Xero Backup for Professional Services

Your billing records are your proof of work. When clients dispute invoices, when PI claims arise, or when you need to prove project profitability, you need complete historical records. Boxkite automatically backs up your Xero data to Dropbox, ensuring you always have the evidence you need.

Why Professional Services Firms Need Xero Backup

Professional services billing is complex. You're tracking time, allocating expenses, managing retainers, and billing milestones across multiple client projects. This complexity means more opportunities for errors—and more disputes when things go wrong.

Unlike product businesses where the transaction is complete at purchase, service relationships extend over time. Clients may question invoices months or years later. PI claims can emerge long after a project ends. Your billing records need to survive staff turnover, software changes, and the natural tendency to "clean up" old data.

Time tracking integrations add another risk layer. Harvest, Toggl, WorkflowMax—each syncs data to Xero in its own way. When these integrations fail, duplicate, or lose sync, your billing accuracy suffers. You need an independent backup that captures your Xero data regardless of what happens to connected apps.

Critical Professional Services Data

Client invoices and billing history
Project profitability and margin data
Time and expense records synced from tracking apps
Retainer agreements and recurring invoice schedules
Supplier costs allocated to client projects
Milestone billing and stage payment records
Write-offs and billing adjustments
Client payment history and aged receivables

When Billing Records Become Critical

Professional services disputes often arise long after the work is done. These scenarios highlight why historical records matter.

Client Disputes Invoice After Project Ends

A client from 18 months ago suddenly disputes their final invoice, claiming you overcharged for hours. Your project manager has left, and someone archived the project in Xero. Without backup records of the original time entries and billing rates, you can't defend your invoice.

Time Tracking Integration Fails

Your Harvest or Toggl integration loses sync for two weeks. When reconnected, it duplicates entries or misses billable time entirely. Your Xero invoices are now wrong, and reconstructing accurate billing is a multi-day exercise.

Staff Member Miscodes Project Expenses

An employee codes six months of expenses to the wrong client project. By the time it's discovered, the affected project is complete and billed. You need to know what the original coding was to issue correct invoices and avoid disputes.

PI Claim Requires Historical Records

A former client makes a professional indemnity claim alleging negligence on a project from two years ago. Your insurer needs complete billing and correspondence records. If those were deleted from Xero, you're defending a claim with incomplete evidence.

Professional Services Need Long Memory

Retail businesses can often close the books on a transaction within days. Professional services relationships create obligations that last much longer. A consulting engagement might complete in March, but the client could dispute the final invoice in December.

PI insurance policies typically require you to retain records for years after project completion. Tax authorities can audit years back. And clients who were happy at project end can become litigious when their business struggles later.

Records You May Need Later

  • Original invoices showing scope and rates agreed
  • Payment history proving what was received and when
  • Project cost allocations for profitability analysis
  • Write-offs and adjustments with reasons documented
  • Credit notes and their justifications

Professional Compliance & Record Keeping

Professional services firms face specific compliance requirements around client data, billing records, and engagement documentation. These obligations often extend years beyond project completion.

Key Compliance Considerations

  • Professional indemnity claims may require billing records years later
  • Engagement letters and scope documentation affect invoice disputes
  • Tax authorities require records proving income and expenses
  • Client confidentiality obligations extend to financial records
  • Anti-money laundering rules require client payment audit trails

How Boxkite Protects Your Billing Data

Automatic Daily Backups

Every invoice, payment, and transaction is backed up automatically. No manual exports to forget during busy client work.

Complete Project History

All invoices with line items, project allocations, and payment records. Reconstruct any project's financial history from backup.

Dispute-Ready Evidence

When clients challenge invoices or PI claims emerge, your backup provides independent evidence of what was billed and paid.

Long-Term Retention

Backups stay in your Dropbox indefinitely. Meet PI insurance and regulatory retention requirements without manual archiving.

Works With Your Practice Tools

These tools are commonly used by professional services firms. When data from these apps reaches Xero, it's captured in your backup:

Harvest Toggl Track WorkflowMax Float Clockify Stripe GoCardless HubSpot Salesforce Practice Ignition

Frequently Asked Questions

Protect Your Professional Services Data

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