Define the records before counting
Record payment ID, linked job, payment date, amount and any later adjustment reference. Distinguish a partial refund, a full refund and a disputed or unknown adjustment. Retain the completed-job status if the work was completed; financial changes do not erase the operational event.
A worked example
Fictional example: J-5 completes in September and receives $200 on September 28. A $40 refund occurs October 3. The job-linked all-date collection is $160. A collection-date report shows +$200 in September and −$40 in October. Both views can be useful when labeled, but moving the refund into whichever month looks better would make comparisons unreliable.
Resolve the gap in evidence
Choose whether the report answers job-cohort economics or cash movement during a period. Preserve both dates so another view can be reproduced. Deduct the refund once and keep specified direct costs visible even after a full refund. Formal accounting treatment and customer obligations require the business’s appropriate review.
Check whether it worked
Reconcile net collection to payment and adjustment rows. Inspect negative periods rather than suppressing them. Explain late adjustments in comparisons and update job-level contribution where the model supports it. If an adjustment is not linked to a job, place it in an unresolved queue instead of assigning it to the nearest similar amount.
Put it to work
A record you can use
- Original payment and job ID
- Refund or adjustment reference
- Original and adjustment dates
- Chosen reporting basis
- Net collection and reconciliation check
Plain text. No email required. Store completed records in your approved business systems.
Next useful step
Need help applying this to your marketing? A strategy call starts with your business and the evidence you have.
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