Help with a sytax error please

[Chucksta]

I'm getting a syntax error at the first if statement in my commission statement, indicated with carat. Thank you for your time in advance. It's probably something simple i'm still pretty new at this.

def sales():
    amount = int(input('Enter the monthly sales:'))
    return amount

def advance_pay():
    advance = int(input('Enter the  amount of advance pay, or enter 0 if no advance pay was given'))
    return advance

def commission():
    comm  =
    if amount() < 10000:
    [B]^[/B]this is where i'm getting the error.
        com = .10
    if 10000<= amount() <= 14999.99:
        com = .12
    if 15000 <= amount() <=17999.99:
        com = .14
    if 18000 <= amount() <= 21999.99:
        com = .16
    else:
        com = .18)
    return comm

def pay_out():
    pay = amount*com - advance
    return pay
    
    
def main():
    again = 'yes'
    while again == 'yes':

        amount()
        advance()
        comm()
        pay()

        print ('The pay is:$', pay)
        if pay < 0:
             print ('The salesperson must reimburse the company.')
        again = input('Do you want to calculate another commission (yes/no):')
main()

[bvdet]

You cannot make a statement in the manner you are trying. Use an if/elif block instead of a series of if statements. Be aware of function scope with respect to variables. Use function arguments and return values to make assignments in other functions. Example:

>>> def a(arg):
... 	b = arg*10
... 	return b
... 
>>> z = 8
>>> zz = a(z)
>>> zz
80
>>> def b(arg):
... 	return a(arg)*10
... 
>>> print b(z)
800
>>>

I reworked your function commission().

def commission():
    amount = sales()
    if amount < 10000:
        com = .10
    elif 10000<= amount <= 14999.99:
        com = .12
    elif 15000 <= amount <=17999.99:
        com = .14
    elif 18000 <= amount <= 21999.99:
        com = .16
    else:
        com = .18
    return com

print commission()