Deleting and restoring an invoice
When and how to move an invoice to the trash, when it can be deleted permanently, and why a settled or numbered invoice is kept.
An invoice can be removed in two ways: Delete moves it to the trash (it disappears from the list but can be restored), and Delete permanently removes it from the database too. Which one you see depends on your rights.
Moving an invoice to the trash
- Open Finance → Invoices and find the invoice.
- Click the row's bin icon (Delete) and confirm.
- For several invoices tick the boxes at the start of the rows and click the bin button at the top right.
- To restore, filter for the deleted state (if you can see it) and click the row's turn-back arrow icon (Restore).
Delete permanently (eraser icon) is shown only to users who have this separate right. If the function needs a subscription you do not have, you see a padlock.
When the system does not delete
| Reason | What to do |
|---|---|
| The invoice has a financial settlement (bank, cash or offset). | Reverse the settlement first. |
| The invoice was numbered from a document block. | The number series must stay gapless — issue a storno invoice. |
| A ledger entry refers to it (permanent delete only). | Remove the accounting first. |
| The invoice is already processed (permanent delete only). | Only an invoice not yet processed can be deleted permanently. |
The response tells you how many invoices were deleted and how many were not, with the reasons.
What happens to attached documents
After a permanent delete, documents attached only to that invoice are handled according to the setting: the system asks you, deletes them or keeps them. Documents are deleted only for users who have the delete right in the document centre.
Example
Anna Kovács recorded an incoming invoice from Example plc twice by mistake. The second copy is not settled and not posted, so she removes it with the bin icon. The first copy, already settled by the bank, could not be deleted even if she selected it.