# Invoices

> From draft to finalized invoice, and how to correct one that is already out.

An invoice is a draft until a person finalizes it. Drafts can be changed freely and have no number. A finalized invoice has its number, cannot be edited, and is corrected with a credit note or a cancellation.

## Create a draft

A draft comes from one of four places:

- **Billing → Invoices → New invoice**, with lines you enter or add from the catalogue.
- A quote, with **Convert to invoice**.
- A project's unbilled time, with **Create draft** on the project's Billing tab or the **Bill project** wizard. See [Bill a project](/help/billing/bill-a-project/).
- A recurring invoice definition. See [Recurring invoices](/help/billing/recurring-invoices/).

## Finalize

1. Open the draft and check the lines, the VAT treatment and the delivery date. The app refuses to finalize without a delivery date or without lines, and asks you to confirm an unusual VAT treatment.
2. Click **Finalize**.

Finalizing assigns the next number from the numbering circle, with no gaps. It freezes your details, the customer's details and the currency conversion, and locks every time entry on the invoice.

## Send

Click **Send**. The PDF, with the embedded e-invoice, goes out from your connected mailbox. The sending is recorded on the contact's activity. You can also download **PDF (ZUGFeRD)** or the XRechnung file, see [E-invoices](/help/billing/e-invoices/).

## Correct an invoice

Finalized invoices are never edited.

- **Create Storno** creates a cancellation that reverses the invoice in full. Both documents keep their numbers and refer to each other.
- A **credit note** corrects part of an invoice.

Both copy the original's frozen conversion rates; nothing is converted again.

## Status

The invoice list shows each invoice as **Draft**, **Sent**, **Paid**, or **Overdue** with the days overdue. The status comes from the payment ledger, see [Payments and reminders](/help/billing/payments-and-reminders/).

![The invoice list](../../../assets/billing-invoices.png)