Check the formula before disputing the commission

Write both formulas in plain language

For the worksheet, state the supplied sales basis multiplied by the applicable flat rate, rounded per line. For the source report, find the relevant settings or documentation for the exact report and account configuration. Record what has been confirmed and what remains unknown.

Possible causes to investigate include a tax-inclusive basis, a discounted-price basis, a different category rate, a staff attribution rule or a different rounding stage. These are diagnostic possibilities, not claims that a particular provider uses them. A provider name alone does not identify the report’s formula.

Isolate a basis difference with one service

The fictional source line is a $110.00 service with $10.00 supplied tax. The rate is 40%. A $44.00 reported amount matches an inclusive calculation; a $40.00 amount matches the supplied exclusive calculation. This match is a clue to verify against settings, not proof of how the source was configured.

Compare assumptions in a consistent order

First match the actual line and its earning staff. Then check dates and inclusion, because comparing different records makes a formula comparison meaningless. Next compare amount, supplied tax, category and rate. Only after those agree should you investigate rounding.

Keep the original reported value unchanged while testing candidate formulas. If the source amount is missing, label it missing rather than converting it to zero. A zero can be a real recorded result; absence means there is no amount to compare. Mixing them creates false differences and misleading averages.

1. Match the source reference, item and earning staff.
2. Align date range and included rows.
3. Check amount, tax and discount treatment.
4. Confirm category and rate.
5. Compare rounding stage and signed difference.

Define which way the variance is measured

State the formula used for the difference. In this guide, variance means source-reported commission minus the separately calculated commission. The example is $44.00 − $40.00 = $4.00. Reversing the subtraction gives −$4.00 without changing the underlying problem.

For totals, add signed row differences only for comparable rows with a reported amount. Also show the count of missing reported values. A total difference of zero can conceal a +$10.00 line and a −$10.00 line, so inspect material row-level differences before declaring the whole period reconciled.

Recognise when the model is different

Trimsum uses a service and retail rate for each person: one current pair in a legacy workspace, or the pair from the agreement covering each sale date in a dated workspace. Neither mode reproduces tiers, thresholds, fixed bonuses, shared pools or arbitrary per-service formulas. A source using one of those models needs a separately documented comparison rather than repeated rate changes.

Trimsum retains a supplied reported commission alongside its own calculation. The reported value does not override the calculated amount. Approving a reviewed difference records a decision; it does not turn the underlying formula into the source system’s formula.

Close the question with evidence and scope

A useful resolution reads: “Source setting confirmed as inclusive; this run uses the supplied exclusive worksheet; $4.00 variance on S-110 explained by $10.00 tax × 40%.” Include the setting evidence or document reference and who confirmed the intended arrangement.

If neither formula is confirmed, keep the question open. Do not alter source sales, invent tax values or average percentages to make the totals agree. Use the variance log to preserve the tested assumptions and the remaining question, then apply the confirmed method consistently to the affected rows.