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Anyone who works in business and administration knows that mistakes happen. An incorrect item entry, the wrong customer VAT ID, or simply the wrong amount – these are all situations accountants face on a weekly basis.
However, unlike the old days when a paper invoice could simply be crumpled up, thrown in the bin, and rewritten, the rules are a bit different in the world of eInvoices. Once a document has been sent and digitally signed, it can’t just be deleted from the system.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to correctly cancel an invoice within the application in just a few clicks.
What is a cancellation (credit note/e-approval) and when is it used?
Once an invoice has already been successfully sent into the system, the only correct way to fix a mistake is to issue an official document that cancels out the original invoice. This document is called a cancellation invoice (or e-approval / Credit Note). A cancellation invoice with negative amounts completely “neutralizes” the incorrect one, allowing you to then issue a new, fully correct eInvoice afterward.
Step-by-step guide: How to create a cancellation invoice in the Vizibit eInvoice application
The cancellation process in our application is fully automated to help you avoid manually re-entering data and potential new errors. The system will automatically create a draft with negative amounts and correctly link it to the original document.
Step 1: Access the invoice list
In the left navigation menu, click on the IFA icon and select All invoices to get an overview of all issued invoices.
Step 2: Select the invoice to cancel
Find the invoice you want to cancel in the list. Click on the menu button (three dots or action icon) located at the very end of that invoice’s row to open additional options.
Step 3: Start the cancellation
Simply select the Cancel option from the dropdown menu.
Step 4: Confirm the action
A confirmation window will appear asking: “Are you sure you want to cancel this invoice?”. Here, the system informs you that a new invoice with a negative amount will automatically be created in the “Drafts” folder and that it will be permanently linked to the original invoice number. Click the Confirm button to proceed.
Step 5: Review and edit the draft
The system will automatically redirect you to the draft of the new cancellation invoice in your drafts. Here it’s important to visually check three key things:
Amounts: Check that all items and amounts are shown as negative values (e.g., -15.00 €).
Invoice type: Check that Cancellation invoice is correctly selected in the dropdown menu.
Reference: You’ll notice that the reference to the previous (cancelled) invoice has been automatically added (which is a legal requirement!).
Step 6: Issue the invoice
Once you’ve verified the accuracy of all the data, click the Issue invoice button located at the top of the screen to finalize the document. The system will show you a message confirming that the issuance was successful.
Step 7: Send the cancellation to the recipient
Your cancellation invoice has now been officially issued, but you still need to send it to the client so their accounting department can close out the item.
Select the Send eInvoice option.
Find the newly created cancellation invoice in the list.
Conclusion:
Fixing administrative mistakes doesn’t have to be a source of stress and panic. Through the automated process within the application, the system handles the harder part of the job for you – it takes care of the negative amounts, automatically pulls in the legally required references, and prepares the document for sending in just a few clicks.
Do you have any further questions about invoice approval workflows for incoming invoices, or about references? Check out our other articles
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