A report shows a number I did not expect

The common reasons a report figure is higher, lower or in a different month than you expected, and how to fix each one.

Reports never hold their own figures; they add up your documents and entries. So the fix is always in a document or entry. Work down this list.

• An invoice is missing: it is still a Draft. Invoices count once they are sent.
• An invoice is in the wrong month: reports go by its Issue Date. Draft invoices can be edited; for a sent one, cancel it and raise a new one with the right date.
• A bill is in the wrong month: check its Issue Date.
• Overheads look too high: some bill lines have no category. Uncategorised lines count as overheads.
• Tax owing looks too high or too low: check the tax on each invoice and bill line. A bill line set to No tax or other rate gives you no credit, and so does a bill made from a bank line with No tax chosen. Choose Edit on the bill and pick the tax.
• Line 103 looks too high: check that lines charging PST or QST with GST use a combined tax (for example GST + PST), and that PST is not named as GST. The Sales Tax by Tax table shows which taxes went on the return.
• Line 106 looks too low: a tax you can claim back may be marked Not Recoverable in Settings → Books & Tax.
• A rate shows as Tax followed by a number under the Sales Tax report: no tax in Settings → Books & Tax has that rate. Add one and the report picks those lines up.
• This Month shows nothing for an invoice dated later this month: the period buttons stop at today.
• Fiscal YTD starts in the wrong month: set Settings → Books & Tax → Fiscal Year Starts In.
• Cash Flow does not match the P&L: it should not. Cash Flow is bank lines only; the P&L is invoices and bills.
• A bank line is missing from Cash Flow or the Bank Ledger: it may be marked Ignored on the Banking screen. Choose Un-ignore to count it.
• The Balance Sheet is out: see Balance Sheet, When it says Out by.
• The Balance Sheet looks like an old one: check the As At box.
• A report tab is missing: some reports come with Business and Enterprise.