Manual invoicing for STR? Make it easier and more practical

How to keep basic control without using a system

It is estimated that over 40% of STR in Latin America still use manual methods to manage invoicing. Even without an automated PMS, it’s possible to stay organized and avoid costly mistakes (and fines).

While you can create your own spreadsheet, here is a recommended structure to record:

• Date and receipt number

• Document type (receipt, invoice, credit note)

• Total amount and tax breakdown

• Payment method

• Status (issued, voided, pending)

💡 Pro tip: Duplicate the table for each month and use filters to generate quick reports. Color codes or symbols also help flag inconsistencies or pending issues.

Common mistakes when invoicing manually

Before improving your invoicing, it’s important to understand the most frequent errors and their impact. Poorly managed invoicing can cause inconsistencies in tax returns, errors in monthly reports, and even penalties from your country’s tax authority.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Not numbering receipts sequentially, making tracking difficult and raising audit flags.

• Issuing documents with incorrect dates, disrupting chronological order and monthly reports.

• Keeping only the physical copy (and then losing it).

• Not separating voided or error-filled receipts, complicating reconciliation.

• Forgetting to report credit notes, creating discrepancies in reported income.

✅ Use visual systems (colors, symbols, tags) to mark pending, voided, or inconsistent documents. This makes it easier to prepare accurate monthly reports.

Organize your receipts for monthly reporting in different countries

Depending on the country, you’ll need to declare your income monthly or quarterly. Here’s a quick guide for STR managers:

DIAN (Colombia)

• Issue e-invoices via DIAN portal or authorized tech providers.

• Track status (accepted, rejected) in monthly folders.

• Verify all are reported in RADIAN.

SII (Chile)

• Issue DTEs through SII portal or certified providers.

• Check the monthly sales ledger before submitting.

• Maintain digital and physical backups.

SUNAT (Peru)

• Create monthly folders: issued, voided, pending.

• Summarize totals by document type in Excel or PDF.

• Keep both physical and digital copies for at least 5 years.

SAT (Mexico)

• Generate XML and PDF of each invoice from the SAT portal or authorized providers.

• Store CFDIs in cloud-backed monthly folders.

• Use the income viewer to avoid omissions.

AFIP (Argentina)

• Issue electronic invoices from AFIP portal or authorized software.

• Consolidate receipts monthly to simplify DDJJ.

• Store files in Google Drive or Dropbox for easy access.

IRS (United States)

• Report income in Schedule C if you have an EIN.

• Organize invoices and receipts by category.

• Use QuickBooks, Wave, or Excel spreadsheets for reporting.

Automation tip: Set a recurring calendar reminder (e.g., 28th of each month) to review and classify receipts.

Advanced tips to simplify manual invoicing

Even if you don’t use a PMS, you can add efficiency:

• Digital copies first: always scan or photograph physical receipts.

• Use cloud tools: Google Sheets or Airtable help with multi-user access.

• Automate partial steps: email templates for receipts, Excel macros for reports.

How can Aloha help with this?

This guide is for STR hosts still using manual methods. But there’s a simpler way:

With Aloha, you can:

• Issue receipts and invoices in the same system where you manage bookings.

• Forget about Excel: Aloha automatically summarizes sales.

• Download ready-to-submit reports for SUNAT, SAT, AFIP, DIAN, SII, IRS, and more.

• Track invoices by status and keep everything compliant with local tax rules.