How to Void an Invoice: Cancel It Correctly Without Gaps

Quick answer: To void an invoice, mark it as cancelled while keeping it in your records: note "VOID", the date and the reason, keep its number in your sequence, remove its amount from the client's balance, and tell the client if they have already received it. Void only invoices that haven't been paid or reported for tax. If the invoice was paid, recorded by the client or included in a tax return, issue a credit note instead, then send a corrected invoice with a new number if needed.

This guide explains the difference between voiding, deleting and crediting, a decision table for common situations, step-by-step instructions, a worked example and a client email. If you need to reissue a corrected bill afterwards, our free invoice generator lets you create the replacement quickly and add a watermark to the cancelled copy.

Void vs delete vs credit note

These three actions are often confused, but they leave very different audit trails.

Action	What happens to the record	Numbering	Typical use
Delete	Invoice disappears	Leaves an unexplained gap	Only for drafts that never received a number
Void	Kept, marked cancelled, value set to zero	Number stays, marked void	Sent in error and not yet paid or reported
Credit note	Original stays; a new document reverses it	Credit note gets its own number	Paid, recorded or tax-reported invoices

A credit note is a separate document that reduces or cancels the amount on an original invoice. Our credit note guide explains what it must contain, and debit note vs credit note covers the reverse case when you need to bill more.

When to void an invoice (and when not to)

Situation	Recommended action
Draft created, never sent	Discard it; if a number was already logged, mark that number void
Sent to the wrong client, unpaid, not yet in a filed tax return	Void (or credit note where tax rules require), then invoice the right client
Duplicate invoice sent by mistake	Void the duplicate and tell the client which number to pay
Project cancelled before any payment	Void, or issue a credit note if the client has booked it
Invoice already paid	Credit note plus refund, or apply credit to a future invoice
Amount partly wrong	Credit note for the difference, or credit in full and reissue
Client disputes the charge	Resolve the dispute first; then void or credit as agreed

If the issue is a disagreement rather than a mistake, see our guide to handling an invoice dispute before cancelling anything. For smaller errors such as a typo in an address, read how to correct an invoice mistake.

A note on tax rules

If you are registered for VAT, GST or a similar tax, an issued tax invoice usually can't simply be voided once it has been sent; tax authorities typically expect a credit note that references the original. Rules on cancellations, timing and what the credit note must show differ by country, so check with your tax authority or accountant. Our VAT invoice guide covers the fields involved.

How to void an invoice: 7 steps

1. Check the invoice's status. Has it been sent? Paid, even partly? Included in a sales tax or VAT return? Recorded in the client's system? The answers decide whether voiding is appropriate or a credit note is needed.
2. Talk to the client. If they've received it, agree that it should be cancelled before you act, and confirm they haven't scheduled a payment.
3. Mark the invoice as void. In accounting software, use its void or cancel action, which normally keeps the record at zero value. With a PDF-based workflow, keep the original file and save a copy clearly marked VOID (a diagonal watermark works well) with the void date and reason.
4. Update your invoice log. Keep the number in your register with status "Void", the date and a short reason, for example "Duplicate of INV-2026-0108". Never delete the row or reuse the number. Our invoice numbering system guide explains why gaps raise questions.
5. Adjust your books. Remove the amount from accounts receivable and from income for the period. If you use cash-basis records and nothing was paid, there may be nothing else to change; if in doubt, ask your bookkeeper.
6. Issue a replacement if needed. Create a new invoice with the next number in your sequence and reference the voided one: "Replaces INV-2026-0107 (void)". The invoice number generator helps keep the format consistent.
7. Keep everything. Retain the voided invoice, the reason and any correspondence for as long as you keep other financial records. See how long to keep invoices.

Worked example: invoice sent to the wrong entity

A consultant sent INV-2026-0107 for 3,200.00 to Northwind Holdings when the contract was with its subsidiary, Northwind Foods Inc. The client had already booked the invoice, so a credit note is used rather than a quiet void. Separately, INV-2026-0108 was accidentally emailed twice, and the second copy generated INV-2026-0110 in the log.

Document	Date	Billed to	Amount (USD)	Status / note
INV-2026-0107	15 Oct 2026	Northwind Holdings	3,200.00	Cancelled by CN-2026-0012
CN-2026-0012	22 Oct 2026	Northwind Holdings	−3,200.00	Credits INV-2026-0107 in full: wrong entity
INV-2026-0108	16 Oct 2026	Bayview Retail	1,450.00	Valid, awaiting payment
INV-2026-0109	22 Oct 2026	Northwind Foods Inc.	3,200.00	Replaces INV-2026-0107
INV-2026-0110	22 Oct 2026	Bayview Retail	0.00	VOID: duplicate of INV-2026-0108

The net position is correct: Northwind Holdings owes 3,200.00 − 3,200.00 = 0.00, Northwind Foods owes 3,200.00, Bayview owes 1,450.00 once, and every number in the sequence is accounted for.

Email to send when you void an invoice

Subject: Invoice INV-2026-0110 cancelled: duplicate of INV-2026-0108

Hi Jordan,

Invoice INV-2026-0110 was sent to you in error and duplicates INV-2026-0108. I've voided INV-2026-0110, so please disregard it. The amount due remains 1,450.00 on INV-2026-0108, due 15 November 2026.

Apologies for the confusion, and thank you.

Voiding in accounting software vs a PDF workflow

How you void an invoice depends on where your invoices live.

• Accounting or billing software. Most platforms offer a void or cancel action on an unpaid invoice. It typically keeps the invoice visible with a zero balance and a void status, and reverses its effect on your receivables and sales reports. Many systems won't let you void an invoice that has a payment applied; you remove or refund the payment first, or issue a credit note instead. Check your software's help pages for exactly how it treats tax on voided invoices.
• Invoice generator or PDF workflow. There's no database doing it for you, so your invoice log is the official record. Keep the original PDF untouched, create a copy watermarked VOID, update the log entry with the status and reason, and file both copies together.
• Paper invoices. Write VOID clearly across the original and any copies, keep them in your invoice book in number order, and note the reason on the stub.

In every case the goal is the same: anyone reviewing your records later (you, your accountant or a tax inspector) can see that the number was used, why it was cancelled and what replaced it.

Mistakes to avoid when cancelling invoices

• Deleting a sent invoice. The client still has it, and your records now don't.
• Reusing the number. Two different invoices with one number is a reconciliation headache.
• Voiding a paid invoice. The payment needs a home: use a credit note and refund or apply it.
• Editing and resending under the same number. The client may now hold two versions of "the same" invoice.
• Not telling the client. They may pay a cancelled invoice and wait for a refund.

Many of these come from rushing the original invoice; our list of common invoice mistakes helps you avoid needing to void in the first place.

Create your replacement invoice

Voiding correctly is about keeping a clean trail: the original stays on file, the reason is recorded, and any replacement carries a new number. Open the free invoice generator, choose the understated Slate invoice template, create the corrected invoice and reference the cancelled one in the notes.