Record a customer return

A customer return records goods that come back from a customer. Every return is tied to the sales invoice the goods were sold on, so the system knows the price, the discount, the tax and how much is still returnable. Saving it puts the goods back into stock and reverses the sale in the books.

Before you start

• You know the customer and the invoice the goods were sold on.

• You need the permission to add customer returns.

Steps

1. Open Sales › Customer Returns and select New return.

1. Under What is being returned, choose the Return type: By item lines to return some lines, or By whole invoice to return everything still outstanding on the invoice.

2. Choose the Customer, then the Sales invoice. Only that customer's invoices are offered.

3. For By item lines, under Returned lines:

   • choose the Item line from the invoice. Each line shows Sold {sold} · already returned {returned} · remaining {remaining}. A line marked already fully returned cannot be chosen;

   • check the Unit. The unit the item was sold in is preselected;

   • enter the Quantity to return. The unit price for the credit is shown as Unit price {price};

   • use Add line for each further line.

4. For By whole invoice, review the list under Everything still outstanding on this invoice will be returned:.

5. Select Save. The message Customer return created appears.

Rules the form applies

• You cannot return more than remains on a line: Exceeds what is left to return on this line ({qty}).

• The same invoice line cannot be added twice: This line is already on the return.

• If nothing is left to return: Nothing left to return on this invoice.

• The credit price comes from the original invoice line, net of the discount given at sale. You do not type it.

• Goods always go back to the warehouse they were sold from.

What happens next

• Stock of each returned item increases in its original warehouse.

• The sale is reversed in the books, including tax and cost of sales.

• The customer's balance is credited with the full amount including tax, whether the invoice was cash or credit. No cash leaves your cash box at this point. If the customer should receive money back, pay it from Accounting › Payments › Customer Refund. See How a return affects the customer's balance.

• All lines saved together form one return batch with a Batch no. The return document is printed per batch.

• If e-invoicing is on, the return is filed with the tax authority as a credit note.

Common questions

Can I edit or delete a return? Not from this screen. Check carefully before you save.

Why can I not delete the invoice any more? An invoice with a return recorded against it cannot be deleted.