# Claims

> Process expense claims by matching YNAB transactions with uploaded receipts. Use when the user mentions claims, expenses, reimbursements, receipts, or YNAB TODOs.

- Skill: `majiayu000/claims` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add majiayu000/claims`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/majiayu000/claims/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: majiayu000 (https://skillmd.com/u/majiayu000)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/majiayu000/claims

---


# Claim Processing Workflow

Process expense claims by matching YNAB transactions with uploaded receipts.

## Instructions

You are helping the user process expense claims. Follow this workflow.

**Parallelization Strategy**: Use sub-agents (Task tool) throughout to maximize speed:
- **Downloading/identifying receipts**: Spawn parallel agents to process all receipts concurrently
- **Post-claim cleanup**: Run cleanup tasks in background agents while showing next claim
- This significantly speeds up claim processing, especially with many receipts

### 1. Load Configuration

Use the Read tool to read `.env` in the project root. Extract these values:
- `YNAB_API_KEY` - API key for YNAB
- `YNAB_BUDGET_ID` - Budget ID to query
- `R2_WORKER_URL` - URL of the receipt upload worker
- `R2_PASSWORD` - Password for receipt worker auth

If `.env` is missing or incomplete, ask the user to set it up using `.env.example` as a template.

**Important**: When using these values in curl commands, substitute them directly into the command (don't rely on shell variable expansion from `source .env` as it doesn't handle comments well).

### 2. Fetch YNAB Transactions

Use curl to fetch transactions marked with "TODO" in the memo:

```bash
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer <YNAB_API_KEY>" \
  "https://api.ynab.com/v1/budgets/<YNAB_BUDGET_ID>/transactions" \
  | jq '[.data.transactions[] | select(.memo) | select(.memo | ascii_downcase | contains("todo"))]'
```

Note: Filter for `amount < 0` (outflows) to avoid duplicate transfer entries.

Parse the response to extract:
- `id` - Transaction ID (for updating later)
- `date` - Transaction date
- `amount` - Amount in milliunits (divide by 1000 for actual amount)
- `payee_name` - Merchant/payee
- `memo` - Contains "TODO: description"
- `category_name` - Category

### 3. Fetch Pending Receipts

List receipts from R2:

```bash
curl -s -H "X-Auth-Token: <R2_PASSWORD>" "<R2_WORKER_URL>/list" | jq '.receipts'
```

**Response includes link metadata** (if user pre-linked via web UI):
```json
{
  "key": "2025-01-01_120000_abc12345_receipt.pdf",
  "size": 12345,
  "uploaded": "2025-01-01T12:00:00.000Z",
  "originalName": "receipt.pdf",
  "linkedClaimId": "ynab-transaction-id",      // If pre-linked
  "linkedClaimDescription": "ChatGPT"          // Claim description
}
```

**Pre-linked receipts**: When `linkedClaimId` is present, auto-match this receipt to the corresponding YNAB TODO - skip manual matching for these.

### 4. Identify All Receipts

**Before matching, download and read ALL receipts to identify their contents.** Don't rely solely on filenames - many receipts have generic names like "Receipt-1234.pdf" or "unnamed.png".

**Use sub-agents for parallel processing**: Spawn multiple Task tool agents (subagent_type="general-purpose") to download and identify receipts concurrently. Each agent handles one receipt:

```
Task 1: "Download receipt [key1] from R2, convert if HEIC, read and extract: merchant, date, amount, invoice#. Return structured summary."
Task 2: "Download receipt [key2] from R2, convert if HEIC, read and extract: merchant, date, amount, invoice#. Return structured summary."
...etc
```

Launch all agents in a single message (parallel tool calls) for maximum speed.

For each receipt, the agent should:
1. Download to /tmp/claims/:
   ```bash
   mkdir -p /tmp/claims
   curl -s -H "X-Auth-Token: <R2_PASSWORD>" "<R2_WORKER_URL>/receipt/[key]" -o /tmp/claims/[filename]
   ```

2. **For HEIC/image files**: Convert if needed:
   ```bash
   sips -Z 1500 /tmp/claims/file.heic --out /tmp/claims/file.jpg
   ```

3. **Read the receipt** using the Read tool to extract:
   - Merchant name
   - Date
   - Amount
   - Any invoice/order number

4. Return structured data for the manifest.

Collect all agent results and build the receipt manifest for matching.

### 5. Match Analysis

Compare TODOs against **identified** receipts and show a summary:

**Matching priority:**
1. **Pre-linked receipts** - If `linkedClaimId` matches a TODO's transaction ID, use that receipt (highest priority)
2. **Date proximity** - Within 3 days
3. **Amount match** - Exact or within 10%

**Present the overview:**
```
=== CLAIMS OVERVIEW ===

🔗 PRE-LINKED (X items) - user already matched via web UI:
   - [date] [description] $[amount] ← [receipt name]
   ...

✅ READY TO PROCESS (X items) - have matching receipts:
   - [date] [description] $[amount]
   ...

❌ MISSING RECEIPTS (Y items) - need to find:
   - 3x Cold Storage (~$40-60 each, Oct-Nov)
   - 2x Grab rides (~$30-40, Nov)
   - 1x GitHub ($133, Nov 4)
   ...

📎 UNMATCHED RECEIPTS (Z items) - uploaded but no matching TODO:
   - [filename] [date]
   ...
```

**Ask the user:**
1. Process ready items now?
2. Or pause to find missing receipts first?

### 6. Group and Order Claims

**Sorting strategy** (maintains claiming momentum by keeping similar items together):

1. **Group by merchant first** - All Cold Storage claims together, all Grab claims together, etc.

2. **Within each merchant, sub-group by description similarity** - Infer from the TODO description what type of expense it is:
   - e.g., "groceries", "household items", "snacks" might cluster together
   - e.g., "team lunch", "client dinner" might cluster together
   - This lets user stay in the same mental context when filling claim forms

3. **Within sub-groups, sort by date** - Chronological order within similar items

**Example ordering**:
```
Cold Storage (5 items):
  - Groceries: Oct 1, Oct 8, Oct 15
  - Household: Oct 5, Oct 12
Grab (3 items):
  - Work commute: Oct 2, Oct 9
  - Client meeting: Oct 7
GitHub (1 item):
  - Subscription: Nov 4
```

Present this grouping to user and confirm the processing order before starting.

### 7. Process Each Claim

For each TODO transaction:

1. **Show transaction details**:
   - Date: [date]
   - Payee: [payee_name]
   - Amount: [amount / 1000] (with currency)
   - Description: [memo without "TODO:" prefix]
   - Category: [category_name]

2. **Find matching receipt(s)**:
   - **Pre-linked**: If receipt has `linkedClaimId` matching this transaction, use it automatically (skip manual matching)
   - Otherwise, match by: date proximity (within 3 days), amount match (exact or close)
   - Show top matches and let user confirm

3. **Download and open the receipt**:
   ```bash
   mkdir -p /tmp/claims
   curl -s -H "X-Auth-Token: <R2_PASSWORD>" "<R2_WORKER_URL>/receipt/[key]" -o /tmp/claims/[filename]
   ```

   **For HEIC files**: Convert to JPEG for easier viewing, then delete the HEIC:
   ```bash
   sips -Z 1500 /tmp/claims/file.heic --out /tmp/claims/file.jpg
   trash /tmp/claims/file.heic
   ```

   **Rename for clarity**: Rename the local file to a descriptive format:
   `[claim#] - [merchant] [date] [amount].[ext]`

   Example: `1 - stratechery-dithering 25-oct 150.pdf`

   Then open the renamed file. Also use the Read tool to view and extract details.

   **Cleanup**: After each claim, delete the processed local file immediately to keep /tmp/claims clean. Only the current claim's receipt should be in the folder.

4. **Extract from receipt**:
   - Merchant name
   - Date
   - Total amount
   - Tax breakdown (GST/VAT if visible)
   - Any other relevant details

5. **Present formatted claim summary**:
   ```
   === CLAIM SUMMARY ===
   Date: [date]
   Merchant: [merchant]
   Description: [description from memo]
   Amount: S$[YNAB amount]
          (or for foreign currency: US$[receipt amount] (S$[YNAB amount] at exchange rate of [rate]))
   Tax: [tax amount if found, or "included" / "not shown"]
   Receipt: file:///tmp/claims/[filename]
   Folder:  file:///tmp/claims/
   ```

   **Copy merchant to clipboard**: Run `echo -n "[merchant]" | pbcopy` so user can paste it easily. Use the registered company name, not the trade name:
   - For Singapore vendors: Look for "Pte Ltd" or "LLP" (e.g., "Kap Kia Pte Ltd" not "Yeast Side")
   - For US vendors: Look for "LLC", "Inc.", "Corp" (e.g., "OpenAI, LLC" not "OpenAI")
   - Use the EXACT name as registered, including punctuation

   **Currency discrepancies**: If YNAB amount (SGD) differs from receipt amount, assume USD and calculate the exchange rate: `YNAB_SGD / Receipt_USD`. Display as: `US$X (S$Y at exchange rate of Z)`

6. **Wait for user confirmation**. When user says "done":

   **For speed**: Show the next claim's details FIRST, then run cleanup via background sub-agent:
   - Present the next claim summary immediately
   - Open the next receipt
   - **Spawn a background sub-agent** (Task tool with `run_in_background: true`) to handle cleanup for the completed claim

   **Background cleanup agent prompt**:
   ```
   "Complete claim cleanup for transaction [TRANSACTION_ID]:
   1. Update YNAB memo from 'TODO: X' to 'CLAIMED: X' via PUT to transactions API
   2. Delete receipt [key] from R2 via DELETE endpoint
   3. Delete local file /tmp/claims/[filename] using trash command
   Credentials: YNAB_API_KEY=[key], R2_WORKER_URL=[url], R2_PASSWORD=[pwd]"
   ```

   This runs cleanup concurrently while user reviews the next claim. No need to wait for cleanup to complete before proceeding.

   Cleanup tasks (for reference):
   - Update YNAB memo from "TODO: X" to "CLAIMED: X":
     ```bash
     curl -s -X PUT -H "Authorization: Bearer <YNAB_API_KEY>" \
       -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
       -d '{"transaction": {"memo": "CLAIMED: [description]"}}' \
       "https://api.ynab.com/v1/budgets/<YNAB_BUDGET_ID>/transactions/<TRANSACTION_ID>"
     ```
   - Delete receipt from R2:
     ```bash
     curl -s -X DELETE -H "X-Auth-Token: <R2_PASSWORD>" "<R2_WORKER_URL>/receipt/[key]"
     ```
   - Delete local receipt file (keeps /tmp/claims clean for easier uploads):
     ```bash
     trash /tmp/claims/[filename]
     ```

7. Move to the next claim.

### 8. Handle Edge Cases

- **No matching receipt**: Flag for manual review, ask user if they want to skip or mark without receipt
- **Multiple matches**: Show all options and let user pick
- **Unmatched receipts**: At the end, list any receipts that weren't matched to transactions

### 9. Summary

When all claims are processed:

1. **Wait for background cleanup agents**: Use TaskOutput to verify all background cleanup tasks completed successfully. Report any failures.

2. **Show summary**:
   - Number of claims processed
   - Any skipped items
   - Any orphaned receipts remaining
   - Any cleanup failures that need manual attention

---

## Volopay Form Automation (Playwright)

Use the Playwright script in `scripts/volopay-submit.ts` to automate Volopay claim submission.

### Usage

```bash
cd scripts
npm run submit -- claim.json
```

Or pipe JSON directly:
```bash
echo '{"merchant":"...","amount":99.99,...}' | npm run submit
```

### Claim JSON Format

```json
{
  "merchant": "Lovable Labs Incorporated",
  "amount": 33.39,
  "date": "2025-12-20",
  "volopayCategory": "Software",
  "memo": "Lovable AI subscription",
  "xeroCategory": "Computer Software (463)",
  "xeroTaxCode": "OPINPUT:Out Of Scope Purchases",
  "xeroBizUnit": "Classes",
  "receiptPath": "/tmp/claims/receipt.pdf"
}
```

### Tax Code Logic

**CRITICAL: Only use INPUTY24 if the receipt explicitly shows a GST line item with amount. Never assume GST.**

| Condition | Tax Code |
|-----------|----------|
| Receipt shows explicit GST amount (e.g., "GST 9%: $X.XX") | INPUTY24:Standard-Rated Purchases |
| No GST breakdown + Foreign currency (USD) | OPINPUT:Out Of Scope Purchases |
| No GST breakdown + SGD | NRINPUT:Purchases from Non-GST Registered Suppliers |

**WARNING**: "Inclusive of taxes" does NOT mean GST is shown. You must see an actual GST line item to use INPUTY24.

### Volopay Category Mapping

| Expense Type | Volopay Category |
|--------------|------------------|
| Software/SaaS | Software |
| Hardware/Equipment | Equipment & hardware |
| Food/Meals | Entertainment |

### Xero Category Mapping

| Expense Type | Xero Category |
|--------------|---------------|
| Software/SaaS | Computer Software (463) |
| Software for class (IMDA VIBE, "for class") | Cost of Sales (320) |
| Hardware | Computer Hardware & Accessories (464) |
| Books | Books, Magazines, Journals (460) |
| Transport (local) | Local Public Transport (incl Taxi) (451) |
| Transport (overseas) | Overseas Transport (452) |
| Phone/Internet | Telephone & Internet (467) |

**Note**: Most software uses "Computer Software (463)". Only use "Cost of Sales (320)" when the YNAB memo explicitly mentions IMDA VIBE or "for class".

### Script Behaviour

1. Opens headed Chromium browser
2. Auto-login via Google SSO (saves session for reuse)
3. Fills all form fields automatically
4. Uploads receipt file
5. **Pauses for review** before submit - user clicks Continue manually
6. Saves auth state for future runs

---

## Quick Reference

**YNAB API**: https://api.ynab.com/v1/
**Transaction amounts**: In milliunits (divide by 1000)
**Negative amounts**: Outflows (expenses)
**Positive amounts**: Inflows

**Receipt filename format**: `YYYY-MM-DD_HHMMSS_originalname.ext`
**Volopay URL**: `${VOLOPAY_URL}/my-volopay/reimbursement/claims?createReimbursement=true` (configured in .env)