Zoho Books | Product Updates | November 2024

Zoho Books | Product Updates | November 2024

Hello users,

We are back with exciting new features and enhancements in Zoho Books. From multi-criteria workflows to writing off customer opening balances, discover the new updates designed to make your bookkeeping swift.

Attach XRechnung to Invoices [Germany Edition]

When you create an invoice, you now have the option to attach an XRechnung compliant invoice file to the email sent to your customer. This feature ensures that your invoices meet the legal requirements for transactions with government or public organizations in Germany.



To include an attachment of XRechnung in the invoice sent to your customer, go to Sales > Invoices. Create an invoice and click Save and Send. Check the Attach XRechnung option.

Extend the Validity Period of e-Way Bills [India Edition]

E-way bills are valid only for a specific period of time. This may cause issues during unexpected circumstances such as an accident, which can delay the transportation of goods. We've introduced an option to extend the validity period of an e-way bill.

This option is only available for e-way bills that are in the Generated and Expired statuses. You can extend the validity of an e-way bill 8 hours before or 8 hours after its expiration time. 



To extend the validity period of an e-Way bill, go to e-Way Bills > Select an e-way bill and click Extend e-Way bill at the top.

Validate VAT [Germany Edition]


You can now validate the VAT Registration Number to ensure that a business associated with it is still active. This is required for applying reverse charges on Sales transactions and will also serve as a verification step for e-invoicing.

To validate a VRN, go to Settings > Taxes and Compliance > Taxes > Vat Settings. Enter the Vat Registration Number (VRN) and click Validate.

Manage your Income TDS Rates [India Edition]

With the addition of the newly-introduced  Direct Taxes tab under Settings, you can easily manage your TDS rates. Now, you can select whether to associate TDS at the line-item level or the transaction level from Income TDS Settings.  You can also view the total number of transactions associated with different modules for a TDS rate by clicking View Associated Entities. For recurring transactions, such as recurring bills and invoices, clicking on the total number of transactions will redirect you to the list page.



To manage your TDS Rates, go to Settings > Taxes and Compliance > Direct Taxes > Income TDS Rates. To see the total number of transactions linked to a TDS rate across different modules, hover over the TDS rate, click the dropdown, and select View Associated Entities.



To manage your TDS settings, go to Settings > Taxes and Compliance > Direct Taxes > Income TDS Settings.

Associate Multiple Criteria for Workflows

At times, you might need to create multiple workflow rules to complete a  task. For example, if you want to send an email alert and notify a third-party application via webhook whenever the status of a created invoice changes in Zoho Books, you would have to create multiple workflow rules for the different invoice statuses. This can be time-consuming and may exhaust the number of permitted workflow rules you can create under your organization's plan. 

Now, you can achieve the same outcome with a single workflow rule by associating multiple criteria and linking them to their appropriate actions.



Write Off Customer Opening Balance

If a customer is unlikely to pay their outstanding balance, if there are discrepancies, or if the account has remained outstanding for an extended period, you can write off the customer's opening balance. You can also cancel the write-off.



To write off customer opening balance, go to Sales > Customers. Select a customer and click View Opening Balance. Click the Menu icon and select Write Off.

Auto-Populate Customer or Vendor Details [India Edition]

Creating a customer or vendor can be time-consuming, especially when you are adding multiple entries. If this is a concern, we’ve got you covered. You can now auto-populate the contact details by entering the GSTN of the customer or vendor, which will be fetched from the GSTN portal. You can then select the address from the list of addresses associated with that GSTN. Additionally, you can edit the auto-populated details as needed.



To auto-populate contact details for your customers, go to Sales > Customers > Select a customer and click + New. Click Fetch From GSTN and enter the GSTN. Click Fetch Customer Details. Similarly, you can auto-populate contact details of your vendors.
​

Bulk Export Invoices as a ZIP File

Downloading invoices separately and searching for them can be a hassle, especially when you’re downloading multiple invoices. Now, you can download multiple invoices as a single ZIP file with just the click of a button. A single ZIP file is easier to manage and transfer and keeps all the documents together. 




To bulk export multiple invoices as a single ZIP file, go to Invoices > select invoices and click the ZIP icon.

Import or Export Custom Modules

We have extended the import and export option to custom modules. The import/export will occur asynchronously, with the first module being imported/exported first, followed by the second module upon the completion of the first import/export.
If your file exceeds 1,000 or your export file exceeds 25,000, the import/export will be scheduled, and a summary will be emailed to you after successful completion.



To import/export custom modules, go to Custom Modules. Select a custom module. Click the More icon and select the required option. 

Other Enhancements

  • If the number of default filters exceeds 10 or if there are any custom views for a module, a search bar will appear, allowing you to search for the desired filter.
  • We have introduced a new label, Bill Amount Without TDS in vendor payments, allowing you to view the bill amount excluding the TDS deduction and the TDS amount separately.
  • You can now enable endorsements for SEZ and overseas customers, indicating whether the supply is made with or without the payment of Integrated Tax (IGST). This feature is only supported in Spreadsheet and Standard templates, and your business must be GST-registered.
  • You can now search all fields in a custom module rather than just the primary field. Previously, we only supported lookups for the primary field of a module, but this feature has now been enhanced to support lookups for all fields in custom modules.


We hope you like the new features and enhancements in Zoho Books! Take some time to explore the latest updates. We’ll be back next month with even more updates, as we continually strive to elevate your accounting experience.

You can also visit the What's New timeline for byte-sized information about our previous feature updates and enhancements. If you need any assistance, feel free to reach out at support@zohobooks.com.

Best regards,
The Zoho Books Team




        • Recent Topics

        • Syncing with Google calendar, Tasks and Events

          Is it possible to sync Zoho CRM calendar, task and events with Google Calendar's tasks and events. With the increasing adoption by many major tool suppliers to sync seamlessly with Google's offerings (for instance I use the excellent Any.do task planning

        • Merge invoices

          This has come up three times in a month of me using the system. a client whom i do work for on a regular bases asked me to invoice separate jobs on a single invoice. I would then go and cancel the old invoices and make a new one. It would be great if i could just select the invoices and click merge to create a single invoice.

        • Pipeline stages for product-led growth (PLG) subscription services

          (Estagios de pipeline com foco em serviço digital por assinatura (PLG)) Dear colleagues, I am writing to request assistance with a significant challenge I am currently facing. I manage a digital service that operates on a subscription-based model. I am

        • Multiselect lookup in subform

          It would be SO SO useful if subforms could support a multiselect look up field! Is this in the works??

        • Zoho CRM for Email ( Microsoft add on app) Feb 25, 2025

          We are currently experiencing issues with Zoho CRM for Outlook despite updating the Microsoft add on app and Zoho software to the latest versions. When working in Outlook on our Macs and PC's and 365 on the web, when we try to link an email in Outlook

        • Sheet View for Reports

          We often need to filter our contacts in a way that is too complex for Custom Filters (which now allows filtering by Related Modules - amazing! - but doesn't allow for an *OR* relationship between the multiple filters) or Custom View (which does not yet

        • Feature enhancement: Highlight rows based on a cell value

          Hello Sheet users, We're excited to announce a new feature enhacement, shaped directly by your valuable feedback! As you might know, conditional formatting is a great tool for anyone dealing with large data sets. Previously, if you’ve ever wanted to draw

        • Urgent: Unable to Receive OTP Email for Portal User Registration in Zoho Creator

          I paid to enable the Portal User feature on 2/25, and followed the official instructions (Youtube video: Customer Portals | Zoho Creator) to set up the Portal User using my Gmail account. However, I am not receiving the OTP email and am unable to successfully

        • Zoho not receiving verification email.

          I developed a website registration page and need to send verification email. I am using sendinblue for sending out the verification emails. Somehow, the mail is not being received by the Zoho users. Gmail, outlook, yahoo domains works fine but when I try to send the mail to my Zoho account I am not able to receive the mail. Can you please let me know what might be the issue?

        • Restore deleted spreadsheet

          Hi all, I can not find my spreadsheet. It seems that my spreadsheet is deleted. Please, restore the spreadsheet. Thanks in advance

        • Lookup fields can't be used for anything important

          Hi It seems the lookup fields are mostly.... informative, you can at most link stuff between modules... You can't use lookup fields in blueprints, you can't use them in layout rules or anything... It that correct?

        • Function to check frequency of customer ordering patterns

          Hi, I'm no coder, so I thought I could make use of Chat GPT to generate some Deluge script to create a function that would check order frequency of our customers so that I could send an email if they go beyond their usual order pattern. Chat GPT and Claude

        • Better Control over Team Ordering and Display

          Two feature requests for Zoho Desk team drop downs: The ability to change the order of teams, currently it's not in alphabetical order, which is confusing. I'm thinking a manual ordering via number or drag and drop, alphabetical order, and creation order

        • Clear specific tag or tags from all leads

          I'm looking for a way to clear a specific tag from all Leads. I have a function when a tag is added to a lead they are added to a campaign and their status is set to "invited". I need to find a method to remove the tag. If I try to delete the tag to clear

        • Cisco Webex Calling Intergration

          Hi Guys, Our organisation is looking at a move from Salesforce to Zoho. We have found there is no support for Cisco Webex Calling however? Is there a way to enable this or are there any apps which can provide this? Thanks!

        • Has Anyone Else Built a State Machine into a Function?

          I'm in the process of building a state machine for lead lifecycle management within Zoho CRM, and I'm curious if anyone else has tried integrating a state machine into their Deluge functions, especially considering Zoho’s 12-function cap. I’ve managed

        • Is there a way for a custom function to trigger a custom made email alert?

          Hi Zoho Team, We have currently maxed out our 30 workflows in one of our department and we are trying to find ways to make it more efficient. We usually use our workflows to send automated email notifications per team leader for approval of tickets. Is

        • Unified WhatsApp Number Management in Zoho Desk and SalesIQ

          Dear Zoho Desk Support Team, We are currently utilizing both Zoho Desk and Zoho SalesIQ for our customer support operations. While both platforms offer WhatsApp integration, we are facing challenges due to the requirement of separate WhatsApp numbers

        • Multi User Lookup field on the Zoho CRM iOS app.

          Hello all!   Hope you are all safe and sound.   We have now brought in support for the Multi User Lookup field on the Zoho CRM mobile app. Below are the enhancements that are supported in this update:   * Multi User Lookup field can be added through the

        • Help with Deluge Script in Zoho SalesIQ (Input Variables Always Null)

          Hi everyone, I’m working on a Deluge script for Zoho SalesIQ, specifically for a block in Zobot. The script is supposed to: Check the visitor’s name when they start a chat. If the name is empty, return false; if a name is present, return true. However,

        • Item/service subtotal

          Just discovered & really pleased that we can drag to re-order the line items in Sales orders & Invoices, a very nice feature which doesn't seem to be documented? It would be nice to be able to insert a subtotal as a line item to complete this great feature

        • Hide/Show Certain Fields When Creating/Editing Invoices, Estimates, Etc.

          Hello there, I would like the ability to hide or show certain fields for different employees/roles in my company when they are creating or editing invoices, estimates, etc.. Most of the time, we don't use half of the fields shown on the create/edit invoice

        • Is there a way to make an account inactive in ZoHo Desk

          We have a few Clients "Accounts" that we no longer do business with. It would be beneficial for them to not show up in lists. However, we want to go back and view tickets, time, etc.

        • Any way to Associate a Recurring Invoice with Deal/Potential in Zoho CRM

          When we create an Invoice in Zoho Books, we have the option to associate that invoice with a Potential/Deal that is tied to that same customer. Can we do the same thing with Recurring Invoices? When creating a Recurring Invoice, I want to be able to Associate

        • SSO/SAML

          Question - how are you guys handling SSO for Desk?  It seems the only options lead back to ADFS which is a dying technology, stupidly complicated to set up and configure (I mean, you can put that on your resume) and seems like overkill for SSO when AAD does it so much better and effortlessly.  We want to have our clients have SSO to log into our support portal and we want our Agents to have SSO as well. I shouldn't have to expose our server, turn on ADFS, configure it, install multiple clients (Sync

        • Are downloadable product available in Zoho Commerce

          Hi all. We're considering switching to Zoho Commerce for our shop, but we sell software and remote services. Is there a features for downloadable products? I can't find any information about this. Thank you very much Alice

        • Ask the Experts 17: Elevate Customer Communication With Multichannel & Instant Messaging

          Hello Everyone, Get ready for the opportunity to interact with Zoho Desk specialists! This month, we’re diving into Multichannel Operations, helping you manage customer interactions across various platforms seamlessly. Why Join? Customers reach out through

        • ZOHO DESK

          I use Outlook Exchange to receive emails and want to forward them to Zoho Desk for better management. Additionally, I want to reply to emails in Zoho Desk and have them sent to customers via Outlook Exchange, but I don’t know how to configure it.

        • Automating Custom Web Link Messages to Customers via Instant Messaging in Zoho Desk

          Hello, I am looking for assistance with Zoho Desk's Instant Messaging feature. Is there a way to automate the sending of a custom web link to customers every day at 6:30 PM? Any guidance or suggestions on how to achieve this would be greatly appreciated.

        • Exciting Update: Multi WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) Support Now Available in SalesIQ!

          We’re pleased to share an important update that will enhance the way you manage your WhatsApp Business accounts (WABAs) within SalesIQ. With the launch of Multi WABA support, you can now connect and manage multiple brands more effectively, each under

        • An error occurred while uploading the attachment.

          From the image below, attaching files is not possible via the website but is supported through the Mobile App.

        • One time offer in Zoho Campaigns

          Hello! I have an idea to improve my sales. I would like to make a "one time offer" in Zoho Campaigns with a clock that will count down the bid validity period.  Is it possible? Regards.

        • How to Initiate WhatsApp Message on SalesIQ?

          I've just activated a Business WhatsApp phone number through SalesIQ because of its touted omnichannel chat approach. Sounds exciting. I understand that when a customer sends me a WA message, I can reply to it on SalesIQ and keep the chat going, perfect.

        • Multiple self client instances

          there a couple of details that deserve clarification / improvement in Zoho's OAuth 2: 1. for building true server apps - cloud to cloud REST - one has to choose Self Client when creating a new instance in API Console; Server-based Appplications is slightly

        • Workdrive Oauth2 Token Isn't Refreshing

          I have set up oauth for a bunch of zoho apis and have never had a problem with oauth. With workdrive i am using the exact same template i usually use for the other zoho apps and it is not working. All requests will work for the first hour then stops so

        • Zoho Desk - Delete an email conversation

          When using Zoho support desk I see an option to delete and edit conversations that are comments, BUT if the conversation was automatically added as a conversation from an email, then the option to delete it seems not to be available. Is there a way to

        • Organizational Emails Send through Email Relay Server

          Hello, It would be great if the the Organizational Emails could send through the Email Relay Server as well. I often need to send email as someone else and since we use the GMail API option I have to use the organizational emails to do this.  We use Postmark for our Email Relay Server to increase deliver-ability which is something that we have had issues with when sending everything through Zohos servers. Also with postmark there is no need for each organizational email to have its own credentials

        • Emoji support in workdrive

          Hello, We are using emojis in our filenames and folder to help visually find relevant data. Currently Workdrive is stripping out emojis and the rest of the filename (along with the suffix), making the file unreadable when they are synchronized with desktop.

        • What is a 'user' in Zoho Surveys, and can I have multiple Offline Kiosks running?

          Is a 'user' the amount of people that can make and edit surveys on the website? I basically just want to know if I am able to have multiple Offline Kiosks running on multiple devices at the same time. Either on the Basic or Plus plan which both have 1

        • Fundation / Non profit : Could you help ?

          Hi, We're about to handle a Medical research fundation, non profitable structure, what kind of prices could we hope from you ? Could you help us ? We would need Survey, automated campaign and ZIA Thanks in advance

        • Next Page