How do I run financial reports in MONA?

Quick answer: go to Finance, then Books, then Close pack, and pick a month. MONA computes the profit and loss, balance sheet, trial balance, general ledger, project profitability, accounts receivable, sales tax collected, retainer balances, and cash position from its own double-entry ledger, and Download CPA package (.zip) hands your bookkeeper all of it as CSV.

Where the reports live

MONA Books is a double-entry general ledger with a chart of accounts built for design studios. Every report below is computed from that ledger, so the numbers agree with each other by construction.

How do I run the monthly reports?

1. Click Finance in the sidebar, then the Books tab. If you see Turn on Books, click it once. MONA creates the chart of accounts for you.
2. Click Close pack.
3. Pick the month in the Accounting period dropdown. The current month is selected by default.
4. Read the reports on the page: Profit & loss, Balance sheet, Trial balance, Project profitability, A/R outstanding, Sales tax collected, Retainer balances, and Cash position.
5. If bank purchases are still waiting in the Bank inbox, categorize them first. Each one you confirm posts to the ledger and shows up in expenses and project cost.
6. When the numbers are final, click Close month. Entries dated in that month lock, and later fixes post as adjusting entries into the open month. Reopen month undoes it.

How do I export the reports for my CPA?

1. In Close pack, choose the month.
2. Click Download CPA package (.zip).
3. The zip contains seven CSV files: trial balance, general ledger, profit and loss, balance sheet, project profitability, accounts receivable, and sales tax collected.

If your bookkeeper would rather pull the reports themselves, go to Settings, then Team, invite them by email, and choose the Accountant role. It is read-only and covers only the Finance pages.

How do I run the 1099 prep report?

1. In Close pack, scroll below the monthly reports to Year-end: 1099 prep.
2. Pick the Tax year. The summary shows eligible vendors, vendors over $600, vendors that need attention, and the total paid to eligible vendors.
3. Each row shows the vendor, classification, payments, and any attention flag such as a missing tax ID, W-9, or address. Toggle the 1099 switch to mark a vendor eligible and assign unmatched payments to the right vendor.
4. Click Download 1099 CSV. Filing the forms stays with your accountant.

Can I just ask the agent?

Yes. In any chat, ask "how did we do last month", "what is my net income", "how much cash do we have", "who owes us money", "what sales tax did we collect this quarter", or "who needs a 1099 this year". The agent reads the same ledger the reports use and answers with the figures. The CSV downloads live in Books.

Is MONA Books cash basis or accrual?

Revenue is accrual. When you send an invoice, MONA debits accounts receivable and credits revenue by line type, and any sales tax on the invoice is credited to Sales Tax Payable. A client deposit sits in a retainer liability account until you apply it to an invoice. A payment, whether through MONA Payments or recorded by hand, clears accounts receivable. Voiding an invoice reverses its posting.

Expenses post on the date the card or bank transaction appears in your bank feed and you confirm it in the Bank inbox. MONA does not yet record vendor bills ahead of payment, so there is no accounts payable accrual. If your accountant needs a bill accrued at its bill date rather than its payment date, book that month-end adjustment with them for now and tell us, so we can prioritize it.

What the reports need from you

• Invoices sent from MONA. Revenue and receivables come from invoices created and sent in MONA after Books is on. Invoices sent before that do not post.
• A connected bank. Go to Settings, then Integrations, and connect a bank so card and bank purchases land in the Bank inbox. Confirm each one to post it.
• A cutover date. MONA has no opening-balance or history import. Start Books on the first of a month or quarter and keep earlier periods in your old tool. See How do I switch from QuickBooks to MONA?.
• Sales tax on the lines. A tax rate on a schedule or proposal line carries onto the invoice and into the reports. See Invoices and purchase orders.

Want a hand?

If your bookkeeper wants to walk through the reports before you switch, book 30 minutes with the founder at calendly.com/mona-justin/30min and bring them along.

Frequently asked questions

What financial reports can MONA generate?

For any month: profit and loss, balance sheet, trial balance, general ledger detail, project profitability, accounts receivable outstanding, sales tax collected, client retainer balances, and cash position. For any year: a 1099 prep report by vendor. The Finance Overview tab adds a profit and loss card with the change from the prior period, an expenses breakdown, bank balances, and a twelve-month cash chart.

Is MONA Books cash basis or accrual?

Revenue is accrual. It posts to the ledger when you send an invoice, not when the client pays. Client deposits sit in a retainer liability account until you apply them to an invoice, and a payment clears accounts receivable. Expenses post on the date the card or bank transaction appears in your bank feed. MONA does not yet record vendor bills ahead of payment, so there is no accounts payable accrual. If your accountant needs bills accrued at the bill date, tell us and book the month-end adjustment with them for now.

Can my bookkeeper or CPA use MONA directly?

Yes. Go to Settings, then Team, invite them by email, and choose the Accountant role. It is read-only and limited to the Finance pages. They can open the close pack for any month, download the CPA package, and run the 1099 prep themselves.

Can I ask the MONA agent for the numbers instead of opening the reports?

Yes. In any chat ask something like how did we do last month, what is my net income, how much cash do we have, who owes us money, what sales tax did we collect this quarter, or who needs a 1099 this year. The agent reads the same ledger the reports use. The CSV downloads live in Books.

Why does my profit and loss show zero?

Nothing has posted to the ledger yet. Revenue posts only for invoices sent from MONA after Books was turned on, and expenses post only for bank transactions you have categorized in the Bank inbox. Invoices sent before Books was on and uncategorized purchases do not appear.

Does MONA import my history from QuickBooks or Studio Designer?

No. MONA Books has no opening-balance or transaction-history import. Pick a cutover date, usually the first of a month or quarter, and run Books from there. Earlier periods stay in your old tool and can be uploaded to your MONA Library as files so the agent can read them.

What does closing a month do?

It locks every entry dated in that month so the reports you handed your accountant cannot drift. If something needs fixing later, MONA posts an adjusting entry into the open month and keeps the original period label on it. You can reopen a month from the same button.

How is sales tax handled in the reports?

A tax rate on a schedule or proposal line carries onto the invoice. When the invoice is sent, the tax amount is credited to Sales Tax Payable. The close pack shows tax collected this period, year to date, and the payable balance still owed, and the same figures export in sales_tax_collected.csv.

Does MONA do payroll or file my taxes?

No. MONA prepares the books, the monthly reports, the sales tax figures, and the 1099 prep totals. Payroll, tax returns, and filing the 1099 forms stay with your accountant or payroll provider.