How are my invoice numbers correct vis-à-vis the tax authorities?

How are my invoice numbers correct vis-à-vis the tax authorities?

This article has been machine translated. If you find any errors, we would be grateful if you could report them to translation@timesensor.com.

In timeSensor LEGAL, an invoice is considered provisional as long as it is still in the unprinted invoices. If you delete the invoice, the invoice number is placed in the pool of reusable numbers and is automatically drawn again when the next invoice is created. Therefore, you can easily delete an invoice created on a trial basis and create a new one; the invoice number will usually remain the same.

Delete or credit invoice

If the invoice has been finalised and is accordingly in the open invoices, the number is definitely assigned. If you now delete the invoice, for example because the client initiates a correction, you can either credit the issued invoice (i.e. create a credit note) or delete it. For this purpose, timeSensor LEGAL brings up the adjacent query.

Rechnung löschen oder gutschreiben
Most of the time, one will decide to create a credit note for reasons of transparency. However, there may also be cases where it is not worth creating a credit note.
Let's say you prepare an advance invoice for a new client and send it to him. Now the client decides at short notice to instruct another lawyer. In this case, you can forget about issuing the credit note and simply delete the advance invoice instead.
Even in strict Germany, a numerical sequence of invoice numbers is not mandatory. Only the uniqueness of the issued invoice number must be guaranteed.
In the example of the advance invoice, however, it makes sense for internal documentation purposes to attach a corresponding memo to the PDF copy of the advance invoice (which is still in the document archive).

Influence invoice numbers

In the Settings section, in the Parameters window, you can influence the numbering of the invoices. You may want to increase the invoice number - for example, the client does not need to know that he is receiving the very first invoice from the newly established law firm.

In addition, the pool of reused invoices can also be accessed here. As a rule, however, timeSensor LEGAL manages this pool independently and manual intervention is not necessary.


    • Related Articles

    • How Can I Make Sure That My Invoice Numbers Are Compliant With Regulations?

      As long as an invoice is saved under "unprinted invoices" it will be considered a temporary draft. If you delete the invoice, its number will be released and reassigned to the next invoice. Therefore, you can always delete a draft invoice and ...
    • How Can I Modify the Tax Rates?

      This FAQ entry will show you how to modify tax rates in timeSensor LEGAL, should that become necessary. Go to "Special", then choose "Tax Rates" in the "Accounting" menu. Double-click the current tax rate and choose "Change Tax Rates" in the "Tools" ...
    • Why is an advance not automatically credited to an invoice?

      When an advance invoice is created, it is necessary for it to be printed in order to be successfully placed and archived. On the other hand, it must be booked as paid to be credited to an invoice. Nevertheless, this may not happen automatically. You ...
    • How Can I Create a Collective Invoice?

      When a client has several cases, you may want to enter services in each case individually, but create a collective invoice. To do this, you will need an invoice file (billing file), which is a case used exclusively to invoice other cases (but which ...
    • How do I create a collective invoice?

      If a client has many mandates, the desire may arise to record services on the individual mandates but to bill them in the form of a collective invoice. In order to accomplish this, you should set up a fee file (billing file). This is a mandate on ...