Understanding Filing Total Updates Before Approval

What You Need to Know

Your filing totals can change up until the moment they're finalized. This happens when your filing is either manually approved by you or automatically approved by Kintsugi on the 5th of each month. Until that point, any updates to your transaction data will be reflected in your filing total.

This is expected behavior and ensures your filings always reflect your most current transaction information.

Why Filing Totals Change

When your filing is in an unapproved status, Kintsugi continues to sync transaction data from your connected integrations, like Shopify or other ecommerce platforms. Here's what happens:

• Your integration may refresh or resend order data in the background.

• When new or updated transaction information arrives, Kintsugi automatically recalculates your filing.

• Any tax amount changes from the integration will appear in your filing total.

• Your filing remains active and updates automatically with each sync.

Example: A Virginia filing for January 2026 showed three different totals over several days: $24.31, then $25.11, and finally $26.55. The customer didn't make any changes. The differences came from Shopify refreshing transaction records in the background, with small adjustments adding up over time.

When Filing Totals Become Final

Your filing locks and stops updating when either of these happens:

1. You click Approve in your Kintsugi account, or

2. Kintsugi automatically approves it on the 5th of the month

After approval, your filing becomes final:

• All transactions are locked in place.

• The liability total is stabilized.

• No additional automatic updates will occur.

Important for Manual Remittance

If you remit payments manually (by wire, check, or direct payment to the state), follow this best practice to avoid payment mismatches:

1. Wait until you're ready to approve your filing.

2. Review the filing total to confirm accuracy.

3. Approve the filing to lock the total.

4. Export or note the final approved amount.

5. Submit your payment based on the approved total.

If you export your filing before approval and send payment immediately, the total may change before it's locked. This can create reconciliation issues and require additional follow-up with the state.

What This Means for You

If you're reviewing a filing: The total you see may update before approval. This is normal and ensures accuracy.

If you're making a payment: Always approve your filing first to lock in the final amount, then remit payment.

If you notice a total changed: Check whether the filing has been approved yet. Unapproved filings will continue to update as your integration syncs new data.

Key Takeaway

Unapproved filings are dynamic and may change as transaction data updates. Approved filings are final and will not change unless manually reprocessed. To ensure your payment matches your filing, always approve your filing before remitting funds to the state.

Need Help?

If you have questions about a specific filing or notice unexpected changes after approval,