Sales reports and the Z-report – the difference
The Z-report is the till's statutory end-of-day record and always prevails. The reports under «Rapporter» are information. Here is the difference, and why the figures sometimes look different.
Cmerce has two kinds of figures about your sales: the Z-report (Z-rapport) and the reports. They look alike, but play very different roles. This article explains the difference, so you know which figures to use for what.
The Z-report: the authoritative end-of-day record
The Z-report is produced when you close the till for the day, one for each register. It is signed, numbered and cannot be changed. The Z-report is what documents your till sales towards the Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten), and it is what gets booked in your accounts.
You find the Z-reports under «Kasse (POS)» → «Z-rapporter (dagsoppgjør)» (Z-reports – end of day).
The reports: information for you
The reports under «Rapporter» (Reports) are made for following the business: what sells, when it is busy, how the webshop is doing. They are labelled «Informasjonsrapport» (Informational report), and each till report carries the footnote «Informasjonsrapport — den signerte Z-rapporten er gjeldende.» (Informational report – the signed Z-report prevails.)
The reports can never change a Z-report, a sale or an order. They only read.
How they fit together
- Days with a Z-report: The till reports take the figures for a closed day directly from the Z-report. The banner then shows «Hentet fra Z-rapport» (Taken from the Z-report).
- Days without a Z-report yet: The figures are calculated from the sales and marked «Foreløpig (ingen Z enda)» (Provisional – no Z yet). They become final once the Z-report is made.
- Daily check: Every morning Cmerce compares the till figures in the reports with the Z-reports for the last few days. If there is a difference, the Z-report always prevails. The day is then marked «Avvik mot Z-rapport — Z-rapporten gjelder» (Difference from the Z-report – the Z-report prevails) in the «Kassedager» (Register days) report.
- Shortcut: At the top of the till reports you find the link «Z-rapporter (signert, gjeldende)» (Z-reports – signed, authoritative).
Why the figures can look different
When you compare a sales report with the Z-report, it is usually for one of these reasons:
| Reason | Explanation |
|---|---|
| The report includes webshop and subscriptions | The Z-report only covers the till. Set «Kanal» (Channel) to «Kasse» (Till) to see till sales only. |
| Several registers | There is one Z-report per register. The reports can show them all together. |
| Gift cards | A gift card sold is a prepayment, not a cash sale. The sales figures leave it out, but the payment figures include it, because the money was received. |
| Credit sales | A credit sale is not a cash sale and is always shown separately, as «Kredittsalg (ikke kontantsalg)». |
| «Betalt» or «Bestilt» | For online sales you can choose between paid sales and placed orders. |
| The period | A report may cover several days or a different time span than a single Z-report. |
| The day is not closed | Figures for a day without a Z-report are provisional. |
Online sales follow their own rules in the accounts: they are booked on the day the money was captured. The «Nettsalg mot regnskap» (Online sales vs accounts) report under «Salg» shows the reconciliation between paid online sales and what has been booked. See What is sent to the accounts?.
Which to use for what?
- Accounts, VAT and inspections by the Tax Administration: the Z-report (and the SAF-T Cash Register export).
- Running the business, purchasing, staffing and campaigns: the reports.
- Unsure which figures your accounts should rely on? Contact your accountant or auditor.
In short
- The Z-report is the authoritative end-of-day record for the till – signed and unchangeable.
- The reports are information. For closed till days they take their figures from the Z-report.
- If there is a difference, the Z-report always prevails.
- Different figures are almost always due to channel, period, gift cards, credit sales or the day not being closed.