Invoice preparation · manual review

Progress claim retention movement review

Separate this period’s gross work movement, capped new retention and an explicitly entered release. Review the working figures without confusing previous payments with previously valued work.

Free to use · Fictional examples · Local calculation

Use this only when your verified agreement uses the displayed incremental-work retention method. It is a manual reconciliation, not a payment claim form, contract interpretation or instruction to issue a tax invoice.

Review one period of retention movement

AUD, consistent pre-GST amounts. Enter cumulative gross work on the same scope and basis at both dates. Prior retention means the opening amount still held, after earlier releases. The cap is the verified maximum outstanding amount, not a percentage guessed from industry practice.

Confirm the scope, then review the inputs.

Worked case: a cap limits the new deduction

Fictional cumulative gross work increases from AUD4,000 to AUD6,000. This period’s gross movement is AUD2,000. At an entered 10%, the uncapped deduction is AUD200. Opening retention of AUD400 against an outstanding cap of AUD500 leaves only AUD100 capacity, so the new deduction is AUD100.

A separately supported AUD100 release gives closing retention of AUD400: opening 400 + new 100 − release 100. Net period movement is AUD2,000: gross 2,000 − new retention 100 + release 100. The release is applied after the cap calculation; it does not create extra capacity for a new deduction in the same review.

If no work has advanced but AUD100 of existing retention is explicitly released, gross movement and new deduction are zero; net movement is AUD100. This is not evidence that payment occurred or that a new invoice should be issued.

Keep valuation, withholding and payment apart

Subtract prior cumulative gross work from current cumulative gross work. Do not substitute a bank receipt or the previous net payment for the prior gross figure. That would mix valuation with settlement and could duplicate earlier work. This review deliberately does not calculate an outstanding bank balance.

Calculate the new deduction from the positive gross movement, rounding half up to cents. Limit that deduction to the unused opening retention cap. Then subtract the explicitly entered release from opening retention plus the new deduction. A release greater than the opening amount is rejected: this worksheet does not release newly withheld amounts in the same period.

Confirm the method rather than adopting a default

Some contracts and claim forms use different bases, caps, stored-material rules, cumulative adjustments, release stages or prior-payment deductions. This worksheet supports only the displayed incremental method. If current gross is below prior gross, opening retention exceeds the cap, or the supplied figures use different tax bases, stop and reconcile the source records. Negative valuation corrections and disputed variations are outside this method.

Retention affects the working payment movement shown here; it does not automatically reduce the face value or GST of an invoice. Check the required claim form and obtain appropriate advice for the actual document. Matching an entered net movement proves only arithmetic consistency. It does not establish certification, release entitlement, a legal due date, payment, security-of-payment compliance or tax treatment.

Verify before preparing a document

Reconcile the working amounts with the required claim schedule and supporting approvals. Use the original invoice tool only for an independently verified document. A retention release or an already invoiced balance must not automatically become another invoice.

Inputs are processed locally, without upload, account storage or invoice-draft writes. Your browser may restore form values; protect your device and keep any copy you need. A downloaded review is working notes, not an invoice, receipt, tax decision or successful invoice export.

Open the original tool for a verified document

Start the original tool without signing in. Free output has branding and usage limits. This review does not automatically create an invoice or submit a payment.

Sources and scope

Procore’s Australian help describes separate controls for setting and releasing retention on progress claims. An Australian contractor’s published sample form separates cumulative work, prior authorisation, retention and payments. Their methods are context, not default terms for your project.

Sources and fictional examples reviewed 6 November 2026.