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MCP Expense Tracker in Claude Code

Receipts, mileage and expenses that turn into invoice lines. It logs an expense with its own currency and VAT split, records the receipt by path and sha256, and emits invoice lines that are not taxed twice.

Logging a receipt from the terminal takes one sentence and one tool call, measured at 13.1 seconds on a fresh data directory, and the rebill lines come out in the same session as the invoice.

What you get in Claude Code

You say	Tool
I paid 61.50 EUR at Media Markt for a USB hub, Acme project, billable.	`expense_add`
What did I spend this month, by category?	`expense_summary`
Give me the invoice lines to rebill Acme this month with 10% markup.	`expense_to_invoice`

The EUR 61.50 receipt above stored as amount_minor 6150, vat_rate 23, and rebilled at a net unit_price of 50.00, so the invoice did not tax it twice.

Install it in Claude Code

The file is .mcp.json, and the key inside it is mcpServers.

Scope	Path
local (default)	`~/.claude.json, this project only`
project	`.mcp.json at the repository root`
user	`~/.claude.json, every project`

claude mcp add expense-tracker -- npx -y @theluckystrike/mcp-expense-tracker
claude mcp list    # health-check it before the first prompt

# or --scope project, committed to .mcp.json for the team

No restart. The entry is picked up in the next session, and `/mcp` reconnects one on demand.

The npm publish of @theluckystrike/mcp-expense-tracker is pending; until then use the .mcpb bundle or a clone and build from the latest release.

No install: the hosted endpoint

The same server runs at https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/expense-tracker over MCP streamable HTTP, no install. Mint a free token with curl https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/token, or use a Pro key. It has no filesystem, so a file comes back as a one-hour download link.

claude mcp add --transport http expense-tracker https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/expense-tracker \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer <token>"

Claude Code notes worth knowing first

The `--` is load-bearing: it separates Claude Code's own options, such as --transport, --env and --scope, from the command that runs the server. And the default scope is local, private to you and to the directory you ran it in, so adding it in the wrong folder leaves the tools absent with no error at all.

Free: unlimited logging, 30 days of history, 3 projects, 5 rules, 200 CSV rows. Pro is $19 once, verified offline.

Questions

Which scope should I use for MCP Expense Tracker?

Local, the default, writes ~/.claude.json and is private to you and that directory. --scope project writes .mcp.json at the repository root, shared through version control. --scope user loads it everywhere.

Why did my first prompt ignore the server?

Measured, not documented: of three fresh projects, one first prompt made zero tool calls although initialize answered in 1.05 seconds. Run claude mcp list once first: it prints Connected, and the next run used the tool.

Can I use MCP Expense Tracker without installing anything?

Yes: claude mcp add --transport http expense-tracker https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/expense-tracker --header "Authorization: Bearer <token>". Mint a free token at https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/token or use a Pro key. -t and -H are the short forms.

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