To cancel an invoice in Invoice Simple, open the invoice in the mobile app or web portal, tap or click the menu on the invoice, and choose void to keep it on file with a zero balance or delete to remove it entirely. Void anything you’ve already sent to a client. Delete only true drafts.
Void or Delete: Which One to Use
Voiding zeros out the invoice but leaves the document in your records with a void status. That paper trail explains why a particular invoice number has no corresponding payment, which answers the obvious question if an accountant or the IRS ever asks about a gap in your numbering.
Deleting removes the invoice as though it never existed. Fine for a draft you created by mistake and never sent. Risky for anything a client has seen, because you lose the ability to prove the invoice existed and the gap in your sequence can look suspicious during a review.
The IRS doesn’t specifically require you to keep voided invoices, but it does require records that “clearly and accurately reflect your gross income and expenses,” and keeping voided invoices makes that easier to demonstrate.1Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 305, Recordkeeping
Canceling in the Mobile App
Open Invoice Simple and tap the invoices icon at the bottom of the screen. Scroll or search by client name or invoice number to find the one you want, then tap it to open the detail view.
Tap the three-dot menu icon in the corner. The dropdown includes options to change the invoice’s status. Choose void to keep the invoice on record with a zero balance, or delete to remove it. The app asks you to confirm before processing the change.
Canceling in the Web Portal
Log in through your browser and go to the invoices section from the side menu. Scroll or use the search bar to find the invoice by number, client name, or amount.
Click the invoice to open it, then use the action or more button in the toolbar. Pick void or delete from the dropdown and confirm. The change syncs to your account, so it also shows up in the mobile app.
If the Invoice Was Already Paid
Voiding the document in Invoice Simple doesn’t return the money to your client. You have to handle the refund yourself.
If the client paid through Invoice Simple’s payment processing, check whether the platform lets you issue the refund directly. If the payment came in through a bank transfer, check, or another outside method, arrange the refund on your own and update your accounting records to reflect the returned funds. Then void the original invoice in Invoice Simple so your records show a zero balance, and issue a credit memo to document why the money went back.
When a Credit Memo Is the Better Move
Sometimes you don’t need to cancel the whole invoice. Maybe one line item was wrong, or you want to give a client a partial discount after the invoice was sent. A credit memo adjusts the balance without erasing the original document.
Invoice Simple supports credit memos. To create one, you’ll need the original invoice number, the client’s information, the reason for the credit, and the credit amount. After you send it, apply the credit to the client’s account in your records so the outstanding balance updates correctly.2Invoice Simple. Credit Memos: What They Are and How To Write One
Credit memos help when a client has multiple invoices open with you. Instead of voiding one and creating a new one, you issue a credit the client can apply against a future payment. Your invoice numbering stays clean and both sides have a clear record of the adjustment.
Telling the Client
Invoice Simple won’t automatically notify your client that you voided or deleted their invoice. Send a short email or message explaining that the original invoice has been canceled and why. If a replacement is coming, say so, so the client doesn’t accidentally pay the old one.
When the cancellation involves a refund or credit, include a credit memo or a revised invoice showing a zero balance. That prevents disputes later and gives the client documentation for their own books.
Cleaning Up Your Books and Taxes
A cancellation can ripple into your tax records, especially if you’ve already reported the income or collected sales tax on the invoice.
Income Already Recorded
If you use accrual-basis accounting, you may have recorded the invoiced amount as income before the client paid. Voiding the invoice means you need to reverse that entry. If you use cash-basis accounting, unpaid invoices aren’t income yet, so voiding one before payment has no tax impact.
Sales Tax
If you collected sales tax on an invoice and later void it, you may need to adjust your sales tax filing to reclaim the amount. Most states let businesses take a credit or request a refund for sales tax collected on canceled transactions, though the filing window varies. Check with your state’s tax authority for the process and deadline.
Keeping the Record
The IRS generally wants you to keep records that support items on your return until the statute of limitations for that return expires, which for most returns means at least three years after filing.3Internal Revenue Service. How Long Should I Keep Records Voided invoices belong in that pile. They represent zero income, but they explain your invoice numbering and show why expected revenue didn’t come in.
One boundary worth naming: an unpaid invoice you decide to write off is a bad debt question, not a cancellation question, and the rules for claiming a bad debt deduction are separate from voiding the document in the app.4Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 453, Bad Debt Deduction