If your client holds back part of the invoice as security, the money is not lost — payment is deferred. On every issued invoice with a retention, Zirko shows the Retention card: what is retained, how much of it is released, paid or waived, what is still open and from when you may collect it.
Which way applies in your country
| Country | Tax on the retention | Your way |
|---|---|---|
| Canada, Australia | only arises on release (by law) | Release invoice |
| United Kingdom, Italy | your choice, pre-set to “on release” | Release invoice or request |
| all other countries | already on the invoice | Request |
In the United Kingdom and Italy you choose in the totals block of the invoice under Tax on the retention. The choice applies to every invoice in a project.
Releasing a retention
- Choose Release retention on the invoice, on the project or in the row menu of the document list.
- Zirko lists the open retentions of the same customer, project and currency. Enter how much you release per invoice, or use All or 50%. In Ontario there is also the annual release.
- Create release invoice creates a draft. Tax is shown at the rate of the original invoice. Amount and tax group are fixed; you can change the texts.
- Issue the draft like any invoice.
Partial releases work as often as you like until nothing is open. If you cancel a release invoice, the retention is open again. The original invoice can only be canceled once no release exists any more.
Requesting a retention
Once the retention is due, the card shows Request retention. Zirko writes a payment request without tax — that was already on the invoice — and attaches the invoice as a PDF. The request has its own levels and does not change the reminder level of the invoice. If automatic reminders are on, the daily run requests the retention by itself on the day after the date.
If the customer pays more than the amount payable, Zirko counts it, up to the retention, as its payment — not as an overpayment.
Date, waiver, security
- Change date — from when the retention is ready for release or due. Zirko suggests dates under the law, with the source; they are based on the contract date and the completion date of the project.
- Record waiver — without an invoice and without tax, for example after an agreement about defects.
- Replaced by security — the customer has provided a bond.
Every note stays in the history. You can withdraw it, but not delete it.
What is not possible today
- Zirko issues nothing by itself. The dates are suggestions.
- A release invoice covering several invoices cannot be output as ZUGFeRD/Factur-X (CII) — the format knows only one reference. Zirko tells you before you issue it.
- In New Zealand, Zirko charges the tax with the invoice: the current wording of the law on the later time of supply could not be read at any official source.