Reverse a posted voucher or discard a draft

A posted voucher can't be edited or deleted: that keeps the ledger honest. To correct one, you reverse it. The app posts a mirror voucher with every debit and credit swapped, so the pair nets to zero, and you then enter the right voucher. A draft never reached the ledger, so you simply cancel it (it stays on record as Cancelled) or delete it.

Before you start

• Vouchers posted by other modules (a demand's Sales voucher, a receipt or payout, a commission, a benefit accrual, a cancellation, a revenue run, the year-end close) show their source under Context and in Source. The app lets you reverse them here, but the demand, payment or other record is not told and stays as it was. Use that record's own action instead: cancel the demand, bounce the payment, reverse the revenue run (see Reverse a posted revenue run), or reopen the year.
• The reversal date must fall in an open fiscal year and an unlocked period, and can't be earlier than the original voucher's date.
• If the voucher opened a bill that has since been partly settled, reverse the settling voucher first.
• Permissions, in the role editor's words:
  • the View permission on Vouchers to open the voucher;
  • the Post permission on Vouchers to reverse (the default Finance Lead and Administrator roles);
  • the Edit permission on Vouchers to cancel a draft (also the Accountant);
  • the Delete permission on Vouchers to delete a draft (Finance Lead and Administrator).

Steps

Reverse a posted voucher

1. Open the posted voucher from Accounting > Vouchers, by its number or the Open icon. The voucher page shows a Posted badge and a Reverse button.
2. Click Reverse. The dialog "Reverse <no>?" opens: "A mirrored <type> is posted at once with every debit and credit swapped. Bills this voucher opened are settled back; bills it settled are reopened."
3. Check the Reversal date (it starts on today, or on the original date if that is later; hint "On or after the original date, in an open period.") and the Narration ("Reversal of <no>").
4. Click Post reversal. You see "Reversed by <no>." and the reversal opens, a voucher of the same type with the banner "This voucher reverses <no> dated <date>." The original now shows Reversed and the banner "Reversed by <no> dated <date>. The entries below no longer affect balances on their own."
5. If the entry should exist with other figures, enter it again with New voucher on the Vouchers list. See Record a manual voucher.

Discard a draft

6. Open the draft from Vouchers; it reads "Draft" under Voucher. The page "<type> draft" offers Cancel draft and Delete.
7. To keep a record that the draft was set aside, click Cancel draft. The confirmation "Cancel this draft?" reads "The draft stays on record as Cancelled and never reaches the ledger."
8. Click Cancel draft in the confirmation (the other button, Cancel, only closes it). You see "Draft cancelled." The status reads Cancelled, with the banner "This draft was cancelled; it never reached the ledger."
9. To remove a draft altogether instead, click Delete. The confirmation "Delete this draft?" reads "The draft and its lines are removed for good."
10. Click Delete in the confirmation. You see "Draft deleted." and you are back on the Vouchers list.

What happens next

• The original and its reversal both stay in the ledger report and day book; together they net to zero, and the trial balance and statements show neither's effect.
• Bills the original opened are settled by the reversal; bills it settled are open again on Outstanding bills.
• A reversed voucher can't be reversed again. A reversal is itself a posted voucher and can be reversed if needed.
• Cancelled and deleted drafts never counted anywhere. Clearing every draft of a year is required before the year can be closed: see Close a fiscal year.

If something goes wrong

• "This voucher has already been reversed.", "Only a Posted voucher can be reversed (this one is <status>)" or "The reversal date cannot be before the original voucher date.": open the reversal instead, refresh the page, or pick a later date. "A <status> voucher cannot be edited. Post a reversal instead." appears when you try to edit a voucher that isn't a draft. See Voucher cannot be reversed (trouble.accounting.cannot-reverse-voucher).
• "Bill <no> has <x> outstanding, allocation is <y>" in the dialog: part of a bill this voucher opened has been settled. Reverse the settling voucher first. See Voucher cannot be posted (trouble.accounting.cannot-post-voucher).
• "Period <n> of <FY> is locked", "That fiscal year is closed." or "No fiscal year covers that date. Open the next fiscal year under Books first.": choose a reversal date in an open period. See No open period for the date (trouble.accounting.fiscal-year-missing).
• No Reverse, Cancel draft or Delete button: your role lacks the Post, Edit or Delete permission on Vouchers. See No access (trouble.admin.no-access).

Related

• Voucher
• Vouchers
• Outstanding bills
• Record a manual voucher
• Post a draft voucher
• Reverse a posted revenue run