Dashboard Overview¶
Last reviewed: 2026-03-31 · Nnamdi
Status: Complete
Route: /dashboard
1. What is it?¶
The Dashboard is the first screen a user sees after logging in. It gives a real-time financial snapshot of the business — revenue, expenses, outstanding invoices, bills due, VAT position, and trend charts — all in one place. Nothing on the dashboard creates or changes data; it is read-only.
2. How does it work in Finora?¶
2.1 Header bar¶
The header runs across the top of every page (not just the dashboard). It contains:
- Finora logo — clicking returns to the Dashboard from anywhere
- Plan badge — shows the current subscription tier (e.g. "Premium")
- Business switcher (centre) — shows the active business name and how many businesses the account has. Clicking opens a dropdown to switch between businesses. Only relevant for users with multiple businesses or accountants managing multiple clients.
- User menu (right) — shows the logged-in user's name and email. Clicking opens profile options.
2.2 Date filter¶
A button labelled with the current period (e.g. "All Time") sits at the top-left of the main content area. Clicking it opens a date range picker to filter the dashboard KPIs by a specific period.
2.3 KPI cards (top row)¶
Four summary cards display at a glance:
| Card | What it shows | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue | Sum of all posted invoices in the selected period | Invoices |
| Total Expenses | Sum of all recorded expenses in the selected period | Expenses |
| Receipts Revenue | Cash actually received (recorded payments) in the period | Receipts |
| Customers | Count of active customers | Customers list |
Common confusion: "Total Revenue" is invoiced revenue (what you billed), while "Receipts Revenue" is collected revenue (what you actually received). They differ when invoices are unpaid.
2.4 Charts (middle section)¶
Revenue & Expenses Trend — A line chart showing the last 6 months of revenue vs expenses side by side. Useful for spotting seasonal patterns. Y-axis is in naira.
Expense Breakdown — A pie chart showing the top expense categories by COA account code for the selected period. Each slice is labelled with the COA code and percentage. A link at the bottom — "View Full Breakdown with Filters" — jumps to /expenses#breakdown for the detailed view.
2.5 Bottom row widgets¶
VAT Payable — Shows the current month's running VAT position: - Output VAT (Sales) — VAT collected on invoices so far this month - Input VAT (Expenses) — VAT paid on expenses so far this month - Net VAT Payable — Output minus Input; what would be owed to FIRS if filed today - A countdown shows days until the next VAT filing deadline
Outstanding Invoices — Total naira value of all unpaid/overdue invoices. Clicking navigates to the filtered invoice list.
Outstanding Bills — Total naira value of all unpaid bills (amounts the business owes suppliers). Clicking navigates to the filtered bills list.
2.6 Upgrade prompt¶
Users on plans below Accountant Pro see a dismissable banner offering an upgrade to ₦50,000/month + VAT (7.5%). The "Dismiss" button hides it for the session. The "Upgrade Plan" link navigates to /settings/subscription.
2.7 AI Assistant¶
A floating button (bottom-right, present on every page) opens the AI chat assistant. Customers on Free tier get knowledge base search only; Premium users get full AI conversations (50/month); Accountant Pro/Admin gets 200/month.
3. Business rules & constraints¶
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dashboard is read-only | No data is created or changed from this screen |
| KPIs reflect the selected date range | Changing "All Time" to a specific month filters all four KPI cards |
| Revenue ≠ Cash received | Total Revenue counts posted invoices; Receipts Revenue counts recorded payments only |
| VAT widget is always current-month | It does not change with the date filter — always shows the current calendar month |
| Business switcher only appears with multiple businesses | Single-business users see their name but no dropdown |
4. Nigerian regulatory context¶
VAT filing reminder — The VAT countdown counts down to the 21st of each month, which is the FIRS deadline for filing and remitting VAT. Businesses with taxable turnover above ₦25M/year must file monthly. The widget is a convenience indicator only — it does not submit or file anything.
5. Common customer questions¶
Q: "My Total Revenue and Receipts Revenue show different amounts. Which one is correct?"
Both are correct but measure different things. Total Revenue = the value of all invoices raised (money owed to you). Receipts Revenue = money actually collected. The gap is outstanding receivables. Use Total Revenue for P&L reporting; use Receipts Revenue to understand cash position.
Q: "The dashboard is showing ₦0 for everything even though I have transactions."
Check the date filter (top-left). If it is set to a specific period with no transactions, all KPIs show ₦0. Set it to "All Time" to see all data.
Q: "I can't see my other business on the dashboard."
Click the business name in the header bar. A dropdown appears if the account has multiple businesses. If only one business exists, there is no dropdown. To add another business, go to Settings.
Q: "What does the VAT countdown mean? Do I need to do something?"
It is a reminder of when the next VAT return is due (21st of the month). Finora does not file automatically — go to Tax Management → VAT Returns to file. The dashboard widget is informational only.
Q: "The Expense Breakdown chart only shows two categories. Where are the rest?"
The chart shows the top 4 categories only. Click "View Full Breakdown with Filters" below the chart to see all expense categories.
6. Known edge cases¶
New business with no transactions¶
All KPI cards show ₦0.00 and charts are empty. Expected. Direct the customer to create their first invoice or expense to populate the dashboard.
Date filter does not update the VAT widget¶
The VAT Payable widget always shows the current calendar month regardless of the date filter. This is intentional — VAT is filed monthly and the widget shows the current filing period. Not a bug.
Business switcher shows wrong business name¶
If a user was recently added to another business as a team member and the new business does not appear, a page refresh usually resolves it. Firestore presence may take a moment to propagate after a new team member invitation is accepted.
7. Escalation trigger¶
Escalate to Tier 3 (Founder) if: - KPI totals do not match the totals on the P&L report or Invoice list (data discrepancy between dashboard and source) - VAT countdown is showing the wrong deadline date - Business switcher is showing businesses the user should not have access to
Escalate to Tier 2 (Support Lead) if: - Charts are blank even with "All Time" selected and confirmed transactions exist - Customer reports revenue or expense figures that look incorrect after the date filter has been verified
8. Last reviewed¶
2026-03-31 — Nnamdi. Verified against production (COA Test School Academy, Premium). All KPI cards, both charts, VAT widget, Outstanding Invoices/Bills widgets, AI assistant button confirmed loading correctly.