FAQs

What is Basmtak Books?

Arabic-first cloud accounting for businesses in Saudi Arabia and for accounting firms. It covers invoicing, e-invoicing, the VAT return, purchases, banking, inventory and reports.

Can I subscribe as a private person?

No. Books is licensed per establishment. The account opens in the name of a business with a commercial registration and VAT number, and its administrator then creates the team's accounts.

Do I need an accountant to use it?

No. You issue invoices and follow your bank, and the journals post behind the screen. If you have an accountant, the ledger, manual journals and trial balance are all there.

Which devices does it run on?

In the browser on any computer, and in an app for iPhone and iPad. It is a cloud service and needs an internet connection.

Where is my data kept?

In Saudi Arabia, with full isolation between businesses and an audit trail of changes.

How do I change the language or turn on dark mode?

From the buttons on the top bar. The language is your own choice, so it follows you to every business and to the phone.

How do I find a screen quickly?

Press / or Ctrl+K (⌘K on a Mac) and start typing. Press ? to see the keyboard shortcuts.

I forgot my password. What now?

On the sign-in page choose to reset your password and enter your email. You will receive a link to set a new one.

How do I add a colleague or an accountant?

From Businesses & people open the People tab and press Add a person, then choose the businesses, role and permissions.

Does my accountant take a seat?

Yes. Every invited email takes a seat from the business's subscription, whatever the role.

What is the difference between the roles?

The roles are Owner, Admin, Accountant and Viewer. Each starts with a set of permissions you can adjust, such as Post, Approve, Close periods, File VAT and Manage banks. A viewer can only view.

The invitation email never arrived. What now?

Press Resend on the person's row, or Issue an invitation link and hand them the link yourself. It works once and ends after 14 days.

I have more than one business. How do I move between them?

From the business switcher at the top of the screen. Each business has its own books, numbering and return, and one sign-in opens them all.

I lost my phone. Are my books at risk?

From another device open Devices in the app and remove the lost one, and it stops reaching your books. Turning on Face ID or fingerprint unlock beforehand helps too.

What is the difference between a tax invoice and a simplified invoice?

A tax invoice is for a VAT-registered business and goes to ZATCA for clearance before delivery. A simplified invoice is for an end consumer, handed over at once and reported afterwards.

How do I change an issued invoice?

An issued invoice cannot be edited or deleted. Issue a credit note reversing it in whole or in part, then a new invoice if needed.

What happens in the books when I issue an invoice?

A journal posts: a receivable on the customer, revenue and output VAT, plus inventory and cost of sales for a stocked item.

How do I put my logo on invoices?

In Settings, under Branding & print, upload the logo and pick the colour and layout. They apply to every printed document.

How do I send an invoice on WhatsApp?

Once your business number is connected in Settings, the invoice goes out as a message from your number, and Meta bills your business directly. On the phone you can also share the PDF from the share sheet.

Can my customer pay by card?

Yes, from the invoice link, once your provider account is connected. The money goes to your own account and the receipt records itself. This depends on your plan.

Can invoices repeat automatically?

Yes. Each schedule either leaves a draft for you to review or issues directly. This depends on your plan.

How do I record a customer advance?

Record it as a receipt on the customer or as an advance invoice, then set it against their invoice later. The advance payments guide has the details.

Do I need a device to connect to Fatoora?

No. Signing, sending and archiving all happen inside the product. You only need an OTP from the Fatoora portal.

Is e-invoicing included?

Yes. Both phases and the VAT return are in every plan.

What is the difference between clearance and reporting?

Clearance applies to a standard tax invoice before it reaches the customer. Reporting applies to a simplified invoice after delivery. The product takes the right path by type.

What do I do if ZATCA rejects an invoice?

It shows as rejected with ZATCA's own wording. Fix the cause from the E-invoicing screen and press Correct and file again. If the fault is in the invoice itself, issue a credit note and a new invoice.

Why can I not send a tax invoice to my customer yet?

Because it may not reach the buyer until ZATCA has cleared it. Wait for its status to change, then send it.

Linking failed after I entered the code. Do I retry the same code?

No. The code is spent on every attempt, successful or not, so generate a new one on the Fatoora portal for the same environment.

What happens if the certificate expires?

Invoices stop going out. A warning shows beforehand on the E-invoicing screen, and you renew with a new OTP from the Fatoora portal.

Is the product connected directly to my bank?

No. You download the statement from your bank and upload it, then match its lines to your books.

Which statement formats are accepted?

CSV, TSV, TXT, Excel, OFX/QFX, camt.053 and MT940. The product detects the format and encoding itself and shows a preview before importing.

Do lines repeat if I upload an overlapping statement?

No. The preview shows what is already in the books, and it is not imported again.

A statement line has no entry behind it. What do I do?

Create its entry from the line itself. If it repeats every month, write a rule for it on the Rules screen in Banking.

Can a reconciliation close with a difference?

No, unless you explicitly accept outstanding items, which is recorded with your name. The difference stays on show with the items in the books not yet on the statement.

How do I record a cash expense?

Under Purchases record a quick expense, or raise a payment voucher from Banking. You can attach the receipt image. On the phone use the Capture tab.

How is cost of goods sold worked out?

By the costing method chosen for the business: weighted average, or oldest layer first. The figure goes in the invoice's own journal.

How do I enter my stock at the start?

From the Inventory screen, or with the Opening quantity column in the items file when migrating. The other side goes to opening balance equity.

My physical count differs from the books. What do I do?

Enter the counted quantities in a stock count. The differences appear, and an adjustment posts them to the count-variance account.

Can I track lots and expiry dates?

Yes, from the inventory screens. Inventory depends on your plan.

Can I move stock between warehouses?

Yes, with a transfer from Inventory. The stock transfer guide has the details.

Does the product file my VAT return for me?

No. It prepares the figures in the order of ZATCA's form, and you carry them over to its portal.

Does the return include supplier bills and expenses?

Yes. The input VAT on each supplier bill and quick expense shows in its box.

How do I get from a report figure to its entry?

Click the line to open the account's ledger for that period, then click a movement to open the entry and its document.

Can a closed period be reopened?

Yes, from the periods screen, for someone with the permission. A locked period, however, does not reopen.

Can I export reports?

Yes, to PDF in Arabic or English, and to Excel or CSV.

Does the product compute Zakat?

It gives you a Zakat working prepared from your books for you to review. This depends on your plan.

Do I need a credit card for the trial?

No. When the trial ends the books become read-only: nothing is deleted and nothing is charged.

What happens to my books if I stop paying?

They stay as they are, readable and exportable, but nothing can be written until the subscription is renewed. We do not delete anyone's books.

Is the price per user?

No. The subscription is per business and includes a number of users by plan, and you can add seats. The pricing page has the details.

I run several companies. Do I need an account for each?

No. Add them under one account with Add a business, each with its own separate books. The pricing page has the details.

How do I bring my data from my current system?

From Migrate data: a direct pull from Qoyod, and files from Zoho, Xero, QuickBooks, Odoo and Excel. You see a preview before anything is written, and you can undo while the books are unused.

How do I get my data out?

You can export reports and lists, and your books stay readable and exportable even after a subscription ends.

Do I need Basmtak HR?

No. Books is complete on its own, and the payroll link is a benefit for those who use both.