# Invoice statuses, void and write-off

> What Draft, Sent, Partially Paid, Paid, Void and Written Off mean, when an invoice counts as overdue, and how to void or write off correctly.

Canonical: https://docs.getonebooks.com/sales/invoice-statuses/
Language: en
Documentation index: https://docs.getonebooks.com/llms.txt

An invoice moves through a small set of statuses. Two of them — **Void** and **Written Off** — are corrections, and they mean different things for your books.

## Statuses

| Status | How it gets there | Ledger |
|---|---|---|
| **Draft** | Created but not sent. Fully editable. | Nothing posted. |
| **Sent** | You selected **Send**. Number and totals are final. | Receivable, revenue and tax posted. |
| **Partially Paid** | A payment smaller than the balance was recorded. | Cash against the receivable. |
| **Paid** | Payments cover the total. | — |
| **Void** | You voided a sent invoice that had no payments. | The original entry is reversed. |
| **Written Off** | You wrote off the unpaid balance as a bad debt. | Bad-debt expense against the receivable. |

**Overdue** is not a status: it is a filter for **Sent** or **Partially Paid** invoices whose due date has passed. The list, the dashboard and notifications all use it.

![The status filter on the Invoices list, including Overdue and Unpaid](https://docs.getonebooks.com/screenshots/en/sales-invoices-list-filter.webp)

## Void an invoice

Void an invoice that should never have existed — wrong customer, duplicate, cancelled order. Voiding **reverses the revenue**, as if the sale never happened.

1. Open the invoice and select **Void** in the header.
2. Confirm. The invoice keeps its number and stays visible with the **Void** status.

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

Rules:
- Only **Sent** invoices with **no payments, no allocations and no open credit notes** can be voided. Delete or reverse the payment first, or use a credit note instead.
- Saudi invoices already **cleared or reported** by ZATCA cannot be voided — issue a credit note. See [Saudi Arabia](https://docs.getonebooks.com/tax/saudi-arabia/).
- Voiding requires the **invoices.void** permission (owners and admins by default).

> **Accounting effect**
> A reversal entry with the original lines swapped: Credit **1100 Accounts Receivable**, Debit **4000 Sales Revenue**, Debit **2100 VAT Payable** (and Credit **4200 Discount Given** if there was a discount). The original entry is never edited; both stay in the ledger and net to zero.

## Write off a bad debt

Write off when the sale was real but the customer will not pay. The revenue **stays**; the loss is booked as an expense in the period you give up.

Writing off is currently done through the OneBooks API (`POST /invoices/{id}/write-off` — from a connected app, or by your accountant using the developer platform) or by asking support; a button in the invoice page is planned. The call takes the **amount** (default: the full balance; a partial write-off is allowed), the **date** and a **reason**.

Rules:
- A full write-off sets the status to **Written Off** and no payment can be recorded against it afterwards.
- A partial write-off keeps the invoice payable for the remainder.
- Requires the **invoices.writeOff** permission (owners and admins by default).

> **Accounting effect**
> Debit **5950 Bad Debt Expense** · Credit **1100 Accounts Receivable** for the written-off amount, in the same transaction that clears the invoice balance — so the receivables report and the ledger always agree.

## Void or write off — which one?

| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| Duplicate, wrong customer, order cancelled before delivery | **Void** |
| Goods returned or price reduced after delivery | **Credit note** — [Sales returns](https://docs.getonebooks.com/sales/sales-returns/) |
| Customer disputes part of the amount and you agree | **Credit note** for the disputed part |
| Customer went out of business or will never pay | **Write off** |

## Related

  - [Corrections: void, write-off, reversal](https://docs.getonebooks.com/accounting/corrections/)
  - [Document statuses](https://docs.getonebooks.com/reference/statuses/)