Rebuild a staff statement from its sales lines
Trace a staff commission total through services, retail, refunds, exclusions and source references with a complete worked statement.
A staff total is most useful when it can be reconstructed without reopening a conversation. The path should run from the source line to its category, basis, rate, review decision and final contribution. A statement that only shows one number loses the explanation that makes that number trustworthy.
The useful part
Sum the included, rounded line commissions for one earning staff member, then show the period, assumptions and references that allow the total to be reproduced.
Start with one person and one defined period
Confirm the earning staff identity and the inclusive start and end dates. Check aliases or renamed staff values against source evidence before grouping them. The person who completed a payment is not necessarily the person who earned the commission.
State the date field used, the service and retail rates, and whether the basis includes tax. Keep the draft or finalised status visible. A statement generated from unresolved rows must not look like a completed approval record simply because its layout is tidy.
Show every contribution to the result
This fictional statement is for Mia, 21–27 September 2026. The supplied rates are 40% service and 10% retail. Tax-exclusive bases are already shown below. The refund has been reviewed and linked to its original sale; a duplicated service row has been excluded.
| Reference / item | Included basis | Rate | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| S-101 · service | $200.00 | 40% | $80.00 |
| S-102 · service | $100.00 | 40% | $40.00 |
| R-103 · retail | $50.00 | 10% | $5.00 |
| RF-104 · service refund | −$50.00 | 40% | −$20.00 |
| S-101 · duplicate excluded | $0.00 | Excluded | $0.00 |
| Total | $300.00 | By category | $105.00 |
Reconcile the statement in both directions
From the source lines, the three positive contributions are $80.00, $40.00 and $5.00. The reviewed refund reduces their $125.00 subtotal by $20.00. The resulting $105.00 must match Mia’s summary amount.
Now work backwards from $105.00: locate the contributing lines and their source references. The duplicate has no contribution but remains explained in the review detail. Excluded rows should not disappear from the investigation merely because their final contribution is zero.
- Filter detail to the earning staff member.
- Check the period and included/excluded treatment.
- Add each displayed commission contribution, including negatives.
- Match the sum to the staff summary and then to the run total.
Use the same rounding method as the run
Trimsum calculates commission in cents and rounds each line, with halfway values rounded away from zero. Add the rounded line results when reconstructing its total. Calculating one percentage on an aggregated basis can differ by a cent, even when the rates and sales are otherwise identical.
Do not conceal a rounding difference by changing one invoice amount. Show the method and identify the lines responsible. When a source report rounds at a different stage, retain both totals and explain the bridge rather than labelling the source wrong without checking its formula.
Use summary and detail together
The finalised summary export contains the run, dates, currency, staff totals and basis. The detail export carries source references, dates, items, amounts, calculation basis, rate, calculated and reported commission, treatment, notes, source file and row. Keep the two files attached to the same run label.
For a person-specific handover, create a reviewed copy containing only the relevant staff lines and the necessary supporting information. Check that filtering did not remove a refund or retain another person’s records. The current app does not send statements to staff or provide a shared staff portal.
Label the document for what it proves
Use “commission worksheet” or “commission statement” with its scope. This record explains sales-based arithmetic. It does not calculate the person’s complete wages, withholding, superannuation or net payment, and it is not a payslip.
After finalisation, compare the recipient’s imported or re-entered commission amount with the exported summary. A correct worksheet can still be transferred twice or to the wrong person. Record the receiving period and confirm the handover amount without changing the preserved calculation just to match an unrelated payroll total.
Put it to work.
Follow the source rows, calculation and review decisions in a sample workspace.
Explore the worked example