diff --git a/blueprints/ynab/tools.py b/blueprints/ynab/tools.py
index 469b5d4..2719360 100644
--- a/blueprints/ynab/tools.py
+++ b/blueprints/ynab/tools.py
@@ -110,8 +110,8 @@ WITH lines AS (
 )
 """
 
-# Spending = outflows (net of refunds) on budget accounts, excluding transfers
-# (credit card payments, moves to savings) and income.
+# Report cash flows on budget accounts, excluding transfers and internal
+# categories. Separate outflows from inflows rather than calling their net spending.
 SPENDING_FILTER = """
     a.on_budget AND l.transfer_account_id IS NULL
     AND NOT COALESCE(c.internal, false)
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ async def ynab_spending_report(
     payee: str = "",
     top: int = 15,
 ):
-    """Total YNAB spending grouped by category, category_group, payee, account, or month. Use group_by='month' for trends over time.
+    """Gross YNAB outflows grouped by category, category_group, payee, account, or month, with inflows reported separately. Use group_by='month' for trends over time.
 
     Args:
         group_by: category, category_group, payee, account, or month
@@ -436,6 +436,9 @@ async def ynab_spending_report(
     except ValueError:
         return "Dates must be YYYY-MM-DD."
 
+    if start > end:
+        return "start_date must be on or before end_date."
+
     conditions, params = [SPENDING_FILTER, "l.date >= $1", "l.date <= $2"], [start, end]
     if category:
         params.append(f"%{category}%")
@@ -447,7 +450,7 @@ async def ynab_spending_report(
     order = "key" if group_by == "month" else "spent DESC"
     rows = await _query(
         f"""{LINES_CTE}
-            SELECT {key} AS key, -SUM(l.amount) AS spent, count(*) AS n
+            SELECT {key} AS key, -SUM(LEAST(l.amount, 0)) AS spent, count(*) AS n
             FROM lines l
             JOIN ynab_accounts a ON a.id = l.account_id
             LEFT JOIN ynab_categories c ON c.id = l.category_id
@@ -457,8 +460,6 @@ async def ynab_spending_report(
         *params,
     )
     rows = [r for r in rows if r["spent"] > 0]
-    if not rows:
-        return f"No spending found from {start} to {end}."
 
     totals = await _query(
         f"""{LINES_CTE}
@@ -471,19 +472,25 @@ async def ynab_spending_report(
         *params,
     )
     outflows, inflows = totals[0]["outflows"], totals[0]["inflows"]
+    if not outflows and not inflows:
+        return f"No spending found from {start} to {end}."
     top = max(1, top)
     shown = rows if group_by == "month" else rows[:top]
     lines = [
         f"Spending by {group_by} from {start} to {end}:",
         f"- Total spending (outflows): {_usd(outflows)}",
         f"- Inflows (deposits into budget accounts, not spending): {_usd(inflows)}",
+        "- Group amounts are gross outflows; refunds and other inflows are reported separately.",
     ]
     lines += [f"- {r['key']}: {_usd(r['spent'])} ({r['n']} txns)" for r in shown]
     if len(rows) > len(shown):
         rest = sum((r["spent"] for r in rows[len(shown) :]), Decimal(0))
         lines.append(f"- {len(rows) - len(shown)} others: {_usd(rest)}")
-    if group_by == "month" and len(rows) > 1:
-        lines.append(f"Monthly average: {_usd(outflows / len(rows))}")
+    months = (end.year - start.year) * 12 + end.month - start.month + 1
+    if group_by == "month":
+        lines.append(
+            f"Monthly average (outflows over {months} calendar months): {_usd(outflows / months)}"
+        )
     artifact = make_artifact(
         "ynab.spending_report",
         f"Spending by {group_by.replace('_', ' ')} · "
@@ -498,6 +505,10 @@ async def ynab_spending_report(
                     for r in rows
                 ],
                 "total": _amount(outflows),
+                "total_basis": "outflows",
+                "inflows": _amount(inflows),
+                "net_outflows": _amount(outflows - inflows),
+                "filters": {"category": category, "payee": payee},
             }
         ),
     )
diff --git a/raggr-frontend/src/components/artifacts/renderers/YnabSpendingReport.tsx b/raggr-frontend/src/components/artifacts/renderers/YnabSpendingReport.tsx
index 39db77c..31aef59 100644
--- a/raggr-frontend/src/components/artifacts/renderers/YnabSpendingReport.tsx
+++ b/raggr-frontend/src/components/artifacts/renderers/YnabSpendingReport.tsx
@@ -88,12 +88,15 @@ export const YnabSpendingReport = ({ data }: RendererProps<YnabSpendingReportDat
           <Subtle>Grouped by {data.group_by?.replace(/_/g, " ")}</Subtle>
         </div>
         <div className="text-right">
-          <div className="text-[11px] font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide text-warm-gray">Total</div>
+          <div className="text-[11px] font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide text-warm-gray">{data.total_basis === "outflows" ? "Total outflows" : "Total"}</div>
           <div className="text-xl font-bold tabular-nums text-charcoal">{formatMoney(data.total)}</div>
+          {data.inflows != null && <Subtle>Inflows: {formatMoney(data.inflows)}</Subtle>}
+          {data.net_outflows != null && <Subtle>Net outflows: {formatMoney(data.net_outflows)}</Subtle>}
         </div>
       </div>
+      {data.total_basis === "outflows" && <Subtle>Groups show gross outflows. Refunds and other inflows are reported separately.</Subtle>}
       {rows.length === 0 ? (
-        <EmptyNote>No spending in this period.</EmptyNote>
+        <EmptyNote>No outflows in this period.</EmptyNote>
       ) : data.group_by === "month" ? (
         <MonthBars rows={rows} />
       ) : (
diff --git a/raggr-frontend/src/components/artifacts/renderers/types.ts b/raggr-frontend/src/components/artifacts/renderers/types.ts
index fd7413e..816cdaf 100644
--- a/raggr-frontend/src/components/artifacts/renderers/types.ts
+++ b/raggr-frontend/src/components/artifacts/renderers/types.ts
@@ -87,9 +87,13 @@ export type YnabSpendingReportData = {
   start_date: string;
   end_date: string;
   group_by: "category" | "category_group" | "payee" | "account" | "month" | string;
-  /** amount is positive for spending (-SUM); a net refund comes out negative. */
+  /** Gross outflows for new reports; legacy reports contain net spending. */
   rows: { key: string; amount: number; count?: number }[];
   total: number;
+  total_basis?: "outflows";
+  inflows?: number;
+  net_outflows?: number;
+  filters?: { category: string; payee: string };
 };
 
 export type YnabCategoryBudgetData = {
diff --git a/raggr-frontend/tests/spending-report.test.cjs b/raggr-frontend/tests/spending-report.test.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b279c8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/raggr-frontend/tests/spending-report.test.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+const fs = require('node:fs');
+const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
+const test = require('node:test');
+const ts = require('typescript');
+const React = require('react');
+const { renderToStaticMarkup } = require('react-dom/server');
+
+// Load the existing TSX renderer without adding a test bundler dependency.
+for (const ext of ['.ts', '.tsx']) {
+  require.extensions[ext] = (mod, filename) => {
+    const { outputText } = ts.transpileModule(fs.readFileSync(filename, 'utf8'), {
+      compilerOptions: { module: ts.ModuleKind.CommonJS, jsx: ts.JsxEmit.ReactJSX, esModuleInterop: true },
+    });
+    mod._compile(outputText, filename);
+  };
+}
+const { YnabSpendingReport } = require('../src/components/artifacts/renderers/YnabSpendingReport.tsx');
+const base = { start_date: '2026-10-01', end_date: '2026-10-12', group_by: 'category', rows: [{ key: 'Shopping', amount: 70, count: 2 }], total: 100 };
+const render = (data) => renderToStaticMarkup(React.createElement(YnabSpendingReport, { data }));
+
+test('legacy artifact keeps a neutral total label', () => {
+  const html = render(base);
+  assert.match(html, />Total</);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(html, /Total \(net\)|Total outflows|Inflows:/);
+});
+test('new report labels gross outflows, inflows and net separately', () => {
+  const html = render({ ...base, total_basis: 'outflows', inflows: 30, net_outflows: 70 });
+  assert.match(html, /Total outflows/);
+  assert.match(html, /Inflows:/);
+  assert.match(html, /Net outflows:/);
+  assert.match(html, /Groups show gross outflows/);
+});
+test('inflow-only report remains visible with empty outflow rows', () => {
+  const html = render({ ...base, total_basis: 'outflows', rows: [], total: 0, inflows: 75, net_outflows: -75 });
+  assert.match(html, /No outflows in this period/);
+  assert.match(html, /Inflows:/);
+});
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_ynab_tool_artifacts.py b/tests/unit/test_ynab_tool_artifacts.py
index 16ff211..a81763b 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_ynab_tool_artifacts.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_ynab_tool_artifacts.py
@@ -26,7 +26,17 @@ KIND_DATA_KEYS = {
         "overspent",
     },
     "ynab.transactions": {"start_date", "end_date", "count", "total", "transactions"},
-    "ynab.spending_report": {"start_date", "end_date", "group_by", "rows", "total"},
+    "ynab.spending_report": {
+        "start_date",
+        "end_date",
+        "group_by",
+        "rows",
+        "total",
+        "total_basis",
+        "inflows",
+        "net_outflows",
+        "filters",
+    },
     "ynab.category_budget": {"month", "groups"},
 }
 
@@ -240,7 +250,7 @@ async def test_search_transactions_bad_date(monkeypatch):
 # --- ynab_spending_report ---------------------------------------------------
 
 SPENDING_ROWS = [
-    {"key": "Groceries", "spent": Decimal("400.00"), "n": 10},
+    {"key": "Groceries", "spent": Decimal("500.00"), "n": 10},
     {"key": "Dining Out", "spent": Decimal("150.50"), "n": 5},
     {"key": "Gas", "spent": Decimal("60.00"), "n": 2},
 ]
@@ -263,7 +273,8 @@ async def test_spending_report(monkeypatch):
         "Spending by category from 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-12:\n"
         "- Total spending (outflows): $710.50\n"
         "- Inflows (deposits into budget accounts, not spending): $100.00\n"
-        "- Groceries: $400.00 (10 txns)\n"
+        "- Group amounts are gross outflows; refunds and other inflows are reported separately.\n"
+        "- Groceries: $500.00 (10 txns)\n"
         "- Dining Out: $150.50 (5 txns)\n"
         "- 1 others: $60.00"
     )
@@ -275,18 +286,22 @@ async def test_spending_report(monkeypatch):
         "end_date": "2026-10-12",
         "group_by": "category",
         "rows": [
-            {"key": "Groceries", "amount": 400.0, "count": 10},
+            {"key": "Groceries", "amount": 500.0, "count": 10},
             {"key": "Dining Out", "amount": 150.5, "count": 5},
             {"key": "Gas", "amount": 60.0, "count": 2},
         ],
         "total": 710.5,
+        "total_basis": "outflows",
+        "inflows": 100.0,
+        "net_outflows": 610.5,
+        "filters": {"category": "", "payee": ""},
     }
 
 
 async def test_spending_report_by_month(monkeypatch):
     rows = [
         {"key": "2026-09", "spent": Decimal("100"), "n": 1},
-        {"key": "2026-10", "spent": Decimal("200"), "n": 2},
+        {"key": "2026-10", "spent": Decimal("300"), "n": 2},
     ]
     fake_db(
         monkeypatch,
@@ -303,13 +318,21 @@ async def test_spending_report_by_month(monkeypatch):
         {"group_by": "month", "start_date": "2026-09-01"},
     )
 
-    assert msg.content.endswith("Monthly average: $200.00")
+    assert msg.content.endswith(
+        "Monthly average (outflows over 2 calendar months): $200.00"
+    )
     assert msg.artifact["data"]["total"] == 400.0
     assert [r["key"] for r in msg.artifact["data"]["rows"]] == ["2026-09", "2026-10"]
 
 
 async def test_spending_report_empty_and_invalid(monkeypatch):
-    fake_db(monkeypatch, {"GROUP BY 1": []})
+    fake_db(
+        monkeypatch,
+        {
+            "GROUP BY 1": [],
+            "AS outflows": [{"outflows": Decimal(0), "inflows": Decimal(0)}],
+        },
+    )
 
     msg = await call(tools.ynab_spending_report, {})
     assert msg.content == "No spending found from 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-12."
@@ -469,3 +492,61 @@ async def test_spending_report_omits_nonpositive_groups(monkeypatch):
         r["key"] for r in SPENDING_ROWS
     ]
     assert msg.artifact["data"]["total"] == 710.5
+
+
+async def test_spending_report_fully_refunded_purchase_is_not_empty(monkeypatch):
+    queries = fake_db(
+        monkeypatch,
+        {
+            "GROUP BY 1": [{"key": "Shopping", "spent": Decimal(100), "n": 2}],
+            "AS outflows": [{"outflows": Decimal(100), "inflows": Decimal(100)}],
+        },
+    )
+    msg = await call(tools.ynab_spending_report, {"category": "Shopping"})
+    assert msg.artifact["data"]["total"] == 100
+    assert msg.artifact["data"]["net_outflows"] == 0
+    assert msg.artifact["data"]["rows"][0]["amount"] == 100
+    assert "-SUM(LEAST(l.amount, 0)) AS spent" in queries[0][0]
+    assert all("l.category_name ILIKE $3" in sql for sql, _ in queries)
+    assert msg.artifact["data"]["filters"] == {"category": "Shopping", "payee": ""}
+
+
+async def test_spending_report_inflow_only_period_retains_totals(monkeypatch):
+    fake_db(
+        monkeypatch,
+        {
+            "GROUP BY 1": [{"key": "Refund", "spent": Decimal(0), "n": 1}],
+            "AS outflows": [{"outflows": Decimal(0), "inflows": Decimal(75)}],
+        },
+    )
+    msg = await call(tools.ynab_spending_report, {})
+    assert msg.artifact["data"]["rows"] == []
+    assert msg.artifact["data"]["total"] == 0
+    assert msg.artifact["data"]["inflows"] == 75
+    assert "not spending): $75.00" in msg.content
+
+
+async def test_monthly_average_includes_zero_spending_months(monkeypatch):
+    fake_db(
+        monkeypatch,
+        {
+            "GROUP BY 1": [{"key": "2026-10", "spent": Decimal(300), "n": 1}],
+            "AS outflows": [{"outflows": Decimal(300), "inflows": Decimal(0)}],
+        },
+    )
+    msg = await call(
+        tools.ynab_spending_report, {"group_by": "month", "start_date": "2026-08-01"}
+    )
+    assert msg.content.endswith(
+        "Monthly average (outflows over 3 calendar months): $100.00"
+    )
+
+
+async def test_spending_report_reversed_dates_are_rejected(monkeypatch):
+    queries = fake_db(monkeypatch, {})
+    msg = await call(
+        tools.ynab_spending_report,
+        {"start_date": "2026-11-01", "end_date": "2026-10-01"},
+    )
+    assert msg.content == "start_date must be on or before end_date."
+    assert queries == []