Line Items API

This section details the functions used to build the core of your invoice: the line items. You can use these components to list services, group them into bundles, and apply modifiers like discounts or surcharges.

info

Many parameters (like input-gross and tax) are cascading. This means if you set them on the parent line-items container or a bundle, all child elements will automatically inherit those settings unless they are manually overridden at the item level.

Resolution Order: Item Level → Bundle Level → Line-Items Level → Document/Locale Default.

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line-items

The root container that manages the context, column visibility, and overall calculations for all items, bundles, and modifiers inside it.

tip

By default, the show-columns parameter works automatically and tries to minimize the number of shown columns (e.g., hiding the tax column if all items share the exact same tax rate). You only need to provide a dictionary if you want to strictly override this behavior.

Key	Type	Description
input-gross	bool | auto	If auto, it matches the document's tax-mode. If manually set, it specifies if prices of items are entered as net or gross, triggering forward or backward tax calculations.
tax	ratio | dictionary | auto	If auto, inherited from the locale default. If a ratio (e.g., 19%), the tax-bracket/code is inferred by the locale system. If a dictionary, it should be set by the tax module (e.g., tax.vat(19%)).
tax-mode	"exclusive" | "inclusive" | auto	Sets the tax mode. If auto, it matches the document root's tax-mode. It is highly recommended not to change this value here unless absolutely necessary.
show-columns	dictionary | auto	Overrides the default automatic column visibility. Used to manually toggle columns like pos, quantity, unit-price, etc.
show-total	bool | auto	Shows the total summary block of the line items. Defaults to true.
show-information	bool | auto	Shows annotations after the total about the content of the line-items (e.g., tax exemptions). Defaults to true.
body	content	The main content block containing your item, bundle, or modifier calls.

show-columns Dictionary

When overriding the automatic column visibility in line-items, you can pass a dictionary to the show-columns parameter. Each key toggles a specific column in the invoice table.

Key	Type	Description
pos	bool | auto	The position or index number of the item in the list.
description	bool | auto	The detailed description text displayed below the item name.
quantity	bool | auto	The amount being billed for the line item.
unit	bool | auto	The unit of measurement (e.g., "h", "pcs").
unit-price	bool | auto	The price per single unit of the item.
tax-rate	bool | auto	The tax percentage applied to the specific item.
total-price	bool | auto	The calculated total price for the line item (quantity × unit-price).

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item

Represents a single billable product or service line within your invoice.

note

Price vs. Total: You must provide either a price (unit price) or a total (fixed line total), but not both. The system will automatically perform forward/backward calculations based on your input-gross settings.

Key	Type	Description
name	str | content	The primary title of the item.
description	str | content | auto | none	Detailed text appearing below the name.
quantity	number | auto	The numeric amount being billed (defaults to 1).
base-quantity	number | auto	The reference quantity for the price (e.g., pricing per 100g).
unit	str | content | auto | none	The unit of measurement (e.g., "h", "pcs").
date	datetime | array | auto | none	When the service was provided. Use a single datetime or a range array (datetime, datetime).
price	number | auto	The price per unit.
total	number | auto	The fixed total price for the line item.
item-id	str | dictionary | auto | none	If a str, it is treated as a standard item ID. Can also be a dictionary: (seller: "id", buyer: "id", standard: "id"). Not all keys are required.
input-gross	bool | auto	Overrides the parent input-gross setting specifically for this item.
tax	ratio | dictionary | auto	Overrides the parent tax setting specifically for this item.

warning

Future ZUGFeRD Updates: The behavior of the unit parameter will undergo changes in future versions to ensure full compatibility with the ZUGFeRD e-invoicing standard.

The tax Parameter

While items generally inherit their tax settings from the parent line-items container or the document's locale, you can explicitly override the tax parameter on an individual item or bundle.

You can define the tax in two ways:

1. Simple Ratio: Provide a percentage directly (e.g., tax: 19%). The system will attempt to automatically infer the correct standard tax category based on your locale.
2. The tax Module: For specialized scenarios—such as reverse charge, tax exemptions, or if your region has multiple tax categories with the same percentage—you must use functions from the tax module (e.g., tax.vat(19%), tax.reverse-charge()).

info

Passing a simple ratio only works safely if the tax rate is unambiguous within your selected locale region. If the system cannot confidently guess the tax category, you will need to use the tax module.

tip

For a complete list of standardized tax functions, margin schemes, and how to create custom tax categories, please read the Tax Module API Reference.

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bundle

Groups multiple items together as a virtual single item while automatically aggregating their totals and dates.

Key	Type	Description
name	str | content	The name of the bundle.
description	str | content | auto | none	If set to auto, it automatically generates a comma-separated list of all child item names.
quantity	number | auto	The quantity of the bundle itself.
base-quantity	number | auto	The reference quantity for the price (e.g., pricing per 100g).
unit	str | content | auto | none	The unit of measurement for the bundle.
date	datetime | array | auto | none	If set to auto, calculates the date range based on the earliest and latest dates of the items inside the bundle.
input-gross	bool | auto	Overrides the parent input-gross setting specifically for children.
tax	ratio | dictionary | auto	Overrides the parent tax setting specifically for children.
body	content	The nested items, modifiers, or sub-bundles belonging to this group.

Mixed Tax Brackets

One of the most powerful features of the bundle component is its ability to handle mixed tax brackets automatically.

If you place items with varying tax rates (e.g., mixing 19% and 7% items) or different tax codes into a single bundle, the system will seamlessly manage the complexity. In the background, it splits and creates multiple instances of the bundle grouped by their respective tax brackets.

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Why this matters: This automatic splitting ensures that your invoice remains legally compliant. Total amounts, sub-totals, and any modifiers applied to the bundle (such as a 10% bundle-wide discount) are proportionally distributed and calculated correctly across the different tax rates without any manual intervention required from you.

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Adjustments: modifier, discount, & surcharge

Modifiers allow you to apply relative or absolute adjustments to an item, a bundle, or the entire invoice.

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Helper Functions discount(..) and surcharge(..) use the exact same parameters as modifier(..). They are convenient semantic wrappers that automatically treat your amount as a negative reduction (discount) or a positive addition (surcharge).

Key	Type	Description
name	str | content	The label for the adjustment (e.g., "Student Discount", "Express Shipping").
amount	ratio | decimal-like | auto	If a ratio (e.g., -10%), it acts as a relative percentage. If a decimal-like number (e.g., 15.00), it acts as an absolute monetary amount.
input-gross	bool | auto	For absolute monetary amounts, this defines if the entered value already includes tax. Follows standard cascading logic if set to auto.
description	str | content | auto | none	Extra context or conditions for the modifier.

input-gross

For absolute monetary amounts (e.g., 10.00 instead of 10%), the input-gross parameter is critical because it determines at which level the adjustment is "anchored."

Value	Behavior	Result
true	Gross Adjustment	The final gross amount (Total including tax) will be exactly the specified amount lower/higher.
false	Net Adjustment	The net amount (Total excluding tax) will be exactly the specified amount lower/higher.
auto	Inherited	Matches the parent container or the document's tax-mode.

Examples

• Gross Discount: discount(input-gross: true, amount: 10) The total amount the customer has to pay (Grand Total) will be exactly 10.00 units less.
• Net Discount: discount(input-gross: false, amount: 10) The subtotal before taxes will be exactly 10.00 units less. The final gross impact will depend on the tax rate.

warning

If your modifier's input-gross setting does not match the global tax-mode of the invoice (e.g., applying a gross discount on a net-based invoice), the system must perform forward or backward tax calculations.

Because the system balances these adjustments across all relevant tax brackets to remain legally compliant, you may occasionally see a 1-cent difference in the final total due to rounding.