diff --git a/src/grammar/expenses.y b/src/grammar/expenses.y
index a4f8386..499cf15 100644
--- a/src/grammar/expenses.y
+++ b/src/grammar/expenses.y
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 
 %code requires {
 #include "../../src/grammar/types.h"
+
+/* Parse a string with Flex+Bison instead of a file / stdout */
+int grammar_parse_string(const GString *buf);
 }
 
 %define parse.lac full
@@ -78,3 +81,11 @@
 ;
 %%
 
+/* Parse a string with Flex+Bison instead of a file / stdout */
+int grammar_parse_string(const GString *buf) {
+    int res;
+    yy_scan_string(buf->str);
+    res = yyparse();
+    yylex_destroy();
+    return res;
+}
diff --git a/src/grammar/types.c b/src/grammar/types.c
index f595012..f33afb1 100644
--- a/src/grammar/types.c
+++ b/src/grammar/types.c
@@ -30,15 +30,6 @@
     g_filename = fn;
 }
 
-/* Parse a string with Flex+Bison instead of a file / stdout */
-int grammar_parse_string(const GString *buf) {
-    int res;
-    yy_scan_string(buf->str);
-    res = yyparse();
-    yylex_destroy();
-    return res;
-}
-
 int bot_get_current_entry_id
 (
  const GString* filename
@@ -67,13 +58,13 @@
 BotExpenseEntry *create_bot_expense_entry
 (
  const BotExpenseEntry *previous,
+ const unsigned int id,
  const BotCommand cmd,
  const double value,
  GString* user,
  GString* notes
 )
 {
-    unsigned int id;
     double signedValue = value;
     BotExpenseEntry *entry = malloc(sizeof *entry); // TODO this should be freed once it's written to registry
     struct tm *lt = malloc(sizeof *lt);
@@ -90,12 +81,6 @@
         signedValue = -value;
     }
 
-    if(previous == NULL) {
-        id = 1;
-    } else {
-        id = previous->id + 1;
-    }
-
     entry->id = id;
     entry->time = *lt;
     entry->value = signedValue;
@@ -196,21 +181,16 @@
     unsigned int id;
     BotExpenseEntry *entry;
     BotExpenseEntry *previous = bot_get_last_expense();
-    bool needsHeaders = false;
 
-    entry = create_bot_expense_entry(previous, cmd, value, user, notes);
+    id = (previous == NULL) ? bot_get_current_entry_id(filename) : previous->id + 1;
+
+    entry = create_bot_expense_entry(previous, id, cmd, value, user, notes);
     if(entry == NULL) {
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if(previous == NULL) { /* first message received by the bot; needs to get latest ID */
-        id = bot_get_current_entry_id(filename);
-        if(id == 0) { /* file is empty; initialize with headers */
-            needsHeaders = true;
-        }
-    }
-
-    result = write_bot_expense_entry(filename, entry, needsHeaders);
+    /* if no ID, empty file, initialize with headers before writing entry */
+    result = write_bot_expense_entry(filename, entry, (id == 0));
 
     if(result > 0) {  /* write successful */
         bot_set_last_expense(entry);
diff --git a/src/grammar/types.h b/src/grammar/types.h
index 58cddb1..63562d8 100644
--- a/src/grammar/types.h
+++ b/src/grammar/types.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
 BotExpenseEntry *create_bot_expense_entry
 (
  const BotExpenseEntry *previous,
+ const unsigned int id,
  const BotCommand cmd,
  const double value,
  GString* user,