GrandTotal Help

Migration of older data can be started from the GrandTotal menu manually as well. There you also can delete older, not longer needed data.

The shared syncing folder used by older versions of GrandTotal has to be deleted manually: It’s located in GrandTotal/com.mediaatelier.grandtotal.sync in the root of your Dropbox or iCloud Drive. Make sure you don’t have saved own files in that directory, before deleting it.

Yes, if it is on a cloud drive or in a shared folder on the device.

Yes. You can create a new company using the File menu.

Yes. To do this, save the corresponding GrandTotal file in the Finder or use the menu File/Save copy.

Yes. With the ⌥ key held down, File › Save a copy becomes Save in other formats. There, GrandTotal 6 to 9 saves a complete copy in the file format of GrandTotal 6 to 9, and Backup a backup copy for GrandTotal 3–5. Older versions only show the data they know. Anonymized copies and copies without documents can also be saved there.

No. This only works within the same version.

How do you move to a new Mac?

All data (clients, documents, layouts, catalog, settings) is stored in the .grandtotal file. ⌘-click the window title to show its location. The safest way is to choose File › Save a copy on the old Mac, copy this file to the new Mac and open it there with a double click. If the file is in a cloud folder, open it directly from there on the new Mac. A license file is activated with a double click.

Yes. With the ⌥ key held down, File › Save a copy becomes Save in other formats; there you can save the last 3, 5 or 10 years to a new file. Observe the statutory retention periods.

Where the .grandtotal file was saved, usually in Documents, iCloud Drive or Dropbox. ⌘-clicking the window title shows the location. Time Machine backs up the file as well.

All values are converted to your default currency using the exchange rate entered in Preferences/Payments.

Recent › Top shows, for the selected year, the clients, countries, item groups, projects and items with the highest revenue, as well as the payment behaviour: how many days before or after the due date clients pay on average. At the top, choose the year and how many entries (3, 5 or 10) each list shows.

The gear button sets which lists appear and in which order. Use gross prices at the bottom switches between net and gross amounts.

Right clicking on a bar gives you option to spilt the values by various criteria.
Clicking on a bar shows a list of the corresponding documents. Double clicking a document will show it. The list can be exported as well.

All the values are shown in your primary currency. The exchange rate can be set in Preferences/Payments

Previous year's values are only displayed in scales that are comparable.

If comparing items, it is most likely that you will get rounding differences compared to the invoices. (This is because taxed are calculated on the total on invoices and not on the individual item)

Charts will become available as soon you have sent documents.

An invoice that still has to be sent is found here. Recent › Open, by contrast, lists sent invoices that have not been paid yet.

Items with no cost only appear if Include items with zero cost is checked, archived entries only with Show archived in the list's context menu.

Right-click the list to group the time entries by Client, Project, Day, Month, User or Label. The space bar shows the selected entries as a preview of the invoice they would produce.

The menu at the service's entry in the sidebar leads to its Settings (e.g. login details), checks for updates, shows the plugin in the Finder or removes it.

"Invoice selection" is looking for the client for the items. In case there is already an invoice draft the entries will be added. Otherwise a new draft is created with the selected item.

You also can add times to a specific document by copying the items, move to the invoice select the list and paste them.

If the option "Auto-group" is turned on, items with the same title are grouped. Titles are setup in Preferences/Work time.

Right-click Sent › Show in Finder to open the filing folder with the PDFs (see Settings › File).

Under Sent › Invoices each year has its own entry; clicking it shows all invoices of that year. The months follow below it. Right-click Sent and choose Quarter under Subdivision to show quarters instead.

To create a new list, use the + button at the bottom of the overview sidebar: New smart list.

Accepted inbound invoices are listed under Received › Invoices or Credit Notes, receipts still to be reviewed under Recent › New Inbound Invoices. The entries appear as soon as there are receipts. Right-click Received › Refresh to fetch immediately.

Receipts are captured with File › Import › From Files… or From Scanner…, by dragging PDFs or images onto the GrandTotal icon in the Dock, or automatically via Settings › Inbound Invoices (Watch Folder, Mailbox).

The colour of the invoice icon in the document lists shows the payment status:

• Red: overdue
• Orange: due
• Green: paid

Completed invoices show a green receipt icon, cancelled ones a credit note icon. Recurring invoices also show a repeat icon.

In the info of an invoice, a warning triangle appears next to Number if the number is already used by another invoice, and next to Client if no client is selected.

To create a new invoice, select the client on the left and click the + button below their document list. Estimate, credit note, permanent invoice, project, payment, document and document group are also available there. Alternatively use the menu File/New. The new document belongs to the selected client.

If File › New is greyed out, no client is selected: first switch to the Clients section and select the client.

In the document menu of an invoice draft (right click or gear button), choose Create Partial invoices and the number 1 to 4. The draft becomes the final invoice containing the partial invoices. With 2, 3 or 4 you get equal installments; a single partial invoice initially gets 50 % of the open amount.

To change the portion, use the Share field in the info of the partial invoice, as a percentage (20) or as a fraction (1/3).

A final invoice can only be sent, when at least one of the partial invoices has been sent. If there are any partial payments, they are deducted automatically.

The final invoice is also called closing invoice.

The automatically created repetitions appear below the permanent invoice, not under Recurring now. Upcoming dates are shown in the forecast.

A credit note is a document type of its own. Create it with the + button below the client's document list or via File › New › Credit Note.

Enter the items with positive amounts. GrandTotal deducts the credit note from revenue and open items. Keep in mind that you need to mark credit notes as paid as well: record the refund to the client like a payment.

Numbering and title are set in Settings › Credit Notes.

Corrected invoice

To correct an invoice fully or in part, choose Create Corrected invoice in its document menu (right click or gear button). GrandTotal creates a draft with the same items and negative quantities; the Reference field contains the number of the original invoice. For a partial correction, delete the items that are not affected or adjust the quantities, then send the draft.

As long as the reference contains the number of the sent original invoice, the document appears in e-invoices as a corrected invoice (type 384). Older invoices with a negative total and no such reference count as credit notes.

To mark an estimate as Accepted or Declined, use the menu at the top next to the Send button (None removes the mark again); for several selected estimates use Edit › Mark as. Create Invoice marks the estimate as accepted automatically. Only sent, accepted estimates count towards the budget of a project; an estimate is only considered expired as long as it is neither accepted nor declined.

If you add a payment before sending the invoice it is considered as a progress payment (Date of the payment is earlier than the date of the invoice)

For payments with a slightly smaller amount than the invoice total, the deducted cash discount value is displayed. Click on the check mark to mark the invoice as completed.

If you get a Deposit from a client you add this to the top hierarchy of the documents. If you drag this payment on an unpaid invoice later it will be assigned to the invoice.

To record a payment, use the Paid… button in the sent invoice (enter amount and date). Alternatively choose Add Payment in the document menu or File › New › Payment.

A wrong payment date is changed in the payment itself: in the Clients section, expand the invoice and select the payment. The invoice does not need to be unlocked for this.

If the option Attach with parent document is turned on, the document is added to the invoice or estimate when you are sending it.

A document holds an existing PDF file, e.g. a contract or a plan. Letters and other correspondence are not written in GrandTotal.

Using multiple selection you can select which items should appear on the account statement.

In account statements the layout placeholder <quantity/> is replaced with the date of the invoice/payment

The Send button in the account statement view sends the statement like an invoice. The subject and text of the mail are set in Settings › Mail for the type Account statement, the layout in Settings › Clients or per client in the client information.

New item groups are created in Settings › Taxes: in the Item groups list with the + button. There you also assign their tax group. The check mark button makes the selected item group the default for new items.

Each item has the fields Item number and EAN/GTIN. They can be output in the layout, are included in searches and are transferred to e-invoices. With the EAN/GTIN, items can be inserted into invoices by barcode.

Alternatively, drag the PDF file directly onto the list of layouts.

If your Mac is set to the region Switzerland, the option Add Swiss Payment Slip adds a QR payment part to the new layout.

Additional pages can be used to append extra pages. E.g. terms of service.

The paper size is set in the editing mode of the layout with File › Page Setup… (⇧⌘P).

Clicking on the table once in page view will show you the global options for the table. Such as background color and if the sums should be aligned at the bottom of the table. A double click will take you to the editing section of the table.

The columns of the item table are text fields with placeholders in the individual table sections (Header, Item, Subtotal, Net, Taxes, To pay …). To move a column, change the field in every section in which it appears. Font and style are changed the same way: e.g. for a bold grand total, select the field in the To pay section and choose Format › Font › Bold (⌘B).

Each section has a gear button with background color, Line before, Line after, Line indent (left/right) and Space after. In the Item section you can also turn on Alternate background to color rows alternately. Lines can also be dashed or dotted; choose the style in the menu next to the line width. The space above is determined by the position of the fields in the section. The line spacing of a text is set in the ruler. Smart Guides help to align fields on the same line.

If several elements are selected, right-click and choose Distribute › Horizontally or Vertically to space them evenly.

Your own VAT/Sales Tax-ID (VAT number), Tax Identification No. and Legal registration ID are entered here.

Your own bank details are entered in the Bank section in the IBAN and BIC fields. In the layout they are output with the sender placeholders <sender.IBAN/> and <sender.BIC/>.

If a payment type should use a different account, enter it in Settings › Payments via the settings button in the row of the payment type (Account Holder, IBAN, BIC). These bank details then take precedence and are also used in e-invoices.

GrandTotal checks IBAN fields (here, in the client's bank details and in the payment types) while you type. If the checksum is wrong, the note Checksum invalid appears.

Team members are the people who issue documents. Click + under Members to add one and enter the name, Email, Phone and a Signature. The round button in front of a member marks who you are yourself: new documents get this member.

As soon as there are team members, the Info of invoices, estimates and reminders shows the Team member menu. The assigned member is used in three places:

• Layout and mail text have placeholders for the member's name, email, phone and signature, so every document carries the right contact person and signature.
• The document lists of the overview have a Team member column.
• Under Reporting › Date Range and in the charts, revenue can be evaluated per team member.

This setting also affect what prices are show in the catalog lists.

The format of the client number and the current counter can be changed here. (Counter shows the number the next client will get)

Here you also can change the settings of Account statements

Under Sort order you choose whether the client list is sorted by Last name or First name. Under Country in Recipient Address you set the language in which the country name appears in the recipient address, e.g. always English for international mail.

The payment terms are copied to newly created clients and may me changed in the client’s settings individually. In addition you can set custom terms while sending an invoice.

Invoices not being paid within this terms are marked as due. When the date passes the value in the second field they become overdue.

Default layout determines the layout of new invoices. Under Electronic Invoice you choose the e-invoice format that new clients receive; it can be changed for each client.

In the Label field you set the title printed on credit notes. Below are the Conditions, printed at the end of every credit note, and the Numbering with its own format and counter.

A credit note is a separate document type with positive amounts; in reports and in the open balance it counts as negative. An invoice with a grand total below zero, on the other hand, is a corrected invoice (see Invoices).

As with invoices, several conditions can be created; new estimates receive the one marked as default. Which one applies is chosen in the info of the estimate under Conditions. If there is only one text field for the conditions, they apply to all estimates.

Here you can setup your additional document types and their conditions.
Optionally you can ungroup items for a detailed work report.

By default only the Reminder type exists. For a dunning letter, a delivery note or an order confirmation, create another type here with the + button and set the layout, conditions and optionally a separate numbering.

The document is created in the document menu of the invoice or estimate (right click or gear button in the document list), e.g. Create Dunning Letter. Overdue invoices are found in the overview under Recent › Overdue.

The documents take over the items of the invoice. There is no separate function for dunning fees. A fee can be written as text in the conditions of the type or billed as a separate invoice.

The date and due date of the original invoice are shown by the placeholders <parent.sent/> and <parent.due/> (equivalent: <original.sent/>, <original.due/>).

The character that is used for lists when you start a list entry with - or * can be set here. By default, a • is used.

The character that is used for lists when you start a list entry with - or * can be set here. By default, a • is used.

The separator for grouped entries defines how the descriptions of the items are separated.

If the backdrop hat multiple pages, the first page is used for page 1. Page 2 is used for all subsequent pages.

The name of the PDF attachment is set in the File name field. If it is empty, the subject is used.

Optionally enter BCC mail addresses to send a copy of a document to your bookkeeping

Optionally you can chose to add the stationery defined in here to your mailed PDFs

At the top left you choose the document type whose mail text you are editing (Invoice, Estimate, Account statement), and right next to it the mail program. The mail program applies to all document types. The menu shows the installed supported programs. With Merge into one PDF attached documents are combined with the invoice PDF into one file; when turned off they are sent as separate PDFs.

Watch Folder: Files saved to the selected folder are imported automatically.

Base: The directory where all the documents are saved in.

Folder: The sub directory in which the documents are saved. (use "/" between the elements to create further sub directories)

File name: The name of the document.

The documents can be reissued from the database at any time by recreating the folder content.

The filed PDFs also contain the data of the document. If an invoice is missing from the file, drag its PDF from the filing folder onto the GrandTotal icon in the Dock; the document is imported into the open company. Payments then have to be added manually.

The tax groups are assigned to the item groups.

⚠Once used in a sent document taxes can't be changed anymore.

The + button at the bottom opens a menu with Client group (new row) and Tax group (new column). For a new tax rate, choose Tax group. Clicking a cell of the matrix opens the settings for this client group: type Taxable or Not Taxable and the rate in %. Then assign the tax group to the item groups in the list below. The item group with the check mark is the default for new items.

Items with different rates (e.g. 19 % and 7 %, or tax-free expenses) can be mixed in one invoice; each item gets the appropriate item group.

If a tax is already used in sent documents, duplicate the tax group via its gear button instead of changing it. Entries that are no longer needed are archived with a right click.

A new company has the client groups Domestic and Abroad. Only Domestic receives tax rates; Abroad is tax-free by default. For clients abroad without VAT, choose Abroad under Client group in the client's master data.

You may add an exchange rate relative to the default currency. This will be used to covert rates when changing the currency of a document and to calculate the values in the dashboard to your native currency.

Define the conditions for the different payment types in Preferences/Invoices

You can setup up to 3 cash discounts that can be used using the options menu of the “Amount” tag in Preferences/Invoices/Conditions

Amounts in CHF are automatically rounded to 5 centimes. There is no setting for this.

When adding placeholders in the the title or subtotal sections, titles or subtitles are inserted correspondingly. Use at least one common placeholder for titles and subtitles. Subtotal are only added if more than one subtotal is required

Auto-Grouping creates groups for items that share the same name.

Create a separate invoice for each project creates one invoice per project when importing. Include items with zero cost also imports entries without an amount.

The default rate is used when importing timed entries from applications or services that do not support rates

Using rules you can declare what item groups should be used for the items. If there are no rules the default value of your item groups is applied.

All this settings apply during import and won't affect already imported items.

Under Settings › Ask GrandTotal, choose “Off”, “GrandTotal Help” or an agent in the menu: Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI or Mistral Vibe (Gemini CLI only with a paid API key from Google). “GrandTotal Help” answers questions about using GrandTotal through Media Atelier's help service and sends no data from the file. An agent must be installed and signed in on the Mac; if it is not yet, “Set up…” guides you through installation and sign-in. “Test” asks a sample question. Under “Model” you choose the agent's model; “Default” leaves the choice to the agent. With “Off”, Ask GrandTotal is switched off for this file.

Permissions:

• Questions: The agent only answers questions.
• Questions and drafts: The agent also creates drafts and may change or delete what it created in the same conversation.
• Questions, create and edit drafts: In addition, the agent may change, add and delete existing documents that have not been sent yet and their items.

Sent documents stay untouched at every level.

In the shared folders the agent may read files and save new ones, such as a report as a spreadsheet. GrandTotal does not overwrite existing files.

Ask your questions with the sparkles symbol to the right of the search field or with View → Ask GrandTotal (⇧⌘K). The agent knows your selection: “this invoice” means the selected one.

A conversation knows the previous questions. Start a new one with the “New conversation” button; after 30 minutes without a question a new one starts anyway.

What the agent reads goes to the provider of its model, i.e. Anthropic, OpenAI, Google or Mistral. GrandTotal always replaces names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and bank details with placeholders first, including the names in your question. You still see the answer with the real names; the eye in the window shows what actually went to the AI.

Ask GrandTotal does not need the MCP Server. Each conversation gets its own key that only applies to this file.

GrandTotal can use the Notification Center to inform you when invoices are due, overdue or recurring.

Notification can repeat themselves if you wish so.

Estimates expire when the validity date is reached and it has not been marked either accepted or declined.

If an e-invoice service with receiving is used, GrandTotal can also inform you under Received about New documents.

Under Program Icon, Show Counter turns the number on the GrandTotal icon in the Dock on or off, e.g. for due, overdue or recurring invoices.

The permissions can be set for each company file individually.

• None: no access.
• Read only: the agent reads records.
• Create records: it creates new records and may only change or delete what it created in the same session.
• Edit drafts: in addition, it may change, add and delete existing documents that have not been sent yet and their items.

Sent documents stay unchanged at every level.

With “Redact info”, GrandTotal shortens names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and bank details to their first and last letter (“Erika Musterfrau” becomes “E*a M*u”) before data leaves the Mac. Subject, notes and item texts stay readable; names in them are shortened as well. Amounts, dates and document numbers stay readable. The AI cannot filter by personal data. Invoice PDFs remain blocked.

If you mention a client by name in the AI program, GrandTotal looks the client up on the Mac and gives the AI only its internal number and the shortened name. The question mark next to the option shows how a client reaches the AI.

For setting up copy the prompt and paste it into the corresponding agent.

Resetting the token will create a new prompt and revoke access for the existing connections.

With Web Access you can use the open company in the browser of a phone, tablet or other computer, e.g. on an iPhone, an iPad or an Android device. There is no separate app for it; GrandTotal itself runs on the Mac.

Setup: In Settings › Web Access, turn on Access this file from anywhere. The status shows whether the connection is established. Under Paired devices, use + (Pair device) to create a QR code and scan it with the camera of the device, or Copy link for a browser on the computer. The code is valid for 10 minutes and for one device only.

For each Mac covered by the licence, two devices can be paired; the display below the list shows how many are in use (e.g. 1 of 2 devices). When the limit is reached, remove a device first.

For each device, Allow changes determines whether it may change data. Use – to remove a device; it loses access immediately.

GrandTotal must be running on the Mac with the file open. While access is active, GrandTotal prevents sleep.

A subscription is managed via GrandTotal › Subscription…. After the purchase, the subscription arrives automatically with the next update check. A license file is installed with a double click.

File › Send to passes data to tax programs:

• Germany: Steuererklärung (German VAT return) and Steuererklärung (German EC Sales List). This requires the Steuererklärung app version 4.0 or later; if it is missing, the entry is listed under Not installed and opens its website. Submission takes place in Steuererklärung via ELSTER.
• Switzerland: E-VAT Net/Flat Tax Rate (ESTV) or E-VAT CH effective (ESTV) create the VAT statement as a file for the ESTV ePortal.
• Belgium: Intervat (VAT return) and Intervat (EC Sales List) create the VAT return and the intra-Community listing as an XML file for the Intervat portal. The period must be exactly one month or one quarter.
• United Kingdom: MTD VAT (mtdsheets.com) creates an Excel file for submission under Making Tax Digital.
• Australia: BAS (ATO) works out the GST labels of the Business Activity Statement (G1, 1A, 1B …) as a worksheet.
• New Zealand: GST return (myIR) fills boxes 5 to 15 of the GST return (GST101A).

These entries appear only when the Mac's region is set to the respective country, and they are listed in the menu under the country name.

Then choose the period.

This creates the German advance VAT return (Umsatzsteuervoranmeldung, UStVA) and EC Sales List for ELSTER, the Swiss VAT statement (Mehrwertsteuerabrechnung, MWST-Abrechnung) for the ESTV, the Belgian VAT return and the returns for the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

File › Send to › Bookkeeping creates a folder with all PDFs and e-invoices of the invoices, credit notes and inbound invoices as well as spreadsheets of the invoices, items, credit notes and payments, e.g. for the tax advisor. The spreadsheets can then be filtered by payment status.

With File › Import › MoneyMoney…, GrandTotal reads the bookings directly from the e-banking software MoneyMoney. The first time, GrandTotal asks for the MoneyMoney password. The incoming payments then appear in the Overview among the payments and can be assigned to the invoices. The menu item is enabled as soon as MoneyMoney is set up on the Mac.

Alternatively, entries are sent from MoneyMoney to GrandTotal via MoneyMoney's "Accounts" menu. The current table selection is sent to GrandTotal. If nothing is selected, the entire list is transferred.

If a name of the document’s category in Receipts is the same as the one of an item group in GrandTotal, that item group is assigned in GrandTotal.

Conversely, File › Send to › Receipts transfers the invoices of a chosen period to Receipts.

By default, the calendar with the name that most closely matches the customer name is selected.

For drafts you will see a warning in the print dialog. Drafts are not intended to be sent to the client. Use the "Send" button for this.

Further columns are added with the + button. Click a column's title to select it; it can then be moved or removed with the – button or the Delete key.

File › File Info opens a window whose pop-up menu switches between Log, Info, Changes, Errors, Devices, Speed and Verify.

• Devices compares the state of the file with all Macs on which this window is currently open as well. If the files do not match, the cloud service has not yet completely synchronized the data, or it is a different file.
• Speed measures how fast the file's storage location reads and writes.
• Verify (if present) exports verification data of the file that can be checked independently of GrandTotal at mediaatelier.com/Verify.

Reset cache reloads the data if the display does not match the state of the file. If a large number of changes has piled up, Optimize File appears: it consolidates the changes, which speeds up opening.

Archived entries are restored via Show archived in the context menu of the list.

This works with documents as well. After copied you can paste them in the list of another client.

Duplicate items and documents using ⌘-D.

Net: The prices of the items do not include tax. Tax is added at the end of the document. Documents for business clients are usually created with net prices.

Gross: Tax is already included in the unit prices. Gross prices are required by law for consumers. The taxes are listed at the end of the document.

All fields can be added to layouts as well. An additional field can only be deleted as long as no record has a value in it.

If an additional field was created for information that now has a field of its own (e.g. IBAN), drag the additional field from the list onto the label of the standard field. GrandTotal transfers the values of all records and then deletes the additional field.