When you can cancel
The cancel action (the one that asks for Reverse remarks) is on each invoice row of the Sales Invoice list. It is offered only when:
- your company turned on Sales Bill Cancel in Configuration (it is off until someone switches it on); and
- the invoice is dated today (a cancel is for mistakes found the same day); and
- there is no return against the invoice, and it is not already cancelled.
Your role also needs the permission to cancel invoices; without it the cancel is refused when you confirm.
An older invoice, or one with a return, is corrected with a Take goods back with a sales return. When your company has IRD on, a return is the usual correction, because a saved invoice cannot be edited (Editing a saved invoice: what can and cannot change).
Cancel one
- Find the invoice
- Choose the cancel action and give a reason
- Confirm
- Settle the money, if any was received
| Area | Change |
|---|---|
| Customer's account | The invoice no longer counts: the customer owes that much less. The invoice's line disappears from the customer's ledger; no separate cancel line is added |
| Sales income and VAT | Taken out of the sales and VAT ledgers in the same way |
| Stock | The goods are back in the warehouse. An invoice made from a delivery note is different: the goods stay delivered, and the delivery note can be invoiced again |
| Order | An invoice made from a sales order gives the quantity back to the order, so it can be billed again |
| The invoice record | Stays in the list with its number. Return, Goods delivery, Copy to new, Cheque, Provisional cash, Approve and the add-on voucher are switched off on its page |
| Status | Reversed, unless the invoice was fully paid (any cash sale is): then the list keeps showing Paid |
| IRD | When your company has IRD on, the cancel is sent as a credit note that names the invoice, with your reason |
| Receipts | Not touched. A receipt already made against the invoice stays on the customer's account as money received. A bill made straight to the cash ledger has no receipt: the cancel takes the amount out of the cash account |
| Numbers | The invoice keeps its number. The cancel has its own number |
On the reports
Cancelled invoices appear on the VAT reports and the sales register under the company's Cancel customer, with zero amounts, so every invoice number is accounted for. The Materialized view report shows the invoice with Active N. The sales summary has a separate Sales Reverse / Return Report of cancels and returns (The sales register and sales reports).
Common questions
The cancel button is greyed out.
The invoice is not dated today, it has a return, or it is already cancelled. Use a Take goods back with a sales return instead.
There is no cancel button at all.
Your company has not switched on Sales Bill Cancel in Configuration. Ask the administrator, or use a return.
I cancelled a cash sale. Where is the money?
For a cash sale to a named customer, the receipt stays: the money is still in the cash account and the customer now shows a credit. Refund it, or keep it as credit for the next invoice. For a bill made straight to the cash ledger (a walk-in sale with no customer account), there is no receipt: the cancel takes the amount out of the cash account, so the money should be handed back.
The cancelled invoice still says Paid.
A fully paid invoice keeps the Paid status after a cancel. Check it on its page or in the Sales Reverse / Return Report: the cancel is recorded there.
Can I undo a cancel?
No. Make a new invoice for the sale.
Will the customer's next invoice reuse the cancelled number?
No. The cancelled invoice keeps its number; the next invoice takes the next one.