Deleting a Purchase Invoice
This guide explains how to delete a purchase invoice, the conditions that block deletion and how to resolve each one, what happens after deletion, and how to restore the invoice.
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Note: You need the Edit & Delete All Purchase Invoices permission, or the Edit & Delete His Own (Created) Purchase Invoices permission (for invoices you created).
Contents
Steps to delete a purchase invoice
- From the main menu, click Purchases, then Purchase Invoices.
- Open the purchase invoice you want to delete.
- Click Delete.
- Click Yes when the confirmation message appears.
To delete several invoices, select them in the list and choose Delete from Actions. The invoices that can be deleted are deleted, and the reason the rest are blocked appears next to each one.
When is deleting a purchase invoice blocked?
| Cause | Message | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| The invoice is received (and requisitions are turned off). | You are not allowed to delete this record as it’s already received | On the invoice page, click Mark as Unreceived, then delete it. |
| The purchased quantity was sold, issued or transferred after it was received. | This quantity already has a transaction | The receipt can’t be cancelled because stock would go negative. Use a Purchase Refund, or delete the later transactions first. |
| The invoice’s requisition is Approved or Rejected (and requisitions are enabled). | You cannot delete the purchase invoice that has approved requisition | Delete the linked requisition first. See the details. |
| The invoice is linked to a Purchase Refund, Debit Note or Credit Note. | (the invoice) cannot be deleted because it has linked refunds, credit notes, or debit notes. Remove the linked documents first. | Delete the linked refunds and notes first. |
| The invoice date is within a closed period. | You can not add, edit, or delete a transaction in this date (the invoice date) within a closed period | Open the closed period temporarily, then delete the invoice. |
| You don’t have permission to delete, or another user created the invoice and your permission covers only your own invoices. | You are not allowed… | Ask for the permission in Roles. |
Deleting a purchase invoice with requisitions enabled
If Requisitions for Purchase Invoices are enabled, every purchase invoice is linked to an Inbound Requisition:
- If the requisition is Under Delivery, it’s deleted automatically with the invoice.
- If the requisition is Approved or Rejected, delete it first from Requisitions, then delete the invoice.
- If the purchase invoice is a Draft created from an inbound requisition, deleting it doesn’t affect the requisition, and you can create a new purchase invoice from the same requisition.
What happens after deletion?
- The invoice moves to the Purchase Invoice Deleted Items, and it’s deleted permanently and automatically after 90 days.
- The invoice’s journal entries and its payments’ entries are deleted, and its linked stock movements are cancelled.
- The supplier’s payments aren’t deleted. Their status changes to pending, and they return to their status when the invoice is restored.
- The supplier’s balance is recalculated.
- The deleted invoice’s number isn’t reused.
- An invoice in the trash still prevents deleting the supplier or the products linked to it, until you delete it permanently.
Restoring a deleted purchase invoice
- In the purchase invoices list, click Trash (it appears for users with the Manage Deleted Purchase Transactions permission, and when there are deleted invoices).
- Choose Recover next to the invoice and confirm.
The invoice returns with its number, journal entries, stock movements and payments, and its deleted refunds and notes are restored with it automatically. You can’t restore it if its date is in a closed period. To delete it permanently before 90 days, choose Delete Permanently.
Alternatives to deleting
| Case | Alternative |
|---|---|
| The goods were received and you want to return them to the supplier | A Purchase Refund or a Debit Note. |
| The quantity was sold and the receipt can’t be cancelled | A Purchase Refund for the remaining quantity, or a debit note for the difference. |
| A mistake in the invoice price or details | Edit the invoice instead of deleting it. |
FAQ
I get the message “You are not allowed to delete this record as it’s already received”?
Click Mark as Unreceived on the invoice page, then delete it. If a message says the quantity has transactions, use a purchase refund.
I deleted a purchase invoice by mistake?
Restore it from the trash within 90 days.
Why can’t I delete the supplier after deleting their invoices?
Because their invoices are still in the trash; delete them permanently from there first.