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How to delete a draft voucher in Smart Books

Remove a voucher you saved but never posted, either from the Drafts list or from the open draft itself.

Level: beginner · Updated 24 Oct 2026

Before you start

A draft is a voucher you saved but did not post yet. Nothing has reached your books from it. If you started a voucher by mistake or no longer need it, you can delete it. This guide shows two ways to do that.

Before you start

  • The voucher must still be a draft. A posted voucher is cancelled with the voucher's own Delete button instead.
  • You need permission to delete drafts in your company.
  • A draft that is waiting for an approver cannot be deleted. Drafts that are in draft, rejected or approved status can.

Way 1: delete from the Drafts list

  1. Open Drafts. On the voucher screen for the type you want, such as Receipt or Journal, select the Drafts button.
  2. Pick the voucher type. At the top of the list, select the type of voucher, for example Payment, Receipt, Contra, Journal or Credit Note.
  3. Find your draft. Check the Draft #, Date and Party or Narration columns to find the right one.
  4. Select Delete. In the Action column, select Delete beside the draft.
  5. Confirm. A box asks you to confirm. Select Delete draft. The draft is removed for good.

The list also shows each draft's status, and when it was last saved, so you can tell old drafts from recent ones. If the list says No saved drafts for this voucher type, there is nothing to delete for that type.

Way 2: delete while the draft is open

  1. Open the draft. From the Drafts list, select Open beside it.
  2. Look for the red button. Next to the posting buttons you will see Delete draft. Pointing at it shows the note: nothing has been posted from it.
  3. Confirm. Select Delete draft in the box that appears.

After the draft is deleted, a message says Draft deleted. If you were editing it, the screen resets to a fresh voucher or returns to where you came from.

Good to know

  • Deleting a draft cannot be undone, so check the narration and date before you confirm.
  • If the draft was created from a packing list, the packing list is released afterwards so it can be invoiced again. If that release fails, you will see a message saying the draft was deleted but the packing list was not released.
  • Deleting a draft does not change any balances, because nothing was posted.

Delete a posted voucher instead

If the voucher is already posted, it will not appear in Drafts. Open the posted voucher and use its Delete button, which cancels it in your books.

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Steps

  1. On the voucher screen for the type you want, such as Receipt or Journal, select the Drafts button.
  2. At the top of the list, select the type of voucher, for example Payment, Receipt, Contra, Journal or Credit Note.
  3. Check the Draft #, Date and Party or Narration columns to find the right one.
  4. In the Action column, select Delete beside the draft.
  5. A box asks you to confirm. Select Delete draft. The draft is removed for good.

Troubleshooting

Still stuck? Contact support or ask in the community.