, and data leaves the phone only when you export it, or later if you connect an accounting account. That keeps client names, locations and itineraries private.
Sources
- GSA — Per diem rates — checked on 2026-11-10
- IRS — Publication 463, Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses — checked on 2026-11-10
- GOV.UK — Expenses if you're self-employed — checked on 2026-11-10