Correcting job costs and keeping source provenance

Fix a vendor bill or expense posted to the wrong job, phase, cost code, or cost type without losing the trail back to the original source document.

Plans: Advanced and above
Availability: Available
For: Bookkeepers, Accountants
In KontoCore: Projects → Job costs → Correct allocation

In plain English

If a cost landed on the wrong job, you move it — but KontoCore remembers where it came from and who changed it, so the numbers stay explainable.

What this does

Job cost lines always trace back to their source: a vendor bill, expense, payroll allocation, or journal entry. A correction never edits the history in place; it records a reversing and re-allocating change linked to the original, with a reason and the user who made it.

Costs that have already been billed to a customer cannot be moved or billed twice; the correction is blocked and the reason is shown.

Before you start

Identify the source document and the correct job, phase, cost code, and cost type.
Check whether the period is closed — corrections in a closed period require reopening or posting in the current period.

How to

Move a cost to another job or code

1Open the job cost report or the source bill and select the cost line.
2Choose Correct allocation and enter the new job, phase, cost code, and cost type.
3Enter a reason, review the before/after preview, and confirm.

Correct the bill itself

1If the amount or vendor is wrong, correct the bill (vendor credit, void-and-replace, or edit while still a draft).
2Job cost lines follow the corrected bill automatically.

What happens in your books

Allocation-only corrections change job cost reporting without changing the general ledger total. Corrections that change accounts post a balanced adjusting entry linked to the original source.

Common mistakes

Posting a manual journal entry to ‘fix’ a job instead of correcting the allocation — the source link is lost.
Deleting and re-entering a bill that is already linked to a purchase order or customer invoice.

Troubleshooting

Correction blocked: already billed

The cost has been billed to a customer. Credit or adjust the customer invoice first, then correct the cost.

Job totals still look wrong

Check for unposted drafts and for costs allocated to the job’s phases rather than the job header.

Terms used:Job costing Accounts payable (A/P)Evidence

Job costingAssign labor, materials, equipment, and other costs to projects and compare them with budgets and billing.Vendors, bills, and bill paymentsAdd vendors, enter bills with due dates, pay them, and apply vendor credits.Matching vendor bills to purchase orders (partial billing and receiving)Enter a vendor invoice, optionally link it to a purchase order, match bill lines to PO lines, and track each line as open, partially received, partially billed, or closed.Journal entriesWhen and how to record a manual journal entry, including adjusting entries and reversals.

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Last reviewed October 6, 2026