why doesn't my Shopify payout match my sales

Your payout is smaller than your sales because Shopify settles net, not gross. A deposit is what's left after Shopify takes its cut and nets out anything you refunded in that period.

A single payout is usually:

• gross sales (what your customers actually paid
• plus the sales tax you collected) money you're holding, not income
• minus Shopify's fees: a deductible business expense
• minus refunds issued during the period
• minus any chargebacks or held funds

So if you sold $5,000 and $4,730 landed in your bank, the missing $270 isn't lost: it's fees and refunds. The distinction matters at year end: your revenue is the gross $5,000, the fees are an expense you can deduct, and the tax you collected belongs to the government rather than to you. Recording only the $4,730 understates all three.

Talisk books each of those pieces separately when a payout comes in, then matches the net figure against the deposit on your bank feed, so you see the full breakdown instead of one lump sum.