How-to
What do I do when an invoice total does not match the line items?
By Tim White · Last updated
When an invoice's line items do not add up to the printed total, treat it as a hold, not a payment. The gap is usually a math error, a missing line, or a misread figure on a scan. Work out which number is right, find the source of the difference, and ask the vendor for a corrected invoice or a credit before you pay. Paying the printed total on trust is how a wrong number reaches your books.
1. Do not pay it yet
A total that does not reconcile is a stop signal. Pay the printed figure and you risk overpaying, or recording a number your own line items do not support. Hold the invoice until the gap is explained.
2. Work out which number is right
Re-add the line items, then check that subtotal plus tax equals the total. If the lines are correct and the total is off, the total is wrong. If the lines look wrong, a quantity or unit price is the culprit. On a scan, a single misread digit is a common cause.
3. Find the source of the gap
The usual causes are a missing or duplicated line, tax applied twice, a discount that is not itemized, or a misread figure. Naming the cause tells you whether to ask for a corrected invoice or a credit.
4. Get it corrected before paying
Ask the vendor for a corrected invoice or a credit memo, then record the corrected figures. InvoiceJet runs this check automatically, line items sum to the subtotal and subtotal plus tax equals the total, and holds the invoice with the conflicting numbers shown, so you catch it before payment rather than after.
Common questions
Should I just pay the lower amount?
No. Confirm which figure is correct first. Underpaying on a guess creates its own dispute and a second round of correction.
How do I catch these automatically?
A tool that checks the math flags them. InvoiceJet holds any invoice whose totals do not reconcile and queues it for review with the conflicting figures shown.
Sources
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