What you will get
An end to trying to add numbers that do not add — and a clear idea of which one answers the question you actually have.
The case that raises the doubt
A real school, on the same day, across two screens:
| Where | Label | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Total amount | R$ 41,992.00 |
| Panel | Outstanding | R$ 36,775.00 |
| Panel and report | Total received | R$ 3,849.40 |
36,775 + 3,849.40 = 40,624.40. R$ 1,367.60 is missing from the 41,992. And the number disappears without explanation on either screen.
The arithmetic opened up
Here is the same school, instalment by instalment:
| Status | Instalments | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Open | 70 | R$ 25,985.00 |
| Overdue | 16 | R$ 10,090.00 |
| Paid | 8 | R$ 3,817.00 |
| Cancelled | 2 | R$ 1,400.00 |
| Remaining debt | 1 | R$ 700.00 |
| Total | 97 | R$ 41,992.00 |
Now you can see where each number comes from:
Total amount (R$ 41,992.00) adds up every filtered row, including cancelled and waived ones. It is the size of the list, not the size of the business.
Outstanding (R$ 36,775.00) adds up open + overdue + remaining debt — 25,985 + 10,090 + 700. It is what is still to come in. Despite its name, it includes what is late.
Total received (R$ 3,849.40) adds up what was actually paid.
And the missing R$ 1,367.60? R$ 1,400.00 of cancelled instalments, which sit in the Total amount and nowhere else — minus R$ 32.40, which is the next point.
The detail almost nobody notices
Look again: the 8 paid instalments are worth R$ 3,817.00, but the received figure is R$ 3,849.40. R$ 32.40 more came in than the face value.
That is normal and it is good: interest, a late fee, or an adjustment agreed at the moment of payment. "Received" is the money that came in, not the amount that was written down.
That is why subtracting one total from another does not work: they do not measure the same quantity.
Which number for which question
| The question | The number |
|---|---|
| "How much do I still have to receive?" | Outstanding, on the panel |
| "How much has come in?" | Total received |
| "How much is late?" | Report, Overdue filter, Total amount card |
| "How big is my book?" | Outstanding + Total received |
| "How much did I forecast?" | Report over the period, no status filter |
For arrears, always use the report with the Overdue filter. The panel does not separate late from not-yet-due in the Outstanding card, and that is where the optimistic reading is born.
A reminder about "overdue"
An instalment becomes Overdue the day after its due date, with no tolerance. So today's overdue total includes someone who slipped yesterday and will probably pay tomorrow.
For a genuine arrears reading, filter Overdue with dates up to a few days ago — the short delays drop out and what remains is what should worry you.
If something goes wrong
The totals changed between yesterday and today with nobody touching them. The overnight routine moved instalments from open to overdue. The grand total does not change; the distribution does.
The report and the panel disagree on received. Check you did not leave a filter on in the report: the panel always shows the whole school.
A cancelled instalment shows in the Total amount. That is the behaviour: that card adds up everything on the list. Filter by status to remove it.
Reviewed on · view as plain text