Prevent invoices from being changed
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Fredrik G shared this idea 10 years ago
- Payments/Billing
- 23 Comments
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Once an invoice has been "issued" accounting practice in some countries does not allow for the invoice to be modified.
I know from a technical perspective that it's almost always possible to change a invoice as long as it's stored electronically, however lawmakers are not technical people and certain leeway is generally accepted in the implementation of this law. Usually the legal system accepts as a good enough solution a system that does not facilitate the change, even if it does not make it completely impossible.
Today's implementation of invoicing in WHMCS however does not just facilitate the changing of sent invoices, it actually makes it itself. Client data needs to be stored with the invoice data, today the invoice data just points to the client ID, if the client data is changed then so is the invoice data for historical invoices. This is not ok.
The usual implementation is system is to have a "invoice sent to client flag" and once that is set the invoice is saved in it's total and can not be changed easily though the system. Some system enables you to "uncheck" the flag and then change the invoice.
I know there are some workaround for this by saving the PDFs of the invoices in a 3rd place or by using the fixed PDF data plugin available as a addon, but they are workarounds and does not solve the basic problem in the system.
I know from a technical perspective that it's almost always possible to change a invoice as long as it's stored electronically, however lawmakers are not technical people and certain leeway is generally accepted in the implementation of this law. Usually the legal system accepts as a good enough solution a system that does not facilitate the change, even if it does not make it completely impossible.
Today's implementation of invoicing in WHMCS however does not just facilitate the changing of sent invoices, it actually makes it itself. Client data needs to be stored with the invoice data, today the invoice data just points to the client ID, if the client data is changed then so is the invoice data for historical invoices. This is not ok.
The usual implementation is system is to have a "invoice sent to client flag" and once that is set the invoice is saved in it's total and can not be changed easily though the system. Some system enables you to "uncheck" the flag and then change the invoice.
I know there are some workaround for this by saving the PDFs of the invoices in a 3rd place or by using the fixed PDF data plugin available as a addon, but they are workarounds and does not solve the basic problem in the system.
Merged Ideas
Be able to disable buttons "Cancel", "Delete" or "Edit" Orders and Invoices when an EU invoice is "Paid".
In EU Invoices Paid and sent, cant be later deleted, cancel or edit becauseits iligal.In WHMCS we can delete, cancel, or edit even if an Invoice is "Paid", but legaly cannot have that option to Delete, cancel or edit.
In EU Invoices Paid and sent, cant be later deleted, cancel or edit becauseits iligal.In WHMCS we can delete, cancel, or edit even if an Invoice is "Paid", but legaly cannot have that option to Delete, cancel or edit.
Manage Invoice-View Invoice
Replacement of Manage Invoice permission to Edit Invoice and add View Invoice permission.Currently the Manage Invoice permission is associated with View Invoice also and it's impossible to allow permission to view only invoices.
Replacement of Manage Invoice permission to Edit Invoice and add View Invoice permission.Currently the Manage Invoice permission is associated with View Invoice also and it's impossible to allow permission to view only invoices.
Invoices Should Follow Standard Accounting Procedures
Invoices once published should not be changed, ever! Late fees should be on a new invoice with a reference to the original invoice.
Invoices once published should not be changed, ever! Late fees should be on a new invoice with a reference to the original invoice.
29 Comments
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Thanks for the feedback. At present the invoice contact details can be locked using the Store Client Data Snapshot feature implemented in 6.0.
I understand that the desire for further restrictions on changes published invoices. In 6.2 we added the concept of Draft invoices, and building upon this we are considering implementing a new administrator role permission which would prevent users from being able to edit an invoice in a status other than Draft.
Please do let us know your thoughts on that proposal here in the comments or by up-voting this idea.
As John says you can edit a pro forma because is not a legal payment document is just an invoice pendant to be accepted. But.. once the invoice become final invoice this can not be edited.
Also... WHMCS needs to allow create a different Prefix and sequential numbering for rectification invoices, that is needed to on a lot of European countries.
For Example:
A2017/00001
hosting service = 10€
VAT 21% = 2.1€
Total = 12,1€
And you need to edit or refund this invoice, we need to create a negative invoice with different prefix and sequential numbering, for example
R2017/00003 (correction of invoice A2017/00001)
hosting service = -10€
VAT 21% = -2.1€
Total = -12,1€
So please revert that change and make negative invoicing possible again, and implement the future for locking invoices once published.
Thanks,
Haavard
So to clarify it's OK for pro-formas to be edited and changed, but once it becomes an invoice proper, the Options and Line Item fields should be locked?
Important data for every invoice gets saved to the database as soon as the invoice is created. Once the invoice has been paid WHMCS will generate a PDF file that will remain on the server and will ALWAYS be served to the client.
Also, you can edit your saved invoice data, in case the user makes some kind of mistake (vrong VAT, different currency etc).
On top of that, you can instantly save the data for all of the old invoices with just one click.
Check it out, i'm open for suggestions.
http://forum.whmcs.com/showthread.php?95294-M-BIT-Cached-Invoices-Addon-Module-for-WHMCS-Keep-your-invoices-intact-forever!
Once an invoice is created you can not change its contents, you have to create a rectification invoice, but never change the original invoice.