Discount invoice from "next invoice number" computation

Feature Request
1

Hello,

I am selling on Amazon, and using their VAT Calculation Service to auto-generate VAT invoices for business customer purchases. This uses a separate (monotonic) invoice numbering scheme, to comply with VAT regulations, but is different to the numbering scheme I’m using in my primary business.

The problem is, when I recreate these invoices in Quickfile, the next invoice number is set to one above the last invoice created (as I understand from reading previous posts on this topic), and therefore, new invoices start following the Amazon scheme, and not my own scheme. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem, because the next invoice I create, I could just override the next invoice number - but, my business primarily issues recurring invoices, and so the next invoices generated by that system, start counting from the most recent Amazon invoice.

I understand there is no “next invoice number” field to set, but I was wondering if it would be feasible to tag invoices to be discounted from invoice number generation, so that when Quickfile decides on the next number to use, it looks at the most recent invoice that is not tagged, and adds one to that.

Feature requested
I would like the ability to “tag” an invoice, to indicate that its number should not be used to compute the next invoice number.

Typical use case
It would be used when invoices following an external numbering scheme need to entered into Quickfile, and not have them affect the main numbering scheme, especially for recurring invoices.

How I would expect it to work
I would expect this to work by having a boolean flag per invoice (a checkbox), which can be selected during invoice creation. Activating this flag would instruct the “next invoice number” generation logic to ignore this invoice when deciding what the next invoice number should be, i.e. falling back to the most recent untagged invoice.

I’m proposing this feature to be opt-in, so that default behaviour is unaffected.

Please let me know if I can provide any further details, or clarify any points above.

Best wishes,
Tom

2

Sorry to bump this topic, but I’m really struggling to even find a workaround to this. Whenever I put in the Amazon invoices, there’s just no way for me to get my recurring invoices back on track. I’d love any suggestions as to how I can ameliorate the situation (without disabling auto-invoicing from Amazon, and without having to manually approve every recurring invoice, and fixing the numbers before sending them out)

In reference to the following post: Set next invoice number - #30 by Glenn I think there is another potential option.

The referenced thread deals with two potential solutions:

(1) Having a company-wide setting that indicate the next invoice number to be used.
(2) Having a setting that dictates the next invoice numbering policy, either:
(a) Last created +1 (the current system)
(b) Lexicographically highest +1

There was vague support for (1), but as an alternative to my proposal (in my previous post), I would like to propose a variation on (1), and having an optional setting that allows you to specify the next invoice number.

The discussion in #5444 centres around a field that would need to be updated every time an invoice is created, with the next number to be used, however, I propose the field to be optional.

When creating an invoice, if this field is unset, the system would default to “last created +1”, as usual. If this field is set, then it would use the number from this field for the next invoice number, and if the resulting invoice is saved, then this field is unset - effectively reverting to the original logic.

I’d really like a solution to this - or even a workaround to get my invoicing back on track.

Best wishes,
Tom

3

Hi @Tom_Spink

My initial thought would be that maintaining dual or multiple invoice numbering sequences in QuickFile may be complicated and error prone.

Iwould suggest instead that rather than cloning each and every Amazon invoice into QuickFile, that you look at making bulk daily, weekly or monthly postings with headline figures.

The other more complex approach would be to rely on some sort of API integration or link (possibly via Zapier) to auto create the invoice in QuickFile and override the number.

HMRC requires invoice numbers to be sequential, but they do allow for more than one number series.

We could in future look at supporting custom series, but we’d need to consider how we’d associate a given series to a given invoice or client.

Happy to leave open for further discussion.

4

Hi @QFMathew,

Thank-you so much for your reply.

Iwould suggest instead that rather than cloning each and every Amazon invoice into QuickFile, that you look at making bulk daily, weekly or monthly postings with headline figures.

In this case, I would lose the connection between invoices that have been generated for business customers, who often always want a VAT invoice. Amazon generates this invoice (on my behalf) and supplies it directly to the business customer, therefore, technically it is my invoice and I feel like I should record it as such.

I think what you’re suggesting is that I create a “weekly invoice”, which includes all the orders for that week. The question is, would it be acceptable to then list each Amazon-generated VAT invoice as a line in that Quickfile invoice, (referencing the Amazon-generated invoice number for each line)? I’d also have to include the PDF version of the invoice that was sent to the customer, for completeness.

It loses some fidelity doing it this way, especially for business customers. If they ever wanted to request a statement, it would be quite tricky to do this.

The other more complex approach would be to rely on some sort of API integration or link (possibly via Zapier) to auto create the invoice in QuickFile and override the number.

I have considered this, but I assumed that even if I used an API integration to create the invoice in QuickFile, and overrode the invoice number, it would still be “the last invoice created”, and so future invoices would start numbering from there. So, I don’t think this would work - unless my assumption is wrong!

HMRC requires invoice numbers to be sequential, but they do allow for more than one number series.

Yes, the Amazon generated invoice numbers are sequential, and since it’s a separate stream, for a separate business flow, it does not violate the invoice numbering guidelines.

We could in future look at supporting custom series, but we’d need to consider how we’d associate a given series to a given invoice or client.

That sounds like a decent long-term solution, however, since Amazon is generating the invoice numbers, then I still don’t have any control over that series – ideally, I need Quickfile to ignore the numbering for some invoices, so it doesn’t disturb the main autonumbering scheme.

Thanks again!

Best wishes,
Tom

5

It’s the same concept as any e-commerce site, or even a physical bricks and mortar store. The invoices being produced there are the true copy and the record on QuickFile is just for the entry to be accounted for. We even have a cash register tool which may help with this with simple entry - Cash Register Tool.

But this guide may also help which looks at the bulk sales option (without using the cash register tool): Accounting for daily takings

You are correct, the same thing would apply and the next invoice created within QuickFile would use the last invoice number used and add 1 to it.

We have other users on QuickFile who use Amazon, so they may very well add their own solution for this in their replies below.