Customizing Sales Reports to eliminate unwanted columns in the CSV file

[Rob Betz]

The CSV files exported by the admin console contain a lot of empty columns for things we don't use (and are turned off in the dashboard) like the VAT info, duty info, gift cards, etc. Has anyone had any luck tweaking the php files to eliminate unwanted columns? We've tried a few different things that just don't seem to have any effect. For me, deleting the columns I don't need isn't a big deal but I'm not the one who runs the reports and the person who does has complained about the lack of ability to customize the reports. I know it's a shot in the dark but would be really surprised if someone else hasn't run into this issue.
Thanks in advance.

PS - I always make a backup of the original and restore it when trying a tweaked version.