When report totals do not match, build a bridge before changing anything
A diagnostic sequence for mismatched salon reports: align dates and filters, compare tax bases, inspect duplicates and refunds, then reconcile commission.
Two different totals are a starting point for investigation. First establish whether they describe the same rows and the same metric. Then build an explicit bridge between them. Editing source amounts until the totals agree removes the evidence you need to understand the difference.
The useful part
Investigate membership first, amount definitions second and commission formulas third. Explain every bridge item with a source reference; do not use a balancing adjustment as a substitute for an explanation.
1. Are the reports answering the same question?
Write one sentence for each total: for example, “item sales by invoice date for this location” or “payments received across all locations”. If the sentences differ, the totals are not yet directly comparable. Align the event, period, location, staff and status filters before investigating cents.
Check whether the figure is sales, tax, payment receipts, commission or a net settlement. A payment amount after fees is not the same metric as item sales. Keep the report names and settings so the comparison can be repeated next period.
If membership differs
List the references present in one report but absent from the other. Resolve date and filter differences before changing the calculation formula.
2. Are the amounts on the same basis?
Compare inclusive with inclusive, or exclusive with exclusive. Inspect whether discounts have already been applied and whether refunds are signed negative rows, separate totals or omitted by the chosen report. A column headed “net” needs a definition; it may mean different things in different records.
Keep the amount definitions distinct in the worksheet. A total can legitimately change when supplied tax is removed, a duplicate is excluded or a missing refund is added. Each operation should have a visible effect and supporting evidence.
3. Reproduce a complete basis bridge
This fictional AUD source contains a $440.00 service, a $110.00 retail sale and a repeated copy of that retail sale. Supplied tax totals $60.00. A separate service refund is −$55.00 with −$5.00 supplied tax.
| Step | Change | Running amount |
|---|---|---|
| Exported inclusive total | Starting figure | $660.00 |
| Remove supplied tax | −$60.00 | $600.00 |
| Exclude repeated retail basis | −$100.00 | $500.00 |
| Include separately sourced refund basis | −$50.00 | $450.00 |
The $210.00 difference is fully explained
$60.00 of tax + $100.00 repeated retail basis + $50.00 refund basis = $210.00. The accepted commission basis is $450.00.
4. Only then compare the commission formula
In the example, the accepted service basis is $400.00 − $50.00 = $350.00 and the accepted retail basis is $100.00. At supplied rates of 40% and 10%, commission is $140.00 + $10.00 = $150.00. Applying 40% to the combined $450.00 would incorrectly produce $180.00.
Compare staff attribution, category, rate, basis and rounding order on each included line. A source-reported commission may follow a different arrangement from the flat rates entered in Trimsum. Record the reason for the variance before deciding what result belongs in the close.
5. Follow the branch that matches the evidence
Use a small representative set of rows to prove the cause, then apply the confirmed check to the full file. A random series of formula changes may make one example match while breaking the rest of the period.
- Different references: inspect dates, filters, missing files, timing items and overlapping exports.
- Same references, different amounts: inspect tax, discounts, quantity, corrected exports and refund signs.
- Same amounts, different staff totals: inspect attribution fields and confirmed name mappings.
- Same bases and people, different commission: inspect category rates, source formula and rounding order.
- Matching grand total, different lines: investigate offsetting errors rather than accepting the total alone.
6. Finish with evidence another reviewer can follow
For each difference, retain the source reference, both compared values, the identified cause, the chosen treatment and the effect on the accepted total. Keep unresolved items visible. A note saying “fixed total” gives the next reviewer no way to verify the result.
Trimsum can compare reported commission with a supplied flat-rate calculation, preserve source columns and record review decisions. It does not reconcile bank settlements, infer provider formulas or decide payroll treatment. Use the variance tool for the commission layer after the source population and amount definitions are aligned.
Put it to work.
Compare a reported amount with an explicit basis and rate, then record the explanation.
Inspect a commission variance