What is Branches in Zoho Expense?

Estimated reading: 3 minutes 6 views

Introduction

If your business operates across multiple locations in India, managing expenses, taxes, and users across these branches can become complex. Zoho Expense makes it easy by letting you set up and manage branches each with its own GSTIN, users, and transactions.

This guide will show you how to enable and manage branches in Zoho Expense, from creating new branches to assigning users and handling inactive offices.

Note: The Branches feature is currently available only in the India edition of Zoho Expense.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Enable the Branches Feature

Before managing branches, you need to enable the feature:

Click Admin View.
Go to Settings on the left sidebar,
OR click the Gear icon in the top right corner.
Select Branches under the Organisation
Click Enable.

Once enabled, your current organisation will automatically be marked as the Head Office.

This feature cannot be disabled after activation.

2. Create a New Branch

You can create up to 200 branches in Zoho Expense. Here’s how:

Navigate to Admin View > Settings > Branches.
Click the New Branch button (top right).
Enter:
- Branch Name
- GSTIN (select or create a new one)
- Branch Admin (assign an admin user)
- Address and contact details
- Primary Contact for this branch
Click Save.

You can associate one GSTIN with multiple branches or use different GSTINs for each.

3. Assign Users to a Branch

Users can be assigned to one or more branches based on their roles:

When creating or editing a user, select their branch from the dropdown.
To change an existing user’s branch, go to their profile and update their branch assignment.

Tip: Assign users to multiple branches if they manage operations across locations.

4. Edit a Branch

To update details for an existing branch:

Go to Admin View > Settings > Branches.
Hover over the desired branch and click the More icon (⋯).
Select Edit, make the necessary changes, and click Save.

5. Mark a Branch as Primary (Head Office)

You can change which branch is considered your Head Office:

Navigate to Settings > Branches.
Hover over the chosen branch and click More icon (⋯).
Select Mark as Primary.

This branch now becomes the new central office for your organisation.

6. Mark a Branch as Inactive

If a branch is temporarily closed:

Go to Settings > Branches.
Hover over the branch and click More icon (⋯).
Click Mark as Inactive.

The branch will no longer be active in your transactions but can be reactivated later.

7. Delete a Branch Permanently

If a branch is permanently closed:

Go to Settings > Branches.
Hover over the branch, click the More icon (⋯).
Select Delete.

Note: Deleted branches cannot be recovered.

Tips

Plan your branch structure before enabling this feature it’s permanent.
Assign GSTINs accurately to maintain tax compliance across states.
Use unique themes or names for clarity when managing many branches.
Keep user permissions and roles updated to reflect branch level responsibilities.

What is Branches in Zoho Expense?

Introduction