How to create and send invoices in CalCal

CalCal lets you create professional invoices, link them to customers, and generate PDF copies you can email or print. Invoices appear in your accounts as income (receipts) and update what each customer owes you — so your books and customer balances stay in step.

Why invoice in CalCal?

Instead of a separate invoicing tool, CalCal connects invoices directly to your daily entries and customer records. When a customer pays, you record the receipt against them and the balance clears. Reports such as Takings (receivable vs received) and customer statements include invoiced income automatically.

Where to create an invoice

• Menu → Invoice
• Dashboard → + button → Invoice
• Daily Entries calendar → add invoice for the selected day
• People → customer → Invoice (customer pre-selected)
• Credit note: People → customer → Credit Note

Every new invoice starts by choosing a customer (or adding one). Without a customer, the line-item form does not open.

Step by step — new invoice

1. Open Invoice from one of the options above.
2. Pick an existing customer or add a new one.
3. Set the invoice date.
4. Add line items — tap Add Item or Add Labour.
5. Review Subtotal, VAT, and Total (VAT shown when your business is VAT registered).
6. Optional: add Notes, customer reference, or record Paid Already if they paid on the spot.
7. Tap Save (tick in the header).
8. Tap Download or Share to generate the PDF.

The invoice form — what each part does

Customer block

• To: customer name — tap to edit customer details while the invoice is still open (draft)
• Customer’s Ref — their PO or reference number (optional, appears on PDF)

Header fields

• Date — invoice date (feeds VAT period and reports)
• Status — Open (draft), Sent, or Overdue. Icon turns green when sent, red when overdue
• Income category — shown if you have more than one income type in Settings

Line items

Each line can be a product/service item or labour:

• Add Item — Ref (optional code), Description, Unit price, Qty, Unit (kg, boxes…), line Total, VAT rate, optional Discount
• Add Labour — Hourly rate × Hours (shortcut for time-based work)
• Start typing a Ref to pick saved items from your catalogue (if configured in Settings)
• Swipe a line on draft invoices to copy or delete it

Totals recalculate automatically as you add lines.

Notes and payment

• Notes — free text on the invoice (terms, thank-you message, etc.)
• Paid Already — if the customer paid part or all of the invoice when you raised it. Enter the amount and choose To account (bank/cash). The rest stays as their balance

PDF, download, and share

Use the Download (save PDF) or Share (email / other apps) buttons at the bottom. CalCal generates the PDF on the server — you need an internet connection.

When you download or share a draft invoice, CalCal asks: “Mark Invoice as sent? This will close the invoice and prevent further changes.”

• Yes — status becomes Sent; invoice becomes read-only (audit trail for tax/VAT)
• No — PDF still generates; invoice stays Open for editing

You can also set status to Sent manually from the status dropdown before saving.

Your business name, address, bank details, and payment terms on the PDF come from Settings → About your business. Check these before sending your first invoice.

Invoice statuses explained

Invoices appear on the Daily Entries calendar with their invoice number. Void invoices show greyed out.

When the customer pays

If they did not pay in full when you raised the invoice:

1. Record a receipt on the day payment arrives (Daily Entries or People → customer).
2. Link it to the same customer.
3. Set Received to the payment amount — their outstanding balance reduces.

Alternatively use Paid Already on the invoice if they pay at invoice time.

Check balance and statements under People.

Credit notes

A credit note reverses all or part of a sent invoice — for refunds, billing mistakes, or cancelled work.

1. Go to People → select the customer → Credit Note.
2. Add negative lines (same item editor as invoices).
3. Save and send PDF like a normal invoice.

CalCal warns that creating a credit note makes the original invoice read-only. That is expected — the credit note is the proper reversal for tax and VAT records.

If you try to delete a sent invoice, CalCal shows: “Invoice already sent. Issue credit note instead.”

Editing and correcting invoices

If CalCal says “Invoice has total” when deleting, the invoice still has line amounts — clear lines on a draft, or use void/credit workflow if sent.

Tips

• Set up customers in People first — invoicing is faster with saved names and addresses.
• Use clear line descriptions — they appear on PDFs and in your Takings report.
• Recent invoices show on the dashboard for quick access.
• VAT-registered businesses: ensure VAT registration is enabled in Settings so invoice VAT matches your returns.
• Mark as Sent only when you are happy with the PDF — sent invoices lock for audit purposes.
• Run the Takings report to see Receivable vs Received per customer — see Reports.

Common questions

Can I invoice without using the customer list?

Proper invoices require a customer record for balances, PDF address block, and statements. Quick cash sales can use a simple receipt in Daily Entries instead.

Why can’t I delete my invoice?

Sent or overdue invoices, or invoices with payments, must be voided or credited rather than deleted. Draft invoices with amounts show “Invoice has total” until lines are cleared. CalCal protects your audit trail for tax and VAT.

Do invoices count in my VAT return?

Yes — invoiced income with VAT flows into your VAT reports when registered. See VAT Returns and MTD in CalCal.

PDF failed or won’t share

PDF generation needs internet. Save the invoice first, check connection, then retry Download or Share.

Wrong bank details on PDF

Update Settings → About your business and regenerate the PDF.

When to contact support

Contact support if PDF generation fails repeatedly, if you need to correct a sent invoice and the credit-note flow will not work, if invoice totals do not match Reports after verified entries, or if invoice numbering looks broken.

Related: Customers and suppliers · Daily Entries · Reports · Settings

Quick reference