> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://knowledge.rollcredits.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://knowledge.rollcredits.io/budget-and-cost-report/cost-reports.md).

# Run cost reports and close periods

Close cost report periods, download one-off period-based or point-in-time cost reports, and get the reports for periods you've closed.

Use the **Period Cost Reports** page to close cost report periods and download cost reports. It isn't in the sidebar: open **Budget & Cost Report**, select the tab of the budget you want, then select **Cost Reports** in the links at the top of the page. Owners, Super Admins and Managers can use it.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Close Period** and **Generate Cost Report** work on the budget whose tab you had open. To report on another budget, go back to **Budget & Cost Report**, select that budget's tab and select **Cost Reports** again. The link shows once the production has a budget.
{% endhint %}

## How periods work

A period runs from its start date to the end date you choose when you close it. **Current Period Start**, at the top of the page, shows when the open period started, and its info icon gives the rule:

* After you've closed a period, the next one starts the day after that period's end date.
* Before your first closed period, it's the day the production's first transaction was added to RollCredits.

RollCredits takes a snapshot of each budget every night at 12AM Pacific Time for the previous day, for productions that aren't wrapped (see [Wrap a project](/transactions/transactions/wrap-project.md)). Closed periods and period-based reports are built from these snapshots. When a report ends today, RollCredits takes the snapshot when you create it.

## Close a period

1. Select **Close Period**. The **Close Current Period** window opens and shows the **Period Start**.
2. Choose a **Period End** date. You can pick any date from the period start to today.
3. If you want, choose categories to leave out of the report in **Omitted Categories**.
4. If you want, tick **Omit accounts with all zero values** to leave out rows where every amount is zero.
5. Select **Close Period**.

RollCredits downloads the period's cost report as a PDF, saves it as both PDF and Excel in the **Previous period cost reports** table, and moves **Current Period Start** to the day after the end date.

{% hint style="warning" %}
You can't reopen, change or delete a closed period, so check the **Period End** date before you close it. Closed-period reports always show cents.
{% endhint %}

If the last period you closed ended today, the next period hasn't started yet. **Close Period** is greyed out, and pointing at it shows **This period is not yet active**. You can close the next period from tomorrow.

## Generate a cost report

A generated report is a one-off: it doesn't close a period and isn't added to the table.

1. Select **Generate Cost Report**. The **Generate a Cost Report** window opens.
2. Under **Report Type**, choose:
   * **Period-based** to include actuals by period and change in variance. Choose a **Start Date** and an **End Date**.
   * **Point-in-time** to report the budget as it stands now, with no date range.
3. Under **Format**, choose **PDF** or **Excel**.
4. Tick any of these options:
   * **Omit accounts with all zero values?**
   * **Round to whole dollars (no cents)?**
   * **Include transaction-level line item details?** (point-in-time only) adds each transaction line that counts toward **Actuals to Date** under its account in the detailed part, with date, document number, description, vendor and amount.
5. If you want, add filters (see the next section).
6. Select **Create Report**. The report downloads.

Period-based dates can run from the day before the production's first transaction to today. The start date must be before the end date, and **Create Report** stays greyed out until both are valid.

## Filter a generated report

1. In the **Generate a Cost Report** window, under **Filters**, select **Add Filter**.
2. Choose a **Filter Type**:
   * **Omitted Categories**: choose the categories to leave out in **Categories to Omit**.
   * **Transaction Custom Column**: choose one of your company's transaction custom columns, then set its **Filter Value**.
   * **Account/Category Custom Column**: choose a custom column on the transaction lines, then set its **Filter Value**.
3. Repeat for more filters. To drop one, select **Remove** on it.

For a column with a list of options, pick an option, or **(No value)** to match where it's blank. For other columns, type the exact value, or leave it empty to match where it's blank.

* Custom column filters are only for **Point-in-time** reports. Switching to **Period-based** removes them.
* Several filters of the same custom column type match anything that fits any one of them. When you use both types, the report includes only lines that match both.

## Previous period cost reports

The **Previous period cost reports** table lists the closed periods of all the production's budgets, highest **Report #** first, with **Report #**, **Period Start Date**, **Period End Date**, **Created At** and **Created By**.

To download a report again, select **PDF** or **Excel** on its row. **Excel** shows only when an Excel copy was saved, so some older reports have a PDF only.

## What's in a cost report

Each report has a summary part and a detailed part (the **Summary** and **Detail** sheets in Excel). It always shows **Actuals to Date**, **PO Commits to Date**, **Total Costs Plus Commits** and **Current Budget**, which comes from the Awarded phase. Other columns depend on the report and the budget:

* **Actuals By Period**: closed periods and period-based reports.
* **Estimate to Complete**, **Current EFC Amount** and **Total Variance**: when the budget has EFC amounts. Closed periods and period-based reports add **Change In Variance**.
* **Approved Overages**: when the budget has any.

For how RollCredits finds each phase by name, see [Set up budget phases](/budget-and-cost-report/budget/phases.md).


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://knowledge.rollcredits.io/budget-and-cost-report/cost-reports.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
