[16.0] - hr_expense_invoice - create report with invoices - journal items - Reconciliation issue ?

[yboujraf]

Dear

After migrating from Odoo 15 CE to Odoo 16 CE (using OpenUpgrade), we noticed a change in the accounting behavior for vendor bills paid via Expenses (credit card or employee).

Context

In Odoo 15:

Vendor bills linked to expenses were implicitly settled.

The supplier payable account (440000) ended up balanced once expenses were processed.

This resulted in a zero balance on 440000 after reconciliation.

In Odoo 16:

Vendor bills linked to expenses remain in Not Paid status.

Expenses are correctly posted to expense accounts (61xx / 65xx).

Credit card transactions are posted to a clearing account (580020 – Payments in transit).

Reconciliation is expected on the clearing account (580020) against bank / credit card statements.

However:

The supplier payable (440000) or employee payable (416600) is no longer automatically cleared.

As a result, balances differ compared to Odoo 15, even though the economic reality is the same.

Current understanding

To fully settle the accounting and obtain balances equivalent to Odoo 15, it seems necessary to post an internal compensation entry (Miscellaneous Journal Entry):

If the final debtor is the supplier:

Debit 440000 – Payable

Credit 580020 – Payments in transit → then reconcile with the vendor bill.

If the final debtor is the employee:

Debit 416600 – Employee payable

Credit 580020 – Payments in transit → then reconcile with the employee balance.

This makes the process explicit in Odoo 16, whereas it was implicit in Odoo 15.

Questions for confirmation

Is this the recommended and correct accounting approach in Odoo 16 for expenses paid via credit card or employee?

Is there a standard workflow or configuration to automate this behavior (to avoid manual OD entries for hundreds/thousands of bills)?

Is there an official guideline explaining the difference between Odoo 15 and Odoo 16 regarding expense/vendor bill settlement?

We want to ensure our accounting treatment is fully compliant and that quarterly balances remain consistent with previous versions.

Thank you in advance for your clarification.

Best regards,
Youssef