Ok… If I want to set my own numbering I can do it by changing the number of the first invoice. But what if I decide to do it long after I started by automatic numbering (1, 2, 3…)?
My understanding is that its consecutive from the last invoice.
So if you are currently at invoice 50 and you want to change to 2016inv50, it should go consecutively onwards after that. But best way to see is to create a couple of dummy invoices and see what happens.
@dalacor is partially correct. You can edit with a new number and Manager will increment from there. However, the example of using alphanumeric custom invoice numbers will not work as you might expect. Two examples:
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If you have been numbering automatically 1, 2, 3… and decide to add a year designator to the beginning, you could number the next sales invoice as 2016004. Manager will pick up with 2016005, 2016006…
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If you edit the number to 2016INV004, Manager will ignore the letters and the next invoice will be 2016005.
But not the previous ones?
No. Existing invoice numbers will not change. That would make it impossible to find an invoice if the customer asked a question. It would also interfere with prior assignments of receipts to invoices, and so on…
We have to have multiple types of invoices. Thus we number them A001, A002, A003 etc and B001, B002, B003 etc and there is aC series and so on.
This is the only drawback of the numbering system in manager.
Could there be a simple and elegant solution, so that we have different numbering for each invoice template?
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Straightforward numerical sequence is the simplest, most elegant solution there is. You have A’s, B’s, and C’s. Some users want dates in invoices. Others want large, random numbers so customers think they have more clients instead of getting three invoices with sequential numbers. No matter how many options Manager might offer, someone would want something else. It is just not possible to cover everyone’s wishes. And every feature like that adds to bloat.
The best way to meet everybody’s desires is to allow the numbers to be overwritten, as you can now.
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I’m looking for a pictures of a invoice
What exactly to you mean, @scorceraccounting? Have you installed the program? If so, create one. If you haven’t installed the program but are just wondering what they look like, they look different depending on what features are enabled and what information might be on a specific invoice. For example, if you enter discounts, there will be a discount column, but if you don’t, there won’t.
You see it is not a matter of choice. It is the law that implements to do this. And every mistake on a number costs 500 euros. In the senario that I do as I please I would also go you way too. Maybe you should integrate to the needs not of the customers but of the law.
Just to be clear: We also sell things but also sell services. The law forces us to keep 2 series of invoices. One for sales and one for services. And the same customer one day chooses to buy goods from us and we HAVE TO (not want to) invoice with the A series and the next day the same customer choose to buy services from us and we HAVE TO invoice with the sereies B. And in th next day he the customers pays a divident of the total of the 2 invoices.
This is an every day scenario and we WANT TO make manager.io to be able to cover this situation. So It would be nice to look at this and think about it better. Dont you agree TUT?
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Well, I agree it might be nice for you, @IKey . But Manager is being used by people in over 80 languages, which suggests more than 80 countries, with the potential for around 200 different sets of national laws, not to mention state, provincial, municipal, etc. Is it reasonable to expect the program to be kept up to date with all those? There are certainly many users from the Euro-zone, and to my knowledge, no-one else has raised this issue before.
My opinion is the program does a good job of being flexible enough to cover many situations. It is, after all, an accounting program, not a tax or legal program. Personally, I would be skeptical of any software claiming to cover situations from so many jurisdictions automatically. And I wouldn’t want to be using one as large as it would have to be to do that.
But I’m not the developer.
sure I see and I understand that. But what I am looking for is a solution, even one without the need of changing the program. In my mind all the other EU manager users may see that discussion and send us their way of handling this. Cause since it is not mentioned before everybody else has found a solution except me. 
About the legitity of the action, when one issues a formal document as an invoice he is responsible towards the law.
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@ IKey
I live in the Netherlands (a EU country) and I am very familiar with the VAT legislation, but there is not such a law in the Netherlands that we have separate ranges for different kind of activities or services. I would say, ask again at the tax-authorities.
By the way in which country do you live and what do you mean with: “And in the next day he the customers pays a divident of the total of the 2 invoices.” Dividend is a payment by the company to its share-holders. I think you used a wrong word, but I haven’t the slightest idea what you wanted to explain.
yes you are right of my poor english. not divident but a portion.
The EU law COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2006/112/EC states in article 226 that the invoice must have " a sequential number, based on one or more series, which uniquely identifies the invoice;"
It states “one or more series” because if you have two or more branch stores you have to have different series of invoices.
I can find no requirement in the directive for separate invoice series for separate branch stores. While the directive certainly allows them, it does not seem to require them.
Good point TUT! I will send the whole conversation to my accountant and will be back. I really agree with you.
From article 226
(2) a sequential number, based on one or more series, which uniquely identifies the invoice;
Looks standard to me?
On further investigation found this for UK HMRC
"The choice of using a different series of numbers lies with the business and it
may be used for instance for each branch, or for each type of supply or for each customer,
and covers as well self-billed invoices or invoices issued by third parties… "
found the above statement here: http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/sites/taxation/files/resources/documents/taxation/vat/traders/invoicing_rules/explanatory_notes_en.pdf
and as Tut stated before it is upon the business to choose it. And yes Manager.io can not be different for every different business out there. But it can supply the choice of using more than one series of invoicing. So that bussinesses that choose multiple series of invoicing will also find manager.io a suitable software for them .
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Hi, IKey
I checked the EU-directive you mentioned. In the Netherlands the situation is as follows:
When you have for example two branches and both branches have their own separate fully automated financial system with invoicing, both systems will have their own range of numbers. When one branch doesn’t have such an automated system (for instance invoicing with Excel) then it is not allowed to have separate ranges.
When you have one (automated) system for two branches, you have to use one range for both branches.
You are the first one on the forum talking about separate ranges. I would advise you to check with your tax-administration what is allowed and have it confirmed in writing. It is depending on the details.
Kind regards,
Hennie
October 22
yes you are right of my poor english. not divident but a portion.
The EU law COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2006/112/EC states in article 226 that the invoice must have " a sequential number, based on one or more series, which uniquely identifies the invoice;"
It states “one or more series” because if you have two or more branch stores you have to have different series of invoices.
Thank you Hennie for prooving my point. You say there are businesses in the NL that have to have seperate range of numbers (invoice series) for each branch.