Help & User Guide

PBooksPro is a comprehensive financial management system tailored for real estate professionals, project developers, and small business owners. It unifies multiple financial domains into a single, intuitive interface.

Key capabilities include:

• General Ledger: Robust tracking of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities with double-entry principles.
• Rental Management: End-to-end workflow from tenant agreements to automated invoicing and owner payouts.
• Project Management: Advanced costing for construction projects, including installment plans and investor equity tracking.
• Payroll: Integrated staff management and salary processing with multi-project allocation.
• Reports & Analytics: Comprehensive reporting and KPI dashboard for real-time insights.

Learn how to navigate the application efficiently.

• Sidebar: Desktop navigation is on the left. Click any module to switch pages.
• Mobile Footer: On mobile devices, use the bottom navigation bar for quick access.
• Header: Shows current page title and search functionality. User info displayed in sidebar.
• KPI Panel: Click the chart icon to open the right panel for KPIs, Reports, and Shortcuts.
• Multi-tab Modules: Rental and Project Management use tabs for Invoices, Agreements, Reports, etc.
• Search: Most pages have search/filter capabilities to quickly find records.

Follow these steps to get started:

1. Login: Use your credentials. Contact admin if you need an account.
2. Create Accounts: Go to Settings → Accounts. Add your Bank, Cash, and Credit Card accounts.
3. Setup Categories: Settings → Categories. Create Income and Expense categories (e.g., "Rental Income", "Salaries", "Office Supplies").
4. Add Contacts: Contacts page. Add Tenants, Vendors, Staff, and other parties.
5. Configure Print Settings: Settings → Print Settings. Add your company name, logo, and address for invoices.
6. Setup Properties/Projects: In Rental Management, add Buildings and Properties. In Project Management, create Projects and Units.

The General Ledger is the core of your financial tracking. It records all income and expense transactions.

• Recording Transactions: Click "New Transaction" and select Income or Expense. Choose account, category, date, amount, and description.
• Linking to Entities: Transactions can be linked to Projects, Properties, Contacts (vendors/tenants), Bills, Invoices, or Payslips for detailed tracking.
• Account Impact: Income increases account balance; Expense decreases it. The system automatically updates account balances.
• Transfer Transactions: Use Transfer type to move money between accounts (e.g., Bank to Cash).
• System Transactions: Some transactions are auto-generated (like invoice payments). Toggle "Show System Transactions" to view/hide them.
• Filtering: Filter by date range, account, category, project, or contact. Export to Excel for analysis.
• Search: Real-time search across descriptions, accounts, contacts, amounts, and references.
• Sorting: Sort by Date, Type, Amount, Account, Category, or Contact. Click column headers to sort.
• Batch Transactions: View bundled transactions (like payroll) by expanding batch rows.

Accounts represent your financial institutions and cash sources.

• Account Types: Bank (checking/savings), Cash, Credit Card, Equity, Liability, Asset. Only Bank accounts affect Total Balance KPI.
• Creating Accounts: Settings → Accounts → Add Account. Enter name, type, and initial balance.
• Balance Tracking: Balances update automatically when transactions are recorded. Manually adjust if needed via "Adjust Balance".
• Internal Clearing: Special system account used for internal transfers. Not included in Total Balance calculations.
• Account Reports: View account statements and transaction history from the General Ledger page.
• Multiple Accounts: Track multiple banks, cash registers, or credit cards separately for better organization.

Categories organize transactions, and budgets help plan and track spending.

• Creating Categories: Settings → Categories. Categories must be Income or Expense type. Common examples: "Rental Income", "Salaries", "Office Rent".
• Special Categories: System uses categories like "Rental Income" for auto-categorization. Keep these for proper reporting.
• Budget Planning: Budget Planner page lets you set monthly/annual budgets per category. Track actual vs. budgeted amounts.
• Budget Reports: Dashboard shows budget status. Reports show variance (over/under budget).
• Category KPIs: Each category appears as a KPI in the dashboard panel for quick insights.
• Editing Categories: Rename or change category types, but be careful - existing transactions keep old category references.

Track loans you've given or received with detailed repayment tracking.

• Creating Loans: Loan Manager page. Click "New Loan" and select "Given" (you lent) or "Received" (you borrowed).
• Loan Details: Enter principal amount, interest rate, start date, term, and frequency (Monthly, Quarterly, etc.).
• Repayment Tracking: Record repayments as transactions linked to the loan. System calculates outstanding balance automatically.
• Loan Status: View active, completed, and overdue loans. Filter by lender/borrower contact.
• Auto-categorization: Loan repayments can auto-link to appropriate categories (e.g., "Loan Interest Expense").
• Reports: View loan summaries, repayment schedules, and outstanding amounts in the Loan Manager.

Manage tenant leases with automated invoicing and payment tracking.

• Creating Agreements: Rental Management → Agreements tab → New Agreement. Select tenant, property/unit, set rent amount, start/end dates, and security deposit.
• Auto-Invoice Generation: System automatically creates initial rent invoice and security deposit invoice. Also creates a recurring invoice template for monthly rent.
• Broker Fees: If property has a broker, enter broker fee. Track and pay via Broker Payouts.
• Agreement Status: Active, Terminated, or Expired. Terminate agreements when tenants leave.
• Recurring Invoices: Monthly rent invoices are auto-generated from templates. Manually generate from Recurring Invoices tab if needed.
• Security Deposits: Tracked separately. Can be charged/refunded via invoices or transactions.

Track rent collection and tenant payments efficiently.

• Invoice Types: Rental invoices include monthly rent, security deposits, and one-time charges.
• Recurring Invoices: System generates monthly rent invoices automatically. View in Recurring Invoices tab. Generate manually if needed.
• Recording Payments: Click "Pay" on an invoice, select payment account and date. System creates transaction and updates invoice status.
• Partial Payments: Record partial payments. Invoice status shows "Partially Paid" until fully paid.
• Bulk Payments: Select multiple invoices and pay together for batch processing.
• Invoice Status: Unpaid, Partially Paid, Paid. Filter by status to see outstanding amounts.
• Service Charges: Add service charges to invoices. Tracked separately for owner payout calculations.

Calculate and distribute rental income to property owners.

• Owner Setup: Properties must have an owner assigned (Contact type: Owner). Set owner percentage if co-owned.
• Payout Calculation: System calculates: Collected Rent + Service Charges - Deductions (maintenance, broker fees, etc.) = Owner Income.
• Creating Payouts: Owner Payouts tab → Select owner → Review calculated income → Create payout transaction.
• Deductions: Expenses linked to property are automatically deducted. Service charges are added back to owner income.
• Payout Reports: View Owner Income Report to see detailed breakdown by property, period, and owner.
• Security Deposit Tracking: Security deposits held for owners are tracked separately. Use Owner Security Deposit Report.

Organize your rental portfolio hierarchically.

• Structure: Buildings contain Properties, Properties contain Units. Units are rented to tenants.
• Creating Buildings: Rental Management → Properties tab → Add Building. Enter name and address.
• Adding Properties: Select a building, then add properties (floors/apartments). Assign owner contact.
• Creating Units: Within properties, add units (rooms/spaces). Units are linked to rental agreements.
• Owner Assignment: Each property must have an owner for payout calculations. Set in property details.
• Visual Layout: Use Visual Layout report to see building structure and unit occupancy at a glance.
• Property Status: Track occupied/vacant units. Status updates automatically based on active agreements.

Track and pay broker commissions for rental agreements.

• Broker Assignment: Assign broker to rental agreements when creating them. Enter broker fee amount.
• Fee Tracking: System tracks broker fees per agreement. View outstanding fees in Broker Payouts tab.
• Paying Brokers: Broker Payouts → Select broker → Review agreements → Select fees to pay → Record payment.
• Partial Payments: Pay broker fees in installments. System tracks remaining balance per agreement.
• Reports: Broker Fee Report shows all fees, paid amounts, and outstanding balances by broker.
• Expense Category: Broker fee payments are recorded as expenses in your ledger, linked to the agreement.

Organize construction or development projects with unit tracking.

• Creating Projects: Project Management → Projects tab → New Project. Enter name, description, status, and color code.
• Adding Units: Within projects, add units (apartments, plots, shops). Units are sold via Project Agreements.
• Project Status: Active, Completed, On Hold. Status affects filtering and reporting.
• Installment Configuration: Set default installment plan (duration, down payment %, frequency) at project level.
• PM Cost Configuration: Set Project Management fee percentage and excluded categories per project.
• Visual Layout: Visual Layout report shows project structure and unit sale status.
• Project Reports: Access comprehensive reports: Summary, Revenue Analysis, PM Cost, Category Breakdown, etc.

Track unit sales with flexible installment payment plans.

• Creating Agreements: Project Management → Agreements tab → New Agreement. Select client, project, unit(s), and selling price.
• Installment Generation: System auto-generates invoices: Down Payment (if configured) + Installment invoices based on duration and frequency.
• Payment Plans: Configure duration (years), down payment percentage, and frequency (Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly).
• Discounts: Apply Customer Discount, Floor Discount, Lump Sum Discount, or Misc Discount. Tracked in reports.
• Multiple Units: One agreement can include multiple units. Total selling price is sum of all units.
• Invoice Tracking: All generated invoices appear in Project Invoices. Track payment status per installment.
• Client Ledger: View complete payment history for each client in Owner Ledger report.

Manage project-related bills and vendor payments efficiently.

• Creating Bills: Bills tab → New Bill. Enter vendor, amount, date, description, category, and link to project.
• Bill Tracking: Bills show as Unpaid, Partially Paid, or Paid. Outstanding balance tracked automatically.
• Recording Payments: Pay individual bills or use bulk payment to pay multiple bills at once.
• Project Linking: Link bills to projects for cost tracking. Bills appear in project expense reports.
• Vendor Management: View all bills per vendor in Vendor Directory. Access vendor ledger for payment history.
• Categories: Categorize bills (Materials, Labor, etc.) for expense analysis and PM cost calculations.
• Contract Linking: Link bills to vendor contracts for contract-based expense tracking.

Automatically calculate and track Project Management fees based on project expenses.

• PM Configuration: Set PM fee percentage per project (e.g., 5% of expenses). Configure in project settings.
• Excluded Categories: Exclude certain expense categories from PM cost calculation (e.g., PM fees themselves, taxes).
• Automatic Calculation: PM cost = (Total Project Expenses - Excluded Expenses) × PM Percentage. Updates automatically.
• PM Cost Report: View accrued PM costs, paid amounts, and outstanding balance per project.
• Paying PM Fees: Record PM fee payments as transactions. System tracks paid vs. accrued amounts.
• Cost Allocation: PM costs are allocated to project financials and appear in project profit/loss reports.

Track investor capital and distribute profits to equity holders.

• Equity Accounts: Create Equity accounts (Account Type: Equity) for each investor. These represent capital contributed.
• Recording Capital: Use Transfer transactions from bank accounts to equity accounts to record investor contributions.
• Profit Calculation: System calculates project profit: Income - Operating Expenses (excluding equity transactions).
• Profit Distribution: Use Project Cycle Manager to distribute profits. Select project, enter distribution amount, system allocates proportionally based on equity.
• Distribution Reports: Investor Distribution report shows capital invested, profits received, and current equity balance per investor.
• Equity Tracking: View investor balances in project reports. Equity accounts show invested capital minus distributions.

Manage employee records and salary structures comprehensively.

• Adding Employees: Payroll → Employee Management → New Employee. Enter personal details, designation, department, and employment dates.
• Salary Structure: Assign salary components (Basic, Allowances, Deductions) to each employee. Use Salary Structure Manager for templates.
• Multi-Project Allocation: Assign employees to multiple projects with percentage or hours allocation for cost distribution.
• Employee Status: Active, On Leave, Terminated. Status affects payroll processing eligibility.
• Contact Linking: Employees are linked to Contacts. Ensure contact exists before creating employee.
• Employment History: Track join dates, promotions, transfers, and exits with lifecycle events.

Define flexible salary structures with multiple components.

• Component Types: Basic Salary, Allowances (Housing, Transport, etc.), Deductions (Insurance, Loans), Bonuses, Overtime, Commissions.
• Creating Components: Payroll → Salary Components → Add Component. Define calculation method (Fixed, Percentage, Formula).
• Salary Templates: Create reusable salary structure templates. Apply to multiple employees for consistency.
• Calculation Rules: Set up formulas for complex calculations (e.g., Allowance = 20% of Basic).
• Tax Configuration: Configure tax slabs and rules. System calculates tax automatically based on taxable income.
• Statutory Compliance: Set up statutory deductions (Provident Fund, ESI, etc.) with percentage or fixed amounts.

Process monthly payroll with automatic calculations.

• Payroll Cycles: Create monthly payroll cycles. Set start date, end date, and pay date.
• Processing Payroll: Select cycle → Process Payroll. System generates payslips for all active employees.
• Automatic Calculations: System calculates basic salary, allowances, deductions, taxes, and net salary automatically.
• Proration: Automatic salary proration for new hires, terminations, promotions, and transfers.
• Bonuses & Adjustments: Add bonuses and adjustments to payroll. System includes them in calculations.
• Attendance Integration: Link attendance records for accurate salary calculation (overtime, leaves, etc.).
• Multi-Project Allocation: Allocate employee costs across multiple projects based on percentage or hours.
• Payslip Generation: Automatic payslip generation with detailed breakdown. Print or email payslips.

Track employee attendance and manage leave records.

• Recording Attendance: Payroll → Attendance → Add Record. Enter date, employee, status (Present, Absent, Leave, etc.).
• Leave Types: Track different leave types (Sick, Casual, Annual, etc.) with balance tracking.
• Overtime Tracking: Record overtime hours. System calculates overtime pay based on configured rates.
• Leave Balance: System tracks leave balances per employee. Deducts from balance when leave is recorded.
• Attendance Reports: View attendance summaries, leave reports, and overtime reports by employee or period.
• Payroll Integration: Attendance data automatically affects salary calculations (unpaid leaves, overtime pay, etc.).

Access 30+ comprehensive reports for complete business insights.

• Project Reports: Project Summary, Revenue Analysis, Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, Budget vs. Actual, PM Cost Report, Investor Distribution.
• Rental Reports: Owner Income Report, Owner Security Deposit Report, Broker Fee Report, Rental Summary.
• Financial Reports: Income by Category, Expense by Category, Account Statements, Transaction Reports.
• Ledger Reports: Owner Ledger, Vendor Ledger, Client Ledger, Broker Report.
• Payroll Reports: Payroll Cost Allocation, Employee Cost Report, Attendance Summary.
• Visual Reports: Visual Project Layout, Visual Rental Layout, Tabular Unit Reports.
• Export Options: All reports can be exported to Excel for further analysis or sharing.
• Date Filtering: All reports support custom date ranges for period-based analysis.

Monitor key performance indicators in real-time.

• Default KPIs: Total Balance, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Outstanding Loans.
• Category KPIs: Add any income or expense category as a KPI for quick monitoring.
• KPI Panel: Click chart icon to open KPI panel. Customize visible KPIs, add new ones, or remove.
• Real-time Updates: KPIs update automatically as transactions are recorded.
• Quick Reports: Click on any KPI to view detailed report for that metric.
• Shortcuts: KPI panel also provides quick shortcuts to frequently used pages and reports.

Import data from Excel and export reports for external analysis.

• Excel Import: Import transactions, contacts, accounts, categories, and other data from Excel spreadsheets.
• Import Templates: Download sample Excel templates to ensure correct format for import.
• Import Validation: System validates data before import. Shows errors and warnings for review.
• Export to Excel: Export any report, transaction list, or data table to Excel format.
• Filtered Export: Export only filtered/visible data. Useful for exporting specific date ranges or categories.
• Backup & Restore: Create full data backups. Restore from backup if needed. Backups include all application data.

Send invoices and payment reminders via WhatsApp Business API.

• Setup: Configure WhatsApp Business API credentials in Settings → WhatsApp Settings.
• Sending Invoices: Click "Send via WhatsApp" on any invoice. System sends formatted invoice message.
• Payment Reminders: Set up automated payment reminders for overdue invoices.
• Message Templates: Customize WhatsApp message templates for invoices, reminders, and notifications.
• QR Code Generation: Generate QR codes for invoices. Customers can scan to view or pay invoices.

Manage all business contacts in one place.

• Contact Types: Tenant, Vendor, Owner, Staff, Broker, Client, Other. Each type has specific use cases.
• Creating Contacts: Contacts page → New Contact. Enter name, type, phone, email, and address.
• Contact Linking: Contacts are linked to transactions, invoices, bills, agreements, and employees.
• Contact Directory: View all contacts with filtering by type. Search by name, phone, or email.
• Contact Ledgers: View complete transaction history for any contact (Owner Ledger, Vendor Ledger, etc.).
• Bulk Operations: Import contacts from Excel. Export contact list for external use.

Create and manage invoices and bills efficiently.

• Invoice Types: Rental Invoices, Project Invoices (Installments), Service Invoices, Quotations.
• Creating Invoices: Select invoice type → New Invoice. Enter customer, items, amounts, and due date.
• Invoice Templates: Customize invoice HTML templates. Add company logo, address, and branding.
• Recurring Invoices: Set up recurring invoice templates. System generates invoices automatically.
• Bill Management: Create bills from vendors. Track unpaid bills and record payments.
• Bulk Operations: Pay multiple invoices or bills at once using bulk payment feature.
• Print & Email: Print invoices/bills or send via email/WhatsApp directly from the application.

Go to Settings → Backup & Restore → Create Backup. The system will generate a backup file that you can download and save securely. Regular backups are recommended.

Yes! PBooksPro is an offline-first application. All data is stored locally on your computer. You only need internet for initial download and updates.

The system is optimized to handle 10,000+ transactions with instant search and filtering. For best performance, use date range filters when working with large datasets.

Yes! Go to Settings → Invoice Template. You can edit the HTML template to add your company logo, customize layout, colors, and branding. Changes apply to all new invoices.

In Employee Management, assign employees to multiple projects with percentage or hours allocation. When processing payroll, costs are automatically allocated based on these assignments. View allocation in Payroll Cost Allocation reports.

Deleted transactions are permanently removed. Always create regular backups. If you have a recent backup, you can restore it. For critical data, consider exporting important transactions to Excel regularly.