Hello, I'm confused about the number sequencing when issuing tax invoices and receipts. When an invoice is issued, it obviously uses one number. When the customer pays later, does the receipt have to match the invoice or simply use whatever number is next in sequence? For example:

Sequential numbering only:

DATE..................TYPE.....................NUMBER

Jan 1....1st invoice for 1st customer.........#100001

Jan 4....2nd invoice for 2nd customer.........#100002

Jan 8....3rd invoice for 3rd customer.........#100003

Jan 16...1st customer pays, so issue receipt..#100004 (can put "Ref inv. #100001")

Jan 22...4th invoice for 4th customer.........#100005

Jan 28... 2nd customer pays, so issue receipt..#100006 (can put "Ref inv. #100002")

Matching numbering:

DATE TYPE NUMBER

Jan 1....1st invoice for 1st customer.........#100001

Jan 4....2nd invoice for 2nd customer.........#100002

Jan 8....3rd invoice for 3rd customer.........#100003

Jan 16...1st customer pays, so issue receipt..#100001

Jan 22...4th invoice for 4th customer.........#100004

Jan 28...2nd customer pays, so issue receipt..#100002

To me, reusing a number for a receipt that an invoice was previously assigned doesn't seem right, but I'd rather be corrected if I'm wrong!

you have been incorrectly informed. Running numbers for Invoices and Tax Receipts do not correlate. They are independent, as obviously, payment is not received in the same order.

So, when its invoice time, the next invoice receives the next number from the invoice queue.

When its receipt time, the next receipt receives the next number from the receipt queue.

Our accountant also advised us to put on the receipt the invoice number that the receipt related to.

Thanks for your reply, Moonfruit. So receipt numbers should use a completely different number range, so that the invoice numbers are in strict numerical order? That makes sense. I'm wondering why I'm getting conflicting advice at all on this important issue. What are other people's experiences?

There are two alternatives.

1. Issuing invoice and receipt together in batch.

This way, invoice and receipt will have the same number. There must be a statement saying "documents issued in batch" on every copy. Payments may not be received in the same order of numbering but that is not the matter or problem for bookkeeping. A capable person can handle it easily.

Advantages:

- easy to refer between invoice and receipt

- by using carbon or NCR paper and dot matrix printer, work can be done efficiently and economically, good for business that has to issue a lot of invoices/receipts.

2. Issuing invoice and receipt separately

Invoice and receipt have separate running numbers. This is good for business that does not have a lot of documents. More flexible to prepare documents. No need to buy high-priced dot matrix printer and carbon/NCR paper. However, by using ink-jet printer, printing cost per page is high.

If my company is VAT registered and I sell fashion accessories, do I have to issue a TAX INVOICE immediately when one of the retailers orders my products even though he has not paid me yet? Can I issue an "INVOICE" first and then issue a "TAX INVOICE / RECEIPT" when he makes payment say in about 2 months' time?

I tried asking around but some people tell me that this can be done only for SERVICE industry.

There are two alternatives.

1. Issuing invoice and receipt together in batch.

This way, invoice and receipt will have the same number. There must be a statement saying "documents issued in batch" on every copy. Payments may not be received in the same order of numbering but that is not the matter or problem for bookkeeping. A capable person can handle it easily.

Advantages:

- easy to refer between invoice and receipt

- by using carbon or NCR paper and dot matrix printer, work can be done efficiently and economically, good for business that has to issue a lot of invoices/receipts.

2. Issuing invoice and receipt separately

Invoice and receipt have separate running numbers. This is good for business that does not have a lot of documents. More flexible to prepare documents. No need to buy high-priced dot matrix printer and carbon/NCR paper. However, by using ink-jet printer, printing cost per page is high.

Hi Wekhin,

I refer to method 1 which you mentioned. For example, issue a tax invoice and receipt of 10,000baht with the same number #0000123, dated 10/10/2008.

What if the customer pays only 2,000baht this month and pays 8,000baht next month?

What shall we do for these 2 months? Do we use the same receipt #0000123 which had already been generated this month and then re-print a copy for next month?

Or do we have to change the numbering, say #0000123A and #0000123B?

How about the date, do we write the current date or the date it was issued?