How to cancel or correct an invoice in Austria

An issued invoice is set in stone

In Austria an issued invoice cannot be edited or deleted — gapless numbering and audit-proof retention require it. If you find a mistake, you do not overwrite it; you offset it with a reversing document.

Storno vs. credit note

• Storno (cancellation): neutralises the entire original invoice — same line items, negative amounts, referencing the original number. Use it when the invoice was entirely wrong or the deal fell through.
• Gutschrift (credit note): a partial correction — a later discount, returned goods, one wrong line. The original stays valid; you only credit the difference.

What a Storno must contain

The same mandatory elements as a normal invoice (issuer, customer, date, VAT ID), plus a clear reference to the original: *"Storno zur Rechnung RE-2026-0042"*. It gets its own consecutive number, so the sequence stays gapless.

The common mistake

Many people just "throw away" the bad PDF and reissue with the same number. That is a tax-audit risk: a missing or duplicated number is spotted immediately.

One click in Billtree

On an issued invoice the Storno button auto-generates the cancellation document with the correct reference and number — exportable as an e-invoice (ebInterface/Peppol) too.

Never overwrite an issued invoice. Cancel it or credit it — and everything stays auditable.