June 1, 2022
How do I correct an error on an invoice?
Have you just sent an invoice but realized that you made a mistake? No worries. You can still revise an invoice. This is done with a corrective invoice. However, this will require extra effort, so it's important to always double-check an invoice to avoid errors.
Error in data
If you've made a small mistake, the tax authorities may not intervene and there is no problem. An invoice with the wrong address is therefore "no problem". It's not the intention and not nice towards the customer, but it's not a major issue. However, an invoice with significant errors such as an incorrect Kamer van Koophandel (KVK) number or a wrong VAT ID must always be corrected. This can be done with a credit note. Further explanation on how this works can be found under the credit note section.
Error in the amount
You should always correct an invoice with an incorrect amount. This can be done with a corrective invoice.
There are two types of corrective invoices: a credit note and a debit note.
Credit note (credit invoice)
You create a credit note in two cases:
- Your customer has overpaid, or the sale is no longer going through. In this case, your customer does not need to pay as much money as was mentioned on the invoice. This could be the case if you've given the customer a discount or if the customer returns something. A credit note is a negative invoice where the VAT amount is also negative. It's also possible to offset this credit note against other (future) sales invoices. You're not allowed to remove the original invoice.
- You made a mistake in the information on the invoice. In this case, you use the credit note to compensate for the "incorrect invoice". With the credit note, you book the exact opposite of the original incorrect invoice. This way, the credit note and the "incorrect invoice" cancel each other out. Then you create a new invoice with the correct information.
On the credit note, you refer to the invoice number of the original invoice. The invoice number of the credit note should be a sequential number from the last invoice. For credit invoices, you're not allowed to have a different invoice number sequence than for your sales invoices.
Debit note (debit invoice)
When you've charged too little on your invoice, you create a debit note. This is the opposite of a credit note. A debit note is simply an additional sales invoice.
You create a debit note in the same way as you would create a normal sales invoice. The invoice number must also be a unique sequential number from the last invoice. It's helpful (but not mandatory) to indicate on the invoice that it's a supplement to the "incorrect invoice".
So, if there's an error on your invoice, it's not a problem. You just need to make sure to correct it by issuing a corrective invoice.
