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14.14. Configure Totals, Taxes, Discounts, and Custom Totals
Display subtotal, tax, discounts, total due, and custom total rows clearly in custom MSP invoice layouts.
Totals are one of the most important parts of an invoice layout. Clients should be able to find the amount due immediately and understand how it relates to subtotal, tax, discounts, and any custom billing summaries.
The designer includes a combined Totals component and individual total row components for custom arrangements.
Totals components
| Component | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Totals | Standard subtotal, tax, and total block. Best for most layouts. |
| Subtotal Row | A custom subtotal line when you are building your own totals section. |
| Tax Row | A custom tax line. |
| Discount Row | A discount or credit line. |
| Custom Total Row | A business-specific summary line, such as managed services total or project total. |
Recommended placement
Place totals below line items, usually aligned to the right. This matches how most clients read invoices: details first, amount due second.
A typical order is:
- Subtotal
- Discount or credit, if applicable
- Tax
- Total
Use stronger text weight or a border around the final total, but keep the supporting rows readable.
MSP examples
| Scenario | Useful totals presentation |
|---|---|
| Fixed monthly support | Subtotal, tax, total. |
| Backup storage overage | Subtotal, tax, total, with overage line item above. |
| Discounted contract | Subtotal, discount, tax, total. |
| Project retainer | Project subtotal plus total due. |
| Multi-location client | Group subtotal by location, then overall invoice total. |
Avoid duplicate totals
Do not place several competing total blocks on the same invoice unless each one has a clear purpose. Duplicate totals can confuse clients and create billing questions.
If you use custom total rows, make sure the final total still matches the invoice total in preview.
Preview totals carefully
Use the Preview tab to confirm formatting and math.
Figure 1: Preview totals with realistic sample data before using a layout for client invoices.
Before assigning the layout, confirm:
- currency formatting is correct;
- subtotal matches the sum of line items;
- discount appears only when expected;
- tax appears correctly for taxable invoices;
- total is prominent and easy to find;
- totals do not overlap with long line-item tables.