Simple Invoices - Forum

Hi mgml

At Setting, you must enable delete option ( http://simpleinvoices.org/demo/index.php?module=system_defaults&view=manage ). It's disable by default.

"By enabling Delete, you will be able to delete any invoices you no longer want via the Quick View of that invoice.

To delete an invoice, enable this option, then go to the Manage Invoice page and select the Quick View for the invoice you wish to delete. In the Quick View screen there will now be a delete option in the actions menu. Click this button and follow the prompts - Your invoice will now be deleted.

Note: Currently only invoices can be deleted, but in the near future this will be extended to all the other sections (ie. billers, customers, etc..) "

Test it and gives us your feedback ;)

Cheers,

NA

Hi ReallyNA,

Enabling the delete option, works. Thanks for your help.

You're welcome ;)

Cheers

thanks ReallyNA!!

cheers

justin

After deleting the invoice the invoice disappears from the system altogether. Is there any way that we can retain the invoice in the system but mark it as void. That way when the tax authorities find a "gap" in the invoice numbers - the void invoices can be shown as proof that these have been canceled.

In the "EDIT" Page of the invoice - there can be a drop-down - on invoice "status" - which might say - Real / Void / Draft - When status is set to real - it means that the invoice is posted. Void - means that it is deleted. Draft means that the invoice number has been blocked for this particular client - and the invoice is under preparation. By default the status must be set to Real - and the user can choose to modify it - when he edits the invoice during preparation or even later on.

This is one for the wishlist with a 'high' priority imho. Invoices may never be deleted here. In fact an invoice might be 'incashable'. Another important option imho is the ability to 'lock' the invoice for changes after it has been exported / send to the client or after the payment has been done.
albert

@andy

if i was to void an invoice i would just add a new line item with he opposite $ amount with a description to say voiding invioce or something - so total is $0

would this work in our case?

thanks albert
- advanced status controls for invoices might be a good idea
- just only as an additional option - ie. not enabled by default
-- as it starts to make Simple Invoices complex :)

cheers

justin

Actually what aducom points out is very valid - esp the point on making it "uneditable" after generating and "locking" it. I think the flow would work something like -

I fill in the details and create the invoice
Preview it...
Check it... and correct it if necessary
Preview and Check it again... and once I am sure that its correct...
I finalize the invoice (This needs to be some sort of a lock which gets put after which the invoice is uneditable - and only can be cancelled)
Once the invoice is "Finalized" - it is technically "Posted" in accounting terms.

Justin - your idea of adding another "product" named "Voiding Invoice" is great. I feel that it must work... the only thing is that some government laws are stupid and may not recognize such an entry. For example, some governments say that even if you give a discount on the product you need to pay the taxes on the products MRP and not the discounted price. Though this is "Voiding" and not "Discounting" - chances are that the governments may interpret it the way they want it... But apart from that I feel that this idea of voiding it will work most of the cases.

I know that the added options make it complex... but maybe you can use the approach that firefox has taken... the base software is fully functional for normal use - but if you want advanced features - you need to download extensions...

>if i was to void an invoice i would just add a new line item with he opposite $ amount >with a description to say voiding invioce or something - so total is $0

Thats absolutely prohibited here. Problem is that the tax about the amount has to be payed even if the payment has not been arrived. I.e. I have an invoice made on 15 dec, and the amount is payed in jan next year. Then I have to pay the tax on 31/12 even if the invoice has not been payed. if it is unpayable the invoice has to be marked. Probabely by another 'credit nota' I'm not sure, but the original invoice may never be altered.

I agree with aducom. After a parcial or total payment the invoice should (must according to our law) be locked.

thanks guys

re locking/finalise the invoices
- good idea
- think adding an advanced invoices status would be good to sort this out
- also add option - if part or fully paid auto lock the invoice
-- only if advanced invoice status is enabled

question: if you set the invoice as void - what do you expect to happen?

cheers

justin

> Justin - for locking the invoice the criteria must be,

a. Once the invoice is checked - there can be a "manual" selection from a drop down to "lock" the invoice. This means that once I finalize the invoice print it and send to client - there is no change i can do in it. (one may say that in some cases the client asks for some change on the invoice - like please reword the description to mention "this" instead of "that" because thats how its mentioned in "our" system etc.) - and my reply to such as case would be - that you cancel the earlier invoice and make a fresh one. This approach creates a "standard" and some sort of a "discipline" within us itself.

In this - it means that if I make an error in the invoice and lock it - i need to cancel the invoice - and make a fresh one.

Ofcourse in the dropdown menu - for locking - there must be an option of keeping the invoice "editable" - which I think is similar to the "draft" mode you have right now.

b. Second - once any payment is received and entered against an invoice - then - it automatically must get locked - if it is still in "editable" mode.

c. Many countries have a Monthly tax filing system... i.e. every monthend one needs to summarize the invoices and calculate the tax amount "billed" to the customer and pay it by the 4th or 5th of the next month. If there are invoices left "editable" and they spill over a "month end" and taxes are paid by us based on last months invoice and we end up editing it in the next month - boss we have a major accounting headache on our hands not to mention legal complications and enquiries et al.

Thus at every monthend - there needs to be a check which lists down the invoices which are still "editable" and must "prompt" not "force" the user to "lock" them.

Now this last function can be the icing on the cake - it can be fulfulled by running an auto report where i find out what are the invoices where the "editable" flag is 1. (I dont know if its possible in the existing simpleinvoices or not).

> Justin - answer to your question what would one expect to happen if I void the invoice.

1. Invoice still "stays" in the system. Law dictates that voided invoices are maintained in the records suitable marked as "voided" and not destroyed. Thus the invoice number of the void invoice is not available for further issue.

2. The invoice would not feature in the sales... i.e it must not reflect in the sales reports.... the outstanding amount figure for a customer... the customer wise billing history and report etc.

3. The invoice must get flagged "visibly" that it is "void". either a strikethrough on the amount or the invoice, or a picture stamp onto it saying "void" or some other way. What we do is strike the invoice diagonally manually or stamp it with a "Void" stamp. Again this is manual - in the system it is marked in red color on the main description cell and a footnote saying that it is void and cancelled due to "xyz" reason.

4. No payments can be adjusted against a "voided" invoice.

Actually in the program logic there must be a check - something like - if invoice is "not void" then do everything that simple invoices does - show in billing report, customer statement, adjust payment etc. - else - dont do any of the above...

Hope this helps... cheers ... Andy

thanks andy for the great reply

how i see it being implemented in Simple Invoices

locked invoices
- new option added to Simple Invoices to enable locking
- disabled by default
-- if invoice emailed or payment received against it then invoice is auto locked (if locking is enabled)

void invoices
- new option added to Simple Invoices to enable locking
- disabled by default
- if invoice = void then remove from reports and add a void mark on the invoice in the print view
-- and add void icon in the manage invoices page
- can't process payments against void invoices

new field added into si_invoice table called status
-- can be either null, locked, or void

cheers

justin

According to our law (Europeen and Portuguese Law):

An invoice can't NEVER be deleted. If we need to "erase" an invoice we can CANCEL that invoice (discriving the motive). After that, we can print the suspended invoice with a suspended "stamp".

Example:

1 - create invoice N. 1
2 - that invoice have a lot of errors, quantitys, values, etc.
3 - edit invoice N. 1, change the status for "annuled" and write the motive for that.
4 - create new invoice - I can make here a note saying that this is the invoice that will replace invoice n. 1.


Also, we can edit an invoice if there is no payments yet. Imagine that I create an invoice and there is a mistake. I can edit the invoice if there is no payment yet. If there is a 0,01€ payment I can't edit it.

With this sayed: I also agree with a new status for invoices.

Cheers

Justin, what is the difference between the locked and void status?

Cheers

Well, I'm thinking now about an overpayment.

In my area is very usual to receive a payment before doing the job. This pre-payment is intended to support some expenses.

In this moment, I suggest to create a zero $ (€) invoice to be able to register this payment. Some time after, the invoice is created, line by line, where we register all work done(hours...).

If we lock the invoice after a payment, we can't register nothing more, except if we create a draft invoice (not bad idea... I'm thinking now).

Well, I haven't looked into the pre-payment stuff, but a solution could be as follows. I currently am working on the locked status of the invoice. If an invoice is made it will get the status 'draft'. This means that you can update this invoice any time you like. If you want your customer to login and look (another thing I'm working on) then you can promote this one as 'proposal'. Now you can do you job until the money is 'gone', your customer can follow progress. After the work is done you can promote the work as final which will lock the invoice.
For regular invoices, you can promote the invoice to final. This will lock the invoice and show it to the customer in it's final state.
The status of the invoice except for final state will be printed on the invoice; thus making it unusable for your tax and bookkeeping. If you want to print or email a VALID invoice, it's status MUST BE FINAL. This way all regulations are met. Delete will not be implemented.
Unpaid invoices can be 'promoted' to status of void. The VAT must be recovered as it might have been payed already. So it must be possible to add a negative payment to the invoice with a negative VAT.

Any comments on this?

Cheers, Albert

@reallyna
- locked is for final/posted/or untouchable invoices
- void is for cancelled invoices

Yes, I think we get the point.

> Justin

Great Way of adding this functionality into Simpleinvoices... what you have suggested. I just have one question regarding locking of the invoice... as per your workflow,

locked invoices
- new option added to Simple Invoices to enable locking
- disabled by default
-- if invoice emailed or payment received against it then invoice is auto locked (if locking is enabled)

Question: Can I lock the invoice even if I did not email it? Or Do I have a manual button to "Lock the Invoice"?

Reason for this questions is - I do not use the email facility from the simpleinvoices - i Print it as a pdf and send by my personal mailid.

Cheers... Andy

Could you comment on my entry? It's a few posts above here

Got it Justin

@reallyna
- locked is for final/posted/or untouchable invoices
- void is for cancelled invoices

@andygarcia

re

Question: Can I lock the invoice even if I did not email it? Or Do I have a manual button to "Lock the Invoice"?

It seems correct that any generated invoice should be present in the system.
Two situations I often come across:
* Retainers. In law firms, it is quite common to receive retainers. I need an invoice to reflect that there is a credit note based on a previous payment. Maybe this should be done as an extension, as it is very important! - but not to everyone, and not even the majority.
* Merging. I often generate an invoice, and it turns out that more hours are billed later on. Therefore, it would be useful to be able to merge invoices in order to create one collective invoice 2 featuring Invoice 1 and additional hours, thus voiding invoice 1 but letting Invoice 2 reflect this.