Công cụ Tạo Giấy Ghi Có Miễn phí - Tải PDF | InvoiceBean

A credit note (also called a credit memo) is a document a seller issues to a buyer to reduce the amount owed on a previously sent invoice. Common reasons include returned goods, a billing error such as overcharging, services that were cancelled before completion, or a goodwill discount granted after the fact. Issuing a credit note is almost always cleaner than voiding the original invoice, because it preserves the audit trail and keeps your sequential invoice numbering intact — both of which matter to tax authorities. InvoiceBean's free credit note generator lets you reference the original invoice number, capture the reason for the adjustment, list the credited line items, and download a tidy PDF that can be sent to the customer or filed away for accounting. Like every InvoiceBean tool, it runs entirely in the browser with no signup and no watermark.

Required Fields Explained

Credit note number

A unique number in its own series (e.g. CN-2026-001) so credit notes are never confused with invoices.

Original invoice reference

The number and date of the invoice being adjusted — the single most important field for traceability.

Issue date

The date the credit was granted; this is the date used when posting the entry to your accounts.

Seller details

Your business name, address, and tax ID — required to mirror the original invoice.

Buyer details

The customer who received the original invoice; the credit must apply to the same legal entity.

Reason for credit

Return, overcharge, service cancellation, goodwill — auditors will check this matches the underlying event.

Credited line items and total

Which lines are being reversed (or partially reversed), with quantities, prices, and tax — the math should mirror the invoice.

How This Differs From Other Documents

A credit note is not the same as a refund: a credit note reduces the customer's outstanding balance and can be applied against future purchases, while a refund returns money to the customer's payment method. Many businesses prefer credit notes precisely because they keep cash inside the business. A credit note also differs from a debit note — a debit note moves in the opposite direction, increasing what the customer owes. Compared with simply voiding the original invoice, a credit note keeps the sequential invoice register intact, which is exactly what tax inspectors expect to see. Compared with a receipt, the credit note is an accounting adjustment rather than a confirmation of payment. For VAT/GST jurisdictions, credit notes must follow strict formatting rules so that the original tax claim is reversed — InvoiceBean keeps the layout aligned with those expectations.

Best Practices

• Always reference the original invoice number on the credit note — without it, the document is nearly useless to your accountant.
• Issue credit notes in their own number series (CN-…) so they remain visually distinct from invoices in any export or accounting screen.
• Match the tax treatment of the original invoice; if the invoice charged 10% VAT, the credit must reverse 10% VAT on the same lines.
• Capture the business reason in the document itself, not just in an internal note — auditors will ask why the credit was granted.
• If the credit is partial, list only the affected lines instead of restating the whole invoice; it makes the document easier to read.

FAQ

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