A credit note reduces what a customer owes you after a bill has gone out. You raise one when goods come back, when the rate on the bill was wrong, or when you agree a discount afterwards. In Aicountly Billing the whole job is done on one screen, and Aicountly Smart Books numbers the note and works out the GST for you.
Before you start
You need permission to raise credit notes. If your profile does not include it, the screen tells you so and you should ask the owner of your company to change your access. Also check that the right company and financial year are open at the top of the page, because the date of the note must fall inside that year.
Open the credit note screen
Select Credit note from the More options. The screen has a section called Credit note details at the top, then the items, and a summary on the side.
Say who, which bill and why
- Choose the customer. Their bills are loaded as soon as you pick them.
- Check the Credit note date. If it is outside the financial year, you will be asked to change the date or switch the year.
- Choose the bill the credit note is against.
- Pick a Reason: Goods came back, Goods were damaged or short, The rate on the bill was wrong, Discount agreed afterwards, Order cancelled, or Something else.
The Credit note number shows "Allotted on issue". You do not type it; Smart Books gives it a number from your company's own series when the note is issued.
Choose what the note does
Two choices appear under the reason. Goods came back returns the items to stock. Value adjustment only is for a wrong price or a later discount, and nothing goes back into stock. Your reason suggests one of these for you. You can change it, and once you do, a new reason will not change it again.
Fill in the items
When you choose a bill, its lines are added for you, except lines that earlier credit notes have already used up. Use From the bill to add a line you removed, or to add all of them. If goods are coming back, you can also use Scan to add an item by its barcode.
- You cannot credit more than was billed. If earlier notes took some of a line, the screen shows how much is still left.
- For returned goods, choose the Warehouse and the Condition: Good, Damaged, Opened or Scrap. Damaged and Scrap goods can only go to a damaged-stock or quarantine warehouse, so they are not counted as stock you can sell.
You can add a note in Remarks, up to 500 characters. It goes to Smart Books with the credit note.
Issue the credit note
Select Issue credit note. A box called "Issue this credit note?" shows the customer, the bill, the stock effect and the total with GST. Read it, then confirm. It is sent to Smart Books at once and cannot be edited afterwards. If you are not ready, use Save draft to keep it on this device and come back later.