> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hitaji360.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Document Numbering (Number Series)

> Every document you create in Accounting — invoices, bills, journal entries, quotations, expenses, payments — gets a unique reference number automatically.

Every document you create in Accounting — invoices, bills, journal entries, quotations, expenses, payments — gets a unique reference number automatically. This page explains the numbering format, how the counters work, and when you can supply your own number.

**Where this applies:** numbering happens automatically as you create documents across `/accounting/invoices`, `/accounting/bills`, `/accounting/journal-entries`, `/accounting/quotations`, `/accounting/expenses`, and `/accounting/payments`.

***

## The number format

Hitaji 360 builds each document number from three parts:

```
PREFIX-YEAR-NNNNNN
```

* **PREFIX** — a short code identifying the document type (see the table below).
* **YEAR** — the four-digit calendar year the number was issued.
* **NNNNNN** — a running counter, zero-padded to **six digits**.

For example, the first invoice issued in 2026 is **`INV-2026-000001`**, the next is `INV-2026-000002`, and so on.

### Prefixes by document type

| Document                   | Prefix | Example            |
| -------------------------- | ------ | ------------------ |
| Sales invoice              | `INV`  | `INV-2026-000001`  |
| Vendor bill                | `BILL` | `BILL-2026-000001` |
| Journal entry              | `JE`   | `JE-2026-000001`   |
| Quotation                  | `QTN`  | `QTN-2026-000001`  |
| Expense                    | `EXP`  | `EXP-2026-000001`  |
| Payment received (receipt) | `RCP`  | `RCP-2026-000001`  |
| Payment made               | `PMT`  | `PMT-2026-000001`  |

Receipts (`RCP`) and outgoing payments (`PMT`) use **separate** counters, so the two streams of numbers don't interleave. Some other documents (bank loans, petty cash) have their own series as well.

***

## How the counters work

* **Per business, per document type.** Each business's accounting book keeps its **own** counters. Business A's invoices and Business B's invoices number independently, starting from 1 each. This follows the one-business-one-book model — see [Accessing Accounting](/accounting/user/getting-started/accessing-accounting).

* **Gap-free.** The counters are designed to never skip a number. Even if two people create invoices at the exact same moment, the system serialises them so you get a clean, unbroken sequence (…000004, 000005, 000006). This matters for compliance: tax authorities generally expect sequential, gap-free invoice and bill numbers.

* **Automatic.** You don't have to set up, reset, or increment anything. The next number is assigned the moment a document needs one.

* **Year in the number.** The year shown is the year the number is generated. The counter itself keeps running (it is not forced to reset to 1 each January), so the year acts as a readable prefix rather than a hard reset boundary.

***

## Supplying your own number

In most flows the number is assigned for you. There are places where you **may** provide your own reference instead:

* When **importing opening balances**, each customer-invoice and vendor-bill line can carry its **own document number** (e.g. the original invoice number from your old system). If you leave it blank, Hitaji 360 generates one in the standard format. See [Opening Balances](/accounting/user/getting-started/opening-balances).
* When recording a **payment**, you can supply a reference number; otherwise a `RCP`/`PMT` number is generated.

If you supply your own number, make sure it is unique within that document type for the business.

***

## Can I change the prefixes or format?

The prefixes (`INV`, `BILL`, `JE`, …) and the `PREFIX-YEAR-NNNNNN` layout are **defined by the system** and are not editable from a settings screen in the current build. They are deliberately standardised so that documents are instantly recognisable and audit-friendly across every business. If you need a different scheme, the supported route today is to **supply your own number** on the documents that allow it (above).

***

## Related

* [Accounting Overview](/accounting/user/getting-started/overview)
* [Opening Balances](/accounting/user/getting-started/opening-balances)
* [Accessing Accounting](/accounting/user/getting-started/accessing-accounting)
* [Chart of Accounts](/accounting/user/getting-started/chart-of-accounts)