# Corrections: void, write-off, reversal

> The three ways OneBooks corrects posted documents — and why none of them edits history.

Canonical: https://docs.getonebooks.com/accounting/corrections/
Language: en
Documentation index: https://docs.getonebooks.com/llms.txt

Once something is posted, OneBooks never edits or deletes its ledger lines. Every correction is a **new** entry that cancels or adjusts the old one, so the audit trail is complete and any report can be re-run for any date.

## The three mechanisms

| You want to… | Use | What is posted |
|---|---|---|
| Undo a document that should not exist (duplicate, wrong customer) | **Void** the invoice or purchase; **delete** a payment, supplier payment or expense; **void** a contra | A reversal of the original entry. The document stays visible as **Void**. |
| Reduce a correct document after the fact (goods returned, price agreed down) | **Credit note** (sales return) or **debit note** (purchase return) | A new entry reversing part of the revenue or cost and tax. |
| Accept that a customer will never pay | **Write off** the invoice (through the API or support — see [Invoice statuses](https://docs.getonebooks.com/sales/invoice-statuses/)) | Bad-debt expense against the receivable; revenue stays. |
| Fix a manual entry | **Reverse Entry**, then post the correct one | The reversal plus the new entry. |

![The void confirmation on an invoice](https://docs.getonebooks.com/screenshots/en/sales-invoice-void.webp)

![The Reverse Entry action on a journal entry](https://docs.getonebooks.com/screenshots/en/accounting-journal-reverse.webp)

## What cannot be corrected directly

- A **sent invoice's lines, discount or reverse-charge flag** — void it and issue a new one, or use a credit note.
- A **cleared or reported ZATCA invoice** — only a credit note. See [Saudi Arabia](https://docs.getonebooks.com/tax/saudi-arabia/).
- Anything in a **locked or closed** fiscal year — unlock or reopen first. See [Fiscal years](https://docs.getonebooks.com/accounting/fiscal-years/).

## Dating of reversals

A reversal is dated in the original document's period when that period is still open; otherwise it is dated today, so a correction never lands inside a locked year.

## Related

  - [Invoice statuses, void and write-off](https://docs.getonebooks.com/sales/invoice-statuses/)
  - [Journal entries](https://docs.getonebooks.com/accounting/journal-entries/)