# Review Gross Profit by Sales Invoice

Use the **Gross Profit** report to compare sales revenue with the cost assigned to each invoice line. It helps you find low-margin sales, review returns, compare customers or products, and investigate unexpected costs before sharing management results.

This report is designed for transaction-level margin analysis. Use the [Profit and Loss Statement](/doc/25c9b9c8-408f-4610-8942-84288cbe6aaf) when you need the full accounting result for a period, including operating expenses and other income.

## Choose the right gross profit view

NexWave provides two related gross profit views. They answer different questions and can produce different results because their revenue timing and cost sources are different.

| Use this view | Best for | Revenue basis | Cost basis |
|---------------|----------|---------------|------------|
| **Gross Profit** | Reviewing margin by Sales Invoice across purchased, manufactured, and non-stock items | Submitted Sales Invoice value | Stock valuation or another available cost assigned to the invoice line |
| [Work Order Gross Profit](/doc/a9819c77-cae6-4214-b4f4-c7f1e2da1ca7) | Reviewing manufacturing margin as production progresses | Linked Sales Order item | Planned or actual Work Order materials and Job Card labour |

If you need one line per invoice, continue with this guide. If you need material and labour costs by production job, use **Work Order Gross Profit**.

## Before you start

Make sure:

* you have the **Accounts User** or **Accounts Manager** role
* the sales invoices you want to review are submitted
* stock transactions and purchase costs for the period are complete
* you know whether returns should be included in the review
* you are using the correct company and reporting period

The report excludes draft and cancelled sales invoices. Opening invoices are also excluded.

## 1. Open the Gross Profit report

Search for **Gross Profit** from the NexWave search bar and open the report.

 ![Gross Profit report filters and margin columns](https://docs.nexwaveapp.com/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2YxMTg5ZTEzLTdlMTQtNDA1ZC04MDI1LWMxZmI0Y2Y2MTg0ZC9hOGNlYzc5NS00MzY1LTRmNDYtOGU3Zi0wZjRkYzBhNGYxNzAvMDEtZ3Jvc3MtcHJvZml0LXJlcG9ydC1maWx0ZXJzLmpwZyIsInR5cGUiOiJhdHRhY2htZW50IiwiaWF0IjoxNzkyNjIxODAwLCJleHAiOjE3OTI3MDgyMDB9.V1SaClOi8lZPVcX_axkpsTifGGTUfL_M97BJ3K06gWs)

## 2. Set the reporting period

Select:


1. **Company**
2. **From Date**
3. **To Date**
4. **Group By**

Start with **Group By: Invoice**. This provides the clearest path from an invoice total to its individual items.

Use the optional filters when you need to narrow the result:

| Filter | Use it to |
|--------|-----------|
| **Sales Invoice** | Investigate one submitted invoice |
| **Item Group** | Review margins for a product category |
| **Sales Person** | Compare transactions allocated to a salesperson |
| **Warehouse** | Review items delivered from a particular warehouse |
| **Cost Center** | Focus on an operating unit or branch |
| **Project** | Review sales allocated to a project |

The report refreshes when you change a filter. Remove optional filters before relying on the grand total for the full period.

## 3. Read the invoice result

With **Group By: Invoice**, each invoice can be expanded to show its item lines.

The main columns are:

| Column | What it shows |
|--------|---------------|
| **Selling Amount** | The net value of the invoice line, excluding tax |
| **Buying Amount** | The cost assigned to the invoice line |
| **Gross Profit** | **Selling Amount** less **Buying Amount** |
| **Gross Profit Percent** | **Gross Profit** as a percentage of the absolute **Selling Amount** |

The percentage in the total row is calculated from the total selling and buying amounts. It is not a simple average of the percentages shown on individual rows.

Expand an invoice when its margin looks unusual. Review the item, quantity, selling rate, valuation rate, warehouse, project, and cost centre before deciding whether the result is correct.

## 4. Change the grouping for management review

After checking invoice-level detail, choose a grouping that matches the question you are answering:

| Group By option | Useful for |
|-----------------|------------|
| **Customer**    | Comparing customer profitability |
| **Customer Group** | Comparing customer segments |
| **Item Code**   | Finding high-margin and low-margin products |
| **Item Group** or **Brand** | Reviewing product categories |
| **Warehouse**   | Comparing fulfilment locations |
| **Sales Person** | Reviewing allocated sales performance |
| **Project** or **Cost Center** | Reviewing operational responsibility |
| **Monthly**     | Tracking margin movement over time |
| **Payment Term** | Comparing results by payment terms |

Grouping changes the presentation of the same eligible transactions. Return to **Invoice** when you need to trace a grouped result back to its source.

## 5. Investigate unexpected margins

Use the following checks in order:


1. Expand the invoice and identify the item lines causing the result.
2. Confirm the quantity, selling amount, and warehouse.
3. Check whether a return affects the sale.
4. Review the valuation or purchasing source used for the buying amount.
5. Confirm that related stock and purchase transactions are submitted and dated correctly.
6. Compare the result with the relevant operational or accounting report.

For stock items, the buying amount normally comes from the valuation associated with the related stock movement. When that valuation is unavailable, NexWave may use another available incoming valuation source.

For eligible non-stock lines allocated to a **Project** or **Cost Center**, NexWave may use the latest submitted purchase invoice rate available up to the report's **To Date**. Review the source transactions when a non-stock buying amount is unexpected.

## 6. Review returns

Returns linked to an original sales invoice adjust the original transaction in the report.

Select **Include Returned Invoices (Stand-alone)** when you also need to include return invoices that are not linked to an original invoice. Leave it cleared when those stand-alone returns are outside the purpose of your review.

If a period contains significant returns, compare the report with the underlying invoices before sharing the totals.

## 7. Export or schedule the report

After confirming the filters and totals, use the report menu to:

* export the result for further review
* print or save the report as a PDF
* save the current filter selection
* set up an automatic email for a recurring review

Record the company, date range, grouping, and any optional filters alongside an exported result. This makes the report easier to reproduce.

## Review checklist

Before using the report for a decision:

* confirm the company and date range
* remove any filters left from an earlier investigation
* confirm whether stand-alone returns should be included
* expand unusual invoice totals and review their item lines
* investigate blank or zero buying amounts
* compare manufacturing jobs with the dedicated work order report
* use the Profit and Loss Statement for the complete accounting result

## Troubleshooting

### A line shows 100% gross profit

A 100% result often means NexWave found a selling amount but no buying amount. Check whether the item is a service or non-stock item, whether stock valuation is available, and whether related purchases are submitted.

Do not assume that 100% is the true commercial margin until the cost source has been confirmed.

### Gross profit is negative

Negative gross profit means the buying amount is greater than the selling amount for the row. Check the selling rate, discounts, valuation rate, quantity, return activity, and transaction dates.

### The total percentage does not match the average of the rows

This is expected. The total percentage is weighted using the total selling amount and total gross profit.

### An invoice is missing

Check that the invoice is submitted, is not an opening invoice, falls within the date range, belongs to the selected company, and matches every optional filter.

### The result differs from the Profit and Loss Statement

The Gross Profit report analyses sales transactions and their assigned costs. It does not automatically include all operating expenses, overheads, other income, or accounting adjustments. Use the Profit and Loss Statement for the full period result.

### The result differs from a manufacturing job

The standard Gross Profit report is sales-invoice focused. For production jobs, use [Work Order Gross Profit](/doc/a9819c77-cae6-4214-b4f4-c7f1e2da1ca7), which compares the linked Sales Order value with planned or actual material and labour costs.

## Related documentation

* [Accounting](/doc/85b00666-859d-4e2b-9bac-6c1dd3848464)
* [Profit and Loss Statement](/doc/25c9b9c8-408f-4610-8942-84288cbe6aaf)
* [Work Order Gross Profit](/doc/a9819c77-cae6-4214-b4f4-c7f1e2da1ca7)
* [Record Actual Costs on Stock Receipts and Manufacturing Entries](/doc/49014426-1d88-4311-ae61-28d61b73a738)
* [Working with list views and reports](/doc/99433972-107c-4fbf-9876-cd3d0b8486c1)