Adding a Discount or Write Up to an Invoice in Law App

You can take an amount off an invoice, add an amount to it, or set a new total. There are two ways to do it:

• The whole invoice, with the Discount button at the top right of the invoice. The amount is shared across the time entries on the invoice.
• Line by line, with the Discount button on the invoice’s Lines tab.

Both work while the invoice is still a Draft. Open it from the Debtor Invoices list. This article also shows how to remove a discount and how to print an invoice that shows it.

Discount or charge the whole invoice

1. Open the draft invoice and click Discount at the top right, between Draft and Print.

1. The Invoice discount or charge window opens. It shows the total of the time entries on the invoice. Choose what you want to do:
   • Discount takes an amount off the time entries. Enter a Percent or a Discount (incl. GST) amount. Fill in either one and Law App works out the other.
   • Charge adds an amount to the time entries (a write-up). Enter a Percent or a Charge (incl. GST) amount. Fill in either one and Law App works out the other.
   • Set a new total lets you type the figure you want the bill to come to. Each time entry is scaled to match. The three boxes are explained below.
2. Choose a Reason and type any Details. Both are optional.

What the Set a new total boxes mean

The figure under the choices, Time entries on this invoice, is what your time entries come to now, including GST. It is the most you can take off. The three boxes are linked: fill in the one that suits you and Law App fills in the other two.

• New time entries total (excl. GST) is what you want your professional fees to come to before GST. Use it when you have agreed a fee excluding GST.
• New time entries total (incl. GST) is the same figure with GST included.
• New invoice total (incl. GST) is what you want the whole bill to come to, including disbursements and office costs. Law App takes the disbursements and office costs off this figure, and what is left becomes the new time entries total.

In the example above, the time entries come to $5,742.00 and the invoice also has a $27.50 disbursement. Typing $4,000.00 as the new invoice total leaves $3,972.50 for the time entries, which is $3,611.36 before GST. The disbursement stays at $27.50.

1. Click Done. (Cancel puts the invoice back the way it was.)
2. Click the orange Save button at the top right of the invoice. This is what processes the discount.

1. Once it is saved, a Discount tag shows beside the invoice status, the Outstanding amount shows the new figure, and the Discount button changes to Remove discount.

On the Lines tab, the Discount column shows how much came off each time entry.

Discount or charge single lines

1. On the invoice’s Lines tab, click Discount in the row of buttons above the lines.

1. The Discount lines window lists every line on the invoice. On each line you want to change, enter a Percent or an Amount. For example, if a line is $300 and you want it to be $200, enter $100. Never enter more than the line’s amount, or the line goes below zero.
   • To add to a line instead (a write-up), tick Charge on that line, then enter the extra amount.
   • Choose a Reason and type Reason text if you want. Both are optional.
   • To take one amount off the whole list, type it in Spread a total discount. Law App shares it across the lines by their net amount.

1. Click Apply discount.
2. Click the orange Save button at the top right of the invoice to process it.

Removing a discount or charge

From the whole invoice

1. Save or cancel any other changes to the invoice first.
2. Click Remove discount at the top right of the invoice.
3. Law App asks you to confirm. Confirm, and the time entries go back to their original amounts.

From single lines

1. On the Lines tab, click Discount.
2. Clear the Amount on each line you want to put back, then click Apply discount.
3. Click Save.

Printing an invoice that shows the discount

Your regular invoice templates show the new total only. To show the discount as well, commonly known as a “But Say” invoice, choose one of the But Say templates from the 6 series when you print, depending on what you do or don’t want included. The invoice then shows the original amount as well as the reduced amount. For every print option, and how to save your default, see How to Print Invoices and Set Your Default Print Settings.

This article covers applying, removing and printing a discount or write-up on a debtor invoice. For questions, contact support@lawsupport.com.au or call 07 3040 3036.