Sub-total items

Sub-total items (usually named Subtotal) are useful in some special situations. Application of a discount, or special application of sales tax, often use sub-total items XE "sub-total items" XE "items:sub-total" . The function of these items should be understood. They are bunch totals, of the current bunch of items. (“Group Total” might be appropriate, but “group” is used for something else.) Where an invoice has more that one subtotal, the second subtotal is for the bunch since the first subtotal. A third subtotal, immediately below the second, will show the sum of the preceding lower-level subtotals. (Numbers in the example are indented for clarity, but they will be in a vertical column on the invoice.)

Discounts (next section) frequently require use of sub-totals, as do some special situations with sales taxes. Note that QuickBooks sub-total items differ from the subtotals on a cash register tape, which are cumulative partial totals. The only entry fields in a subtotal item are item name and description. No account is needed, be cause it is a total of amounts already connected with accounts. The amount, of course, is calculated.