How you delete or edit a sales invoice, depends on a number of factors, including whether you’ve included it on a VAT Return or marked it as paid, either with a customer receipt or credit note.
To help you, decide what action you need to take, follow this wizard.
Is the invoice outstanding or paid? If it’s part paid, click Paid.
You can check this on the Sales Invoices tab in the Status column. To check whether you marked it as paid with a receipt or credit note, click the invoice then click the amount paid.
OutstandingPaid with a credit notePaid with a receiptRestart
What VAT scheme do you use?
To check this, go to More, then click Settings, then Business Settings then Accounting Dates & VAT.
As the invoice isn’t paid or included on a VAT Return, you can edit it as necessary. If you need to delete an invoice, you can’t do this but you can mark it as void. This removes the values from your accounts but the invoice remains on your list so you can view it if you need to. This also ensures the invoice numbers remain sequential.
Have you included the invoice on a VAT Return?
To check this, go to More, click VAT Returns, click the required return then click Detailed Report, then PDF. The report downloads and when it’s ready, a notification appears on the menu bar. You can then view the report.
As the invoice isn’t paid or included on a VAT Return, you can edit it as necessary. If you need to delete an invoice, you can’t do this but you can mark it as void. This removes the values from your accounts but the invoice remains on your list so you can view it as required. This also ensures the invoice numbers remain sequential.
You can’t edit or delete an invoice once you’ve included it on a VAT Return. Instead, you should issue a credit note for the full invoice. This cancels the values from your accounts and the credit note is included on your next return, which corrects your liability to HMRC.
Your values in Accounting Start are now correct. If you needed to edit the invoice, you can now create another one with the correct details.
Depending on the date of the credit note, the next time you run your VAT Return, you may receive a prompt advising there are earlier transactions. To include the credit note, click Yes.
What VAT scheme do you use?
To check this, go to More, then click Settings, then Business Settings then Accounting Dates & VAT.
Have you bank reconciled the customer receipt?
To check this, go to Banking, click the relevant bank account then check if a tick appears in the Reconciled column.
Have you included the sales invoice on a VAT Return?
To check this, go to More, click VAT Returns, click the required return then click Detailed Report, then PDF. The report downloads and when it’s ready, a notification appears on the menu bar. You can then view the report.
If you haven’t bank reconciled the receipt or included the invoice on the VAT Return, you can delete the receipt then edit or void the invoice. Voiding the invoice removes the values from your accounts but the invoice remains on your list so you can view it if you need to. This also ensures the invoice numbers remain sequential.
If you need to, you can then record the receipt again against the amended invoice.
You can’t edit or delete an invoice once you’ve included it on a VAT Return. Instead, you should delete the payment then issue a credit note for the full invoice. This cancels the values from your accounts and the credit note is included on your next return, which corrects your liability to HMRC.
Your values in Accounting Start are now correct. If you needed to edit the invoice, you can now create another one with the correct details. If necessary, you can also record the receipt again against the new invoice.
Depending on the date of the credit note, the next time you run your VAT Return, you may receive a prompt advising there are earlier transactions. To include the credit note, click Yes.
If you’ve included the receipt in a bank reconciliation, you can’t delete it. Instead, you can create a money out transaction for the same values as the receipt. This corrects your accounts, corrects your liability to HMRC and also takes the money out of your bank account. Before you can do this, you need to make sure the sales category you used on the invoice is available for recording money out.
CAUTION: Although this corrects your accounts, the money out transactions doesn’t appear in your customer’s activity.
If you’re not sure which category you used, you can see this on the original invoice.
You’ve now recorded the other payment, which corrects your values and, if you’re registered for VAT, is included on your next VAT Return.
Have you included the receipt on a VAT Return or bank reconciliation?
To check the VAT Return, go to More, click VAT Returns, click the required return then click Detailed Report, then PDF. The report downloads and when it’s ready, a notification appears on the menu bar. You can then view the report.
To check if you’ve bank reconciled it, go to Banking, click the relevant bank account then check if a tick appears in the Reconciled column.
If you haven’t bank reconciled the receipt or included it on a VAT Return, you can delete the receipt then edit or void the invoice. Voiding the invoice removes the values from your accounts but the invoice remains on your list so you can view it if you need to. This also ensures the invoice numbers remain sequential.
If you need to, you can then record the receipt again against the amended invoice.
If you’ve included the receipt in a bank reconciliation or VAT Return, you can’t delete it. Instead, you can create a money out transaction for the same values as the receipt. This corrects your accounts, corrects your liability to HMRC and also takes the money out of your bank account. Before you can do this, you need to make sure the sales category you used on the invoice is available for recording money out.
CAUTION: Although this corrects your accounts, the money out transactions doesn’t appear in your customer’s activity.
If you’re not sure which category you used, you can see this on the original invoice.
You’ve now recorded the other payment, which corrects your values and, if you’re registered for VAT, is included on your next VAT Return.
You can’t edit or delete a credit note. If you entered an invoice in error, the credit note cancels out the invoice. If the credit note only covers part of the invoice, you should credit the remaining amount as normal. If you need to, you can then enter a new invoice with the right details.