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Connecting Xero and Xero Payroll

Connect Time Tracker to your Xero organisation, see what syncs, and set up Xero Payroll earning rates

Applies to: Workforce · Premium

Connect Xero to send your invoices, payments, and expenses from Time Tracker to Xero without retyping them. Xero is a cloud integration: you connect by signing in to Xero from Time Tracker, then sync with the Sync button or on a schedule. If you also use Xero Payroll, Time Tracker can send approved hours to Xero timesheets and leave.

Connecting

Go to More > Integrations and click Xero, or open Xero > Connection in the left menu. Work down the Xero Setup checklist on the right:

  1. Enable Xero.
  2. Connect to Xero: sign in to Xero, choose your organisation, and allow access. Time Tracker then shows "Success! Your Time Tracker account is now connected to Xero" with the organisation name.
  3. Sync Queue Settings: choose which items are added to the sync queue automatically.
  4. Xero Account Settings: choose how Time Tracker's transactions post in Xero.
  5. Sync with Xero: run your first sync. It only takes a few seconds.

Xero Connection Wizard

The Xero Connection Wizard once you're connected.

Sync each time you want Xero and Time Tracker updated, or turn on Auto Sync. See How Syncing Works: Sync Queue, Sync Log, and Auto Sync.

What Syncs

Time Tracker
Direction
Xero
Customers
Both ways
Contacts
Projects
Both ways
Projects
Tasks
From Xero
Tasks
Activities and expense activities
Both ways
Products and services
Users
Both ways
Employees
Invoices and finance charges
To Xero
Invoices
Payments
To Xero
Payments when applied to an invoice; prepayments when applied at customer level
Credit adjustments
To Xero
Credit notes (with an allocation when applied to an invoice)
Debit adjustments
To Xero
A new invoice
Client refunds (applied to open payments only)
To Xero
A bill plus a payment
Time entries and breaks
To Xero
Timesheets (Xero Payroll)
Time off
To Xero
Leave (Xero Payroll)
Expense entries
To Xero
Expense claims
Time entries on projects
To Xero
Time on Xero Projects
Important: Payments, credit notes, and refunds go from Time Tracker to Xero only. Record them in Time Tracker, not in Xero, so the two stay in step.

Xero Payroll

If you use Xero Payroll, the Sync menu lists Xero Payroll. Before sending time, open Xero > Payroll Item Mapping and choose the firm's default regular and overtime earning rates, plus any per-user overrides. See Payroll Item Mapping for Payroll Integrations.

Common Problems

  • “Error retrieving Xero Payroll Earning Rates. Check you have properly configured Payroll inside Xero.” Finish setting up Payroll in Xero, including earning rates, then reload the Payroll Item Mapping page.
  • A payment or credit note you entered in Xero isn’t in Time Tracker. These only sync from Time Tracker to Xero. Record them in Time Tracker.
  • A sync failed. Open Sync > Sync Log, expand the failed sync, and click Error to read Xero's message. See My Integration Isn't Syncing: Finding and Fixing a Failed Sync.