Bill-To Client Linking
Route invoices to a parent company or head office while keeping project tracking on the actual client
You’re doing the work for a local subsidiary, but the check is coming from the parent company’s head office. Without a clear link between the two, your billing process turns into a manual cleanup project every month, forcing you to override addresses or accidentally sending invoices to the wrong contact.
Why Bill-To Linking matters
In professional services, the "Working Client" (the entity receiving your expertise) and the "Billing Client" (the entity paying the invoice) aren’t always the same. Whether you’re working with a franchise, a sub-brand under a holding company, or a regional branch of a global firm, you need to maintain commercial control without losing track of where your revenue actually originates.
Bill-To Linking closes the gap between project delivery and accounting. It allows your team to track time, manage projects, and monitor margins against the local entity while ensuring the final invoice automatically routes to the correct financial stakeholder.
Setting up the link
To redirect the financial responsibility for a client, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Clients module and select the specific client you are doing the work for (the subsidiary or sub-brand).
- Click on the Billing tab within the client record.
- Locate the Bill-To Client field. Start typing the name of the parent company or head office that should receive the invoices.
- Select the correct entity from the dropdown and click Save.
How the link affects your workflow
Once linked, AtomicSam handles the heavy lifting of document generation and accounting exports. Here is how that impact distributes across your business:
| Area | What Happens | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Invoices | Addressed to the Bill-To Client. Line items automatically reference the original client so the payer knows exactly what project they are funding. | Parent/Subsidiary relationships. |
| Accounting Exports | Invoices sync to your accounting software against the Bill-To Client’s contact record for accurate debtor tracking. | Centralized accounts payable. |
| Project Tracking | Time, expenses, and Work in Progress (WIP) remain attached to the original client record. | Monitoring local branch profitability. |
Reporting and revenue confidence
Linking entities doesn't mean losing visibility into your revenue sources. AtomicSam's reporting suite allows you to pivot your view based on your current goal:
- Revenue Reports: You can group data by either the "Working Client" or the "Billing Client." This helps you identify if a specific brand family is becoming a major part of your portfolio, even if the work is spread across ten different locations.
- WIP Reports: These always show the original client record, making it easy for Project Managers to see outstanding work for their specific contacts.
- Debtor Reports: These focus on the Bill-To Client, as they are the party responsible for the outstanding balance.
Modifying or removing the link
If a subsidiary gains financial independence or a contract changes, you can remove the link by clearing the Bill-To Client field and clicking Save. It is important to note that this change is not retroactive. Any invoices already generated or sent will maintain their original billing address and contact details to ensure your audit trail remains intact. Only new invoices created after the change will reflect the updated billing structure.
Pro Tips for Commercial Control
- Audit your links quarterly: Corporate restructures happen often. A quick review of your Bill-To links ensures you aren't sending invoices to a parent company that no longer owns your client.
- Use clear naming conventions: When setting up parent companies as Bill-To clients, include "HQ" or "Parent" in the client name if it helps your team distinguish between the delivery entity and the financial entity.