> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.flowpayroll.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Invoices and billing
> Raise invoices, issue credit notes, and sync billing records to your accounting provider.
Flow Payroll's billing module lets you raise invoices for the businesses you run payroll for — for example as a staffing agency or bureau — issue and apply credit notes, and push everything to an external accounting provider such as Xero. Invoices are created per client and can be generated automatically when payroll syncs to billing, or built manually.
The billing module is actively being developed. Core invoice and credit note management is available. Some features — such as payment recording and advanced reporting — may expand in future releases. Connect your accounting provider under **Settings → Billing → Integrations** to enable sync.
## Invoices
### Invoice lifecycle
An invoice moves through the following statuses:
| Status | Meaning |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Draft** | Created but not yet issued. Editable fields include due date, invoice number, reference, currency, and line amount type. |
| **Issued** | Sent or authorised for payment. No longer editable. Credit notes and payments can be applied. |
| **Paid** | Balance due is zero. |
| **Voided** | Cancelled. Cannot be reversed. |
### Viewing invoices
Navigate to **Invoices** in the main menu to see all invoices across all clients in a single table. You can also view invoices scoped to one client from the client detail page.
Filter invoices by status, invoice type (Sales or Purchase), client, amount range, date range, attachments, or line-item warnings (missing attachments, missing PO number).
### Invoice detail
Select any invoice row to open the detail view. It shows:
* **Invoice details** — client, organisation, amount, balance due, status, type, format, dates, invoice number, reference, currency, and line amount type
* **Line items** — a table of every line, with amount, tax, account code, and any warnings
* **Summary** — subtotal, VAT / total tax, total, credits applied, and total balance due
* **Credit applied** — credit notes allocated against this invoice
* **Attachments** — documents uploaded at the invoice or line-item level
### Editing a draft invoice
On a **Draft** invoice, you can change:
* **Invoice type** — Sales or Purchase
* **Due date**
* **Invoice number**
* **Reference** — e.g. a PO number or internal reference
* **Currency** — GBP, USD, or EUR
* **Line amount type** — Exclusive (amounts exclude tax) or Inclusive (amounts include tax)
Select **Save details** to apply changes. Once an invoice moves to Issued or beyond, these fields are locked.
### Voiding an invoice
On the invoice detail view, select **Void invoice** to cancel an invoice. Voiding is permanent and cannot be undone.
### Invoice attachments
You can upload supporting documents (PDF, Word, image files) to a draft invoice directly from the invoice detail view. Uploaded files appear in the **Invoice attachments** section and can be downloaded or deleted while the invoice remains a draft.
Line-item level attachments are uploaded and managed per line in the line items table. The invoice header shows a count of line-item attachments separately.
### Pushing to your accounting provider
If you have connected an accounting provider, select **Push to \[provider]** on the invoice detail view to sync the invoice. After a successful sync, a **Download PDF** button appears to retrieve the rendered invoice document from the provider.
You must push an invoice to your accounting provider before you can download a PDF. The PDF is generated by the provider, not by Flow Payroll directly.
## Credit notes
A **credit note** reduces an amount owed by a client. You can create a credit note standalone (leaving credit on the client's account) or allocate it directly against a specific invoice.
### Credit note lifecycle
| Status | Meaning |
| -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Draft** | Created but not authorised. Editable. |
| **Authorised** | Approved and available to allocate against invoices. |
| **Paid** | Fully allocated or reconciled. |
| **Voided** | Cancelled. Only authorised credit notes with their full balance remaining can be voided. |
### Creating a credit note
You can create a credit note from two places:
* The **Credits** tab on a client detail page
* The **Credit applied** section on an invoice detail view (when the invoice is in Draft or Issued status)
There are two creation modes:
Use **Quick Credit** for simple one-line credits. Enter an amount, a reason, and optionally a reference. The credit is created using the client's default revenue account and default tax rate.
Quick Credit requires at least one active tax rate and one active revenue account to be configured — either in the client's **Finance settings** or in **Settings → Billing**.
Use **Full credit note** for multi-line credits or when you need to choose account codes and tax rates per line. Add line items with description, quantity, unit amount, account code, and tax type. Set the date, line amount type (Exclusive, Inclusive, or No Tax), and an optional reference.
Save as a **Draft** first, then **Authorise** when ready to allocate.
### Authorising and allocating credit
A credit note must be **Authorised** before it can be applied to an invoice.
To apply credit to an invoice:
1. Open the invoice detail view.
2. In the **Credit applied** section, select **Apply credit**.
3. Choose the authorised credit note and enter the amount to allocate.
4. Confirm.
The invoice's balance due updates immediately. You can remove an allocation from the same section while the invoice is still in Draft.
To apply a full credit — creating a credit note for the full invoice amount and allocating it in one step — use **Credit entire invoice** on the invoice detail view.
### Credit notes on the client page
The **Credits** tab on a client detail page lists all credit notes for that client with their original amount, available balance, status, and any allocations. Expand a row to see usage (which invoices the credit has been applied to and for how much).
## Finance settings
Finance settings control how invoices and credit notes are created for a client. Configure them in the **Finance settings** section on the client detail page, or set organisation-wide defaults in **Settings → Billing**.
Key settings:
| Setting | Where to configure |
| ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Revenue account codes | Settings → Billing |
| Tax rates | Settings → Billing |
| Default payment terms | Client finance settings |
| Default currency | Client finance settings |
| Payroll mapping (pay elements → account codes) | Settings → Billing, overridable per client |
| Invoice and credit note templates | Settings → Billing, overridable per client |
| Invoice reference formula | Client finance settings |
For full details on client-level finance configuration, see [managing clients](/guides/bureau/clients).
## Accounting provider sync
Flow Payroll can push invoices and credit notes to an external accounting provider. When connected:
* **Clients** are synced as contacts.
* **Invoices** are pushed individually or in bulk.
* **Credit notes** are pushed and allocated in the provider.
* Sync status is visible on each invoice, credit note, and client row.
Connect your provider under **Settings → Billing → Integrations**. You can also import existing contacts from your provider as clients — see [managing clients](/guides/bureau/clients).
If a sync fails, the error message is shown on the invoice or credit note badge. Correct the underlying issue, then use **Retry Sync** or **Push to \[provider]** again.
## Where to go next
Add and configure the companies you bill.
Complete a pay run before syncing payroll to billing.
Automate invoice creation and sync via the Flow Payroll API.
Set up your organisation before using the billing module.