The short rule
| Your company | A saved invoice |
|---|---|
| Has IRD on | Cannot be edited or deleted. Correct it with a Take goods back with a sales return, or Cancel an invoice it the same day |
| Has IRD off | Can be edited and deleted, unless one of the reasons below applies |
When IRD is on, the Edit and Delete buttons are not shown at all, not greyed out. It is not a permission you can be given: the invoice has already gone to the IRD, so changing it would make your books differ from what the IRD holds.
Reasons an invoice cannot be edited (IRD off)
The Edit button is greyed out when:
| Reason | What to do |
|---|---|
| A return already exists against it | Work with the return, or reverse the return first |
| It has been approved and your company uses approval for invoices | Ask the approver |
| The fiscal year is closed for its date | Make the change as a new document in the open year |
| You do not have the permission to create invoices | Ask the administrator |
Delete is greyed out when a return exists, when the year is closed, or when you do not have the delete permission. An approved invoice cannot be deleted either: the button may look available, but the delete is refused with a "not found" message.
What an edit changes
Editing re-saves the whole invoice: customer, date, lines, adjustments and receipt details. The books follow the new figures: the old ledger and stock entries are removed and the new ones written.
- The invoice number stays the same.
- Receipts made against the invoice stay attached to it, by its number.
- The change is logged, with who made it.
- An invoice made from an order or delivery note keeps its link to it.
Deleting an invoice removes it and all its entries, and its number is not given to another invoice.
Correcting a mistake: which way
| The mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Wrong quantity, price or customer, IRD off | Edit |
| Wrong invoice, found the same day, cancel feature on | Cancel an invoice |
| Wrong invoice, found later, or IRD on | Take goods back with a sales return, then a new invoice |
| A charge forgotten | A Add a charge or cost to an invoice (sales add-on voucher) voucher, or a new invoice |
| The customer paid the wrong invoice | See What clears what in the customer's account |
Common questions
Why can I not edit an invoice I saved a minute ago?
When your company has IRD on, no saved invoice can be edited: it has already been sent, or is about to be. Cancel it the same day, or make a return and a new invoice.
A receipt was taken on the invoice. Can I still edit it?
Yes, when IRD is off and nothing else locks it. A receipt does not lock an invoice. Check that the new total is not below what was received.
I edited an invoice. Does the customer get a new number?
No. The invoice keeps its number and date unless you change the date.
Who changed this invoice?
Open it: the page shows its activity, with who created, changed, printed or cancelled it and when.