Issue in Certificate of Earning

[sadiamansab]

Hi,

I need help from an Upwork guru regarding my certificate of earning.

My actuall earning is more then shown in certificate of earning.

How to fix it?

[LuiggiR · Accepted solution]

Hi Sadia,

I checked and the information showing on your Certificate of Earnings is accurate. Please note that the certificate won't include service fees or any earnings that are currently pending. 

Thank you.

[sadiamansab]

No it was not accurate, i understand that fees wont be showing, but still it was not accurate.

Anyhow, Some Upwork guru fixed that, now it is accurate. I am not sure who fixed it but thanks.

[researchediting]

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Sadia M wrote:

No it was not accurate, i understand that fees wont be showing, but still it was not accurate.

Anyhow, Some Upwork guru fixed that, now it is accurate. I am not sure who fixed it but thanks.

---

To avoid confusion, in the context of Upwork:

• "Guru" is a misguided honorific bestowed by algorithm on freelancers who post a lot. We have no power to do anything but offer our knowledge, experience, and opinions.
• Your answer from Luiggi was presumably correct. He is an official Upwork representative, as his insignia indicate. They are generally reliable, more so than customer support.

So how did your total change? It's a rolling total.

As a further wrinkle, the Earnings Certificate is based on Upwork's disbursement of funds to us, and not on when we work. Depending on what we are trying to reconcile to, it might need adjustment at either end of the 12-month period. It will also, I believe, be most accurate when pulled at the last of the month.

[anitarandjelovic]

Since this document, I see here as a Certificate of earnings is signed by the Director of customer support, I assume that this document needs to be very accurate and reliable. 

"While Upwork is not the employer of Anita Randjelovic and does not control their ongoing earnings on Upwork, we can confirm that Anita Randjelovic has been paid the following amounts as an independent contractor in the past 12 months."

I am not been paid this amount stated in this document! 

It is not a problem for me to pay Upwork fees, I agreed with that, but this document, signed by some leadership person, is NOT correct!

This letter starts with: "To Whom It May Concern,..."

I am not sure to whom it may concern earnings together with Upwork fees? My assumption is that only earnings that may concern anyone after money are available for me, is without Upwork fees, as I see in tab Billings & Earnings: Total billed: $_____, Fees: ($_____), Your earnings after Upwork fees: $_____.

So Certificate of earnings should be regarded only on my earnings without fees, to all it may concern!

Thanks in advance!

Anita

[researchediting]

In any context in which it's necessary, you can explain that the figure is your "gross" earnings, and that your "net/take-home" is the gross less Upwork's deducted commission. Upwork has nominally paid you the gross amount (which you can also think of as your business revenue, distinct from your personal income), even though they then charge you a variable commission from (and based on) that sum. 

I would not be surprised if Upwork has a legal requirement to report gross earnings in this context.(Reporting the gross is also advantageous to them, and to us, from a marketing point of view.) Of course, it might be more convenient if the certificate worked more like a W-2, broken out into gross, deductions, and net.As things stand, we have to go into our transactions and calculate our net; Upwork does provide us with that data.

[anitarandjelovic]

Hi, Mr. Douglas!

It is not a problem, I understand all these things, but I think that Certificate of Earning only should have different construction... I do not know how W-2 looks, but as you explained, it seems that the Certificate would be better if it is like that W-2, broken out into gross, deductions, and net...

Thank you anyway for your answer, I just wished to point that maybe Certificate should look different... 

All the best! 🙂

[jr-translation]

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Anita R wrote:

Hi, Mr. Douglas!

It is not a problem, I understand all these things, but I think that Certificate of Earning only should have different construction... I do not know how W-2 looks, but as you explained, it seems that the Certificate would be better if it is like that W-2, broken out into gross, deductions, and net...

Thank you anyway for your answer, I just wished to point that maybe Certificate should look different... 

All the best! 🙂

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The Certificate of Earning shows the amount you have been paid by clients. The fees etc you pay to Upwork are business expenses and no earning. Upwork is only smart enough to take their cut before forearding the money to the freelancers.

You can increase your income by incresing your rates by $10-20/hour.