GoInvoiceGenerator

Credit Note Generator

Correct or cancel an invoice you already sent, the proper way: with a credit note that refers to it.

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Client
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Items
DescriptionQty / hoursUnit priceEinheitUSt.Amount
Tax
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When you need a credit note

Once an invoice is sent, don’t edit it or delete it. If something was wrong (a price, a quantity, returned goods, a discount you forgot) issue a credit note that refers to the original invoice. It keeps your numbering and records complete, which tax authorities and accountants expect.

What to put on a credit note

  • The words “Credit note” and its own number from a separate sequence (CN-001 …).
  • The date, and the number and date of the original invoice.
  • The items or amount being credited, with tax shown separately if the original invoice had tax.
  • The reason, for example “goods returned” or “price correction”.

Partial and full credits

For a partial credit, list only the lines being reduced. To cancel an invoice completely, credit every line; then, if needed, issue a new correct invoice with a new number.

Germany: Rechnungskorrektur, not Gutschrift

In German business language a “Gutschrift” means an invoice the buyer issues on the seller’s behalf (self-billing, § 14 Abs. 2 UStG). A correction of your own invoice is a Rechnungskorrektur or Stornorechnung; with German tax rules the generator labels it that way.

Credit note or refund?

A credit note records that the client owes you less. What happens next depends on whether they had already paid: if not, they pay the invoice minus the credit; if they had, you either refund the money or keep the credit against their next invoice. Say which on the credit note, for example “Credit will be deducted from your next invoice” or “Refunded to your card on 12 November 2026”.

Tax on credit notes

If the original invoice included VAT or sales tax, the credit note should reduce the tax in the same proportion and show it separately. Choose the same tax rules and rate as on the original invoice.

Related calculators

Questions people ask

Can I just change the original invoice instead?

Not once it has been sent. Issue a credit note so your records show what happened; this matters for VAT and audits.

Does a credit note need a number?

Yes, a unique number, usually from its own sequence, plus a reference to the original invoice.

Formula checked October 2026 · How we calculate