---
key: void-or-write-off-an-invoice
title: Void, cancel or write off an invoice
audience: staff
section: sales-billing/invoices
routes: ["/invoices/:uid"]
permissions: ["billing.invoices.void"]
features: ["billing.invoices"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Stop billing for an invoice the right way. Discard or cancel a draft, void a sent invoice nobody has paid, or write off a balance you will not collect.
keywords: [delete invoice, cancel invoice, void invoice, bad debt, uncollectible, write off, customer won't pay, remove invoice, invoice made by mistake]
related: [correct-an-invoice-with-a-replacement, correct-a-recorded-payment, record-a-payment, create-an-invoice]
---

In the sidebar, open **Sales & Billing**, then **Invoices**, and open the invoice from the list.

## Pick the right action

- **Discard draft**: a draft made by mistake. It goes to the trash and can be brought back for 30 days.
- **Cancel draft**: a draft you want kept on record as cancelled.
- **Void invoice**: an invoice that is no longer a draft, with no payment, credit, refund or deposit on it. It stays in your history as **Voided** and cannot be brought back.
- **Write off as bad debt**: an invoice that is no longer a draft, with a balance the customer will never pay. Nova records a bad-debt expense and lowers the balance. No money changes hands.

## Steps

1. Open the actions menu (the three dots at the top of the invoice) and press **See more**. These actions sit last, in red.
2. Choose the action that fits.
3. For **Void invoice** or **Cancel draft**, a window opens. Pick a **Reason category** when Nova asks for one, and add a **Business explanation** if it helps. For a void on an invoice the customer already has, **Email the customer about this status change** is ticked; check the **Recipients**, or untick it. Press **Void invoice** or **Cancel draft**.
4. For **Discard draft**, Nova moves the draft to the trash straight away, unless your organization asks for a reason first.
5. For **Write off as bad debt**, a panel opens with the full amount due in **Amount to write off**. Lower it to write off only part, type a **Reason**, check the amounts Nova shows, and press **Record write-off**.

## What you see

- A voided invoice's status chip reads **Voided**. A cancelled draft reads **Canceled**.
- A discarded draft leaves the list. To get it back within 30 days, press **Recently discarded** on the **Invoices** list and choose **Restore draft**.
- An invoice written off in full reads **Written off**, not **Paid**. Payments already received stay as they were.
- The write-off appears in **Payments** as its own entry. If the customer pays later, reverse the write-off there first, then record their payment. See [[correct-a-recorded-payment]].

## If something looks different

- **Void invoice** is greyed out: the invoice has a payment, credit, refund or deposit on it. Hover it to read why. Reverse or refund the payment first, or use **Write off as bad debt** for the unpaid part.
- **Write off as bad debt** is missing: the invoice is paid, voided or still a draft, or your role cannot record bookkeeping expenses.
- The amount was wrong rather than uncollectible: correct the invoice instead. See [[correct-an-invoice-with-a-replacement]].
- The status email could not be delivered: choose **Retry status email** from the actions menu.

[[route:/invoices|Open Invoices]]