Correct the explanation before changing the total

Identify which record is wrong

A source correction changes the underlying sale or refund in the system that recorded it. A review decision changes whether an imported row contributes to this run. A rule correction changes the supplied calculation assumption. A payroll adjustment changes a different record and may require a separate process.

Write a one-sentence diagnosis before editing: “Invoice S-410 appears twice because two date-overlapping files were imported.” That diagnosis points to a duplicate exclusion. “Need minus $40.00” states the desired result but provides no evidence that the proposed action is the right one.

Compare a correction with a balancing entry

In the fictional example, invoice S-410 has a $100.00 basis and 40% commission. It was imported twice. The correct review keeps the real line and excludes its duplicate, reducing commission from $80.00 to $40.00. Adding a fabricated −$100.00 sale would reach the same total while creating a false transaction trail.

Keep a small correction record

Record the original reference, period, source filename and row, observed problem, evidence, action, before-and-after amount, and reviewer. Include the date the correction was made and any linked replacement export. The record should describe what changed, not simply who clicked a button.

For a wrong source amount, correct or re-export the source through the appropriate process and retain the original copy. Do not overwrite the only source file. Compare the replacement rows carefully so the corrected line is not imported alongside an unexcluded earlier copy.

1. Locate the original record and the mistaken result.
2. Confirm the cause from source evidence.
3. Choose the correction path that changes that cause.
4. Recalculate and check the affected staff total.
5. Keep the reason and supporting reference with the result.

Keep completed periods intact

A finalised snapshot explains what was reviewed at that time. Discovering an error later should create a documented follow-up, linked to the original run. It should not quietly replace the historical explanation or erase the evidence of the original decision.

Trimsum preserves finalised records through its server workflow. The current calculator does not provide an arbitrary commission-adjustment field. For an adjustment that cannot be represented by a genuine supported source row, use a separate reviewed schedule and make its relationship to the closed run explicit.

Do not confuse a negative calculation with a permitted deduction

A commission worksheet can show a mathematical difference without deciding how that difference should affect an employee’s pay. Fair Work states that deductions from pay are permitted only in limited situations. Use its deductions guidance and the relevant employment process before applying any recovery or withholding.

In the handover, label an unresolved difference as awaiting a decision rather than quietly subtracting it from the requested payment. Keep the original commission calculation and the separate payroll decision distinguishable. This prevents an accounting convenience from becoming an unsupported instruction to pay less.

Check the correction did not create a second problem

After a draft correction, compare row count, included basis, refunds, excluded rows and commission by staff. Search for the original reference again. A total can look right even when a replacement was attributed to the wrong person or assigned to the wrong period.

Use a review reason that a later reader can verify: “Second S-410 line from September overlap export excluded; original retained in file A, row 12.” Then export the details with the completed run. The aim is a reproducible correction, not an unexplained balancing amount.