The three export formats
Every document in Datamolino has an export format setting that controls how much detail is sent to the connected accounting software when you export. You choose the format from the Export as radio buttons selection.
The three formats are:
Invoice Total - sends the document as a single line, using the document-level NET, Tax, and Total amounts.
Line Items - sends each line item from the document as a separate line in the accounting software, with its own description, amount, ledger account, and tax code.
Tax Summary - sends one line per tax rate, based on the tax breakdown printed on the document.
The format only changes how the document is exported. The original PDF is always attached to the exported record, and the supplier, dates, and invoice number stay the same regardless of which format you pick.
Note: The Line Items option is only available on subscription plans that include line item extraction. On plans without this feature, the option is hidden and the document uses Invoice Total or Tax Summary instead. Learn more about working with line items in Datamolino.
Invoice Total
Invoice Total is the default format and the simplest to work with. The document is sent to your accounting software as a single line with one ledger account and one tax code.
👉 What fields are sent in Invoice Total?
The export uses the document-level totals: NET (subtotal before tax), Tax, and Total (gross). These are the amounts captured for the whole invoice, not per line. The ledger account and tax code are also set at the document level - you pick one of each for the entire invoice.
👉 When should I use Invoice Total?
Use Invoice Total when the document only needs to land in your accounting software as a single posting. This is the right choice for most utility bills, subscription invoices, and any document where you do not need a line-by-line breakdown in your accounts.
👉 What happens if the document has more than one tax rate?
Invoice Total only carries one tax code, so if your invoice has multiple tax rates (for example 20% on some lines and 0% on others), the export cannot represent that mix accurately. In that case use Tax Summary or Line Items instead.
Line Items
Line Items exports each row of the document as a separate line in the accounting software. This is the most detailed format and gives you the closest match between the original invoice and the accounting record.
👉 What fields are sent in Line Items?
For every line item, Datamolino sends the description, quantity, unit price, NET or Total (depending on integration), tax code, and ledger account. Each line has its own coding - so two rows on the same invoice can go to different ledger accounts and different tax codes.
Depending on the connected accounting software, line items may also carry additional coding columns. Xero shows tracking categories and an optional inventory item per line. QuickBooks shows class and customer per line. FreeAgent shows a unit field per line.
👉 When should I use Line Items?
Use Line Items when the invoice contains several distinct products or services that you want to track separately, when you need different ledger accounts on different lines, or when the document has more than one tax rate and you want each line coded individually.
👉 Is Line Items available on every plan?
No. Line item extraction is a paid feature and the Line Items export format only appears on plans that include it. If you see no line items when choosing the "Export as line items" option, it means that your subscription does not include line items extraction. Contact support@datamolino.com to discuss upgrading your plan.
👉 What if my line items do not add up to the invoice total?
Datamolino validates that the line item totals match the document-level total before allowing the export. If they do not match, the export is blocked with a checksum error and you need to correct either the line items or the document total before exporting. Learn more about checksum errors and how to fix them.
Tax Summary
Tax Summary sits between Invoice Total and Line Items. Instead of one line per item, the export sends one line per tax rate, based on the tax breakdown box that appears on most invoices.
👉 What fields are sent in Tax Summary?
For each tax rate on the document, Datamolino sends a separate line with the NET amount, the tax amount, and the tax code mapped to that rate and ledger account selected for each tax line (or pre-coded from automation)
👉 When should I use Tax Summary?
Use Tax Summary when the invoice has multiple tax rates but you do not need a separate line for every product. This is common for grocery receipts or supplier invoices that mix standard-rated, zero-rated, and exempt items but should still post against a single ledger account.
👉 How is the tax breakdown captured?
If the original document has a tax summary printed in a separate box (NET, tax rate, tax amount per rate), Datamolino captures it automatically. You can view what was captured by switching to the Tax Summary format in the document detail.
👉 Can I add or remove tax lines manually?
Yes. If a tax rate is missing or wrong, you can add a tax line below using the Add tax line below action, or remove an existing line using the trash icon next to it.
Integration behaviour: Xero and QuickBooks
The export formats behave slightly differently depending on which accounting software the folder is connected to. The two integration-specific behaviours to be aware of are how tax is handled and how rounding tolerances are applied.
👉 What does "Let Xero calculate tax" do?
Datamolino sends your invoice data to Xero and lets Xero work out the tax from there, based on the tax code selected. What gets sent depends on your Export Amount setting:
Total - the total amount is sent as tax inclusive. Xero back-calculates the net and tax using the selected tax code.
Net - the net amount is sent as tax exclusive. Xero calculates the tax and total.
Either way, you pick the right tax code and Xero handles the maths. You can't manually override the tax amount with this setting — if something looks off, change the tax code instead.
👉 What does "Send exact tax amount" do?
Datamolino sends both the net amount and the tax amount directly to Xero, as tax exclusive values. If the tax amount Xero would calculate from the tax code doesn't match what Datamolino sent, Xero adds a small tax adjustment to reconcile the difference. This keeps your numbers exactly as captured - useful when the invoice has an unusual or manually specified tax amount. With this setting, you can also manually edit the tax amount on a line item if needed.
👉 How does tax export work for Quickbooks?
Datamolino sends the NET amount with a tax code to QuickBooks, and QuickBooks calculates the tax and total automatically based on the tax code selected. The Export Amount setting (Net/Total) has no effect for QuickBooks - NET is always sent regardless of what's selected.
Choosing the right format
Most folders settle on one default format that suits the majority of their documents, with the option to switch on individual documents that need a different level of detail.
A short rule of thumb:
Choose Invoice Total if the document has one ledger account and one tax rate. Fastest and simplest.
Choose Tax Summary if the document has more than one tax rate but should still post to one ledger account.
Choose Line Items if the document needs to be split across multiple ledger accounts, or if you want each product or service tracked separately in your accounts.
If you need a single document split across multiple accounts but the supplier always uses the same split, you may also want to look at Bill split, which automates the per-account split for that supplier.
The format can be changed at any time before export from the Export as: dropdown in the document detail. Changing the format does not lose any of the captured data - the document keeps its line items and tax summary even when Invoice Total is selected, so you can switch between formats freely.