Credit Notes and Refunds Log

Who this is for

Every credit, traced to its invoice. Each credit note issued gets a line linking it to the original invoice, with the reason and whether money went back, so your sales figures can be adjusted and the adjustment explained.

Sole traders and freelancers who occasionally reduce or cancel an invoice, give a refund, or settle a dispute with a partial credit.

What this helps you track

• Each credit note number and the invoice it reduces
• The customer, the amount and the reason
• Whether money was refunded, when and how
• The period's total credited and total refunded
• A trail to explain lower sales figures later

How to use it

1. Write the business and the period the log covers at the top.
2. Give each credit note the next number in your own sequence and enter the date and customer.
3. Write the original invoice number and the amount credited, and a short, specific reason.
4. If money was paid back, enter the amount refunded, the date and how it was paid; if the credit was set against a later invoice, leave the refund blank and say so in the notes.
5. Add up the credited and refunded columns at the period end, or let the browser version total them.
6. Adjust your sales records by the total credited, and file each credit note with its invoice.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

What is the difference between a credit note and a refund?

A credit note reduces what a customer owes on an invoice. A refund is money actually paid back. A credit can be refunded, or kept against a future invoice, which is why the log records both.

Can I just edit or delete the original invoice?

It is usually clearer to leave the invoice as issued and record a credit note against it, so the numbering has no gaps and the change is explained. Check the rules where you are if you are unsure.

How do I number credit notes?

Use a sequence of your own that cannot be confused with your invoice numbers, such as a prefix, and never reuse a number. The log keeps them in order.

Should I record refunds made through a card or platform?

Yes. Note the platform as the method. It helps when matching the refund to your bank or platform statement at month-end.