Invoice correction & credit note
Correct invoices: cancel committed invoices, the archived cancellation version, and error-free correction by duplicating
→ Open the "Invoices" module in SimpliServ
For legal reasons (GoBD), you may no longer change a committed invoice in content or simply delete it. Instead you cancel it – the original document remains and is archived as a cancellation version. For errors in a draft, on the other hand, simple deletion is enough.
Cancel or delete – which fits?
Which action is available depends on the invoice status. You'll find both via the action menu (More invoice actions, the … symbol) in the invoice list or in the detail view.
Delete (draft)
Only possible while the invoice has status Draft and isn't yet committed. The invoice is removed completely – no archived document is created.
Cancel (committed)
For committed invoices with status Open or Paid. The invoice is set to Cancelled, the original document remains and a cancellation version is archived.
Once an invoice is committed (status Open or Paid), Delete disappears from the menu. From that point on, only Cancel is possible.
Cancel an invoice
Open the invoice
Navigate to Finance → Invoices and open the invoice in question – or open the More invoice actions menu (…) directly in the list.
Cancel open payments first
An invoice can only be cancelled if there are no active payments left. If there are already recorded or refunded payments, the entry is greyed out with the note: "This invoice can only be cancelled if there are no active payments left." In that case, first cancel the associated payments.
Choose "Cancel"
In the action menu, click Cancel. The Cancel invoice confirmation dialog appears.
Confirm
Confirm with Cancel. Note the message in the dialog: "Do you really want to cancel this invoice? This can't be undone." On success, SimpliServ reports "Invoice was cancelled."
What happens on cancellation
- The invoice status switches to Cancelled and the cancellation date is recorded.
- The original document remains unchanged – nothing is deleted or overwritten.
- Additionally, a cancellation version is archived automatically (audit-proof per GoBD archiving). The generated PDF carries the title "Cancellation of invoice …" and shows the amounts as negative.
- The action is final: a cancelled invoice can't be reactivated and can't be edited again.
The cancelled invoice doesn't disappear from the list – it keeps its number and stays visible with status Cancelled. That keeps the sequential numbering gap-free and traceable.
Re-issue a corrected invoice
SimpliServ doesn't create an automatic correction invoice on cancellation. If you want to issue a corrected invoice after an error, proceed like this:
Cancel the original
Cancel the faulty invoice as described above.
Duplicate the invoice
Open the action menu and choose Duplicate. SimpliServ creates a new invoice as a draft that takes over all line items, the customer, addresses, discounts and texts – with a fresh invoice number and a reset payment status.
Correct and commit
In the draft, adjust the incorrect details and commit the invoice anew. More on creating and committing is under Create an invoice.
An invoice with a negative total can't be committed ("The invoice can't be committed because the total is negative."). A pure credit note as a negative invoice is therefore not intended – use cancellation instead.
Permissions
- Cancel and Delete require the permission to delete invoices.
- Duplicate requires the permission to create invoices.
If you lack these permissions, the corresponding entries in the action menu are hidden. You manage permissions under Users & roles.
Related topics
- Create an invoice — create invoices and re-commit them corrected after cancellation
- Payments & Mollie — record and cancel active payments before an invoice can be cancelled
- GoBD archiving — how the cancellation version is archived audit-proof
- Dunning — dun open invoices before you cancel or correct
- Number ranges — why cancelled invoices keep their number and the sequence stays gap-free
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