The system refuses a change for a small number of reasons, and each one has a way out. This is the whole list, worst-case first. If a button is greyed out or a delete is rejected, the answer is almost certainly here.
The month is closed
If you see INV-0020This document has a posting dated :date, which falls in a locked financial period. Unlock that period before changing or deleting the document. it means the document affects a month that has been closed off, so nothing in it can change. Either move the document into an open month by changing its date, or ask whoever manages your accounting months to reopen that one. See Financial Periods.
Note that the block is about every figure the document produced, not only its own date — a currency difference recorded in a later month is enough to stop a change.
The tax return has been filed
If you see ACC-0006This document has a posting dated :date, which falls in a filed tax period. Revert that tax filing to draft before changing or deleting the document. it means the tax period covering this document has already been submitted. Nothing inside a filed period can move, because the figures you filed have to keep matching your records. Revert that filing to draft first, if it is genuinely wrong.
Something has been built on top of it
If you see DOC-0016This document has been used by a downstream document. Remove it first. it means another document was created from this one — an invoice from your order, a delivery from your invoice, a goods receipt from your purchase order. The later document depends on this one's figures, so this one is frozen until you remove it.
To find out what: open the document and look at Linked Documents. Work backwards, removing the newest first.
Money has been matched to it
If the bottom of the screen reads Locked — has linked receipts or payments, it means a receipt or a payment has been matched against this bill. Remove the cash entry first, then the bill will unlock. See Receipts.
Two related locks work the same way. Locked — finalized bank reconciliation means the payment behind it is part of a completed bank match; release that first. Locked — foreign currency rounding adjustment by settlement means a currency difference has already been settled against it.
It has been sent out electronically
Once a document has been transmitted over the InvoiceNow network it can never be unlocked or deleted, because the copy your customer received cannot be recalled. Correct it the way you would correct a paper invoice: raise a credit note. See Taking goods back and crediting a customer.
The record is in use
If you see "This record cannot be deleted because it is referenced in transactions." it means a customer, item, account or similar has been used on at least one document. Deleting it would leave holes in documents you have already sent, so it is refused. Switch it off with the Active toggle instead: it stays in your history and stops appearing on anything new.
Two records go further and can never be deleted from the screen at all: customers and suppliers. Deactivate them.
Everything else
- A greyed-out field on an otherwise editable form usually means the value is now derived from something else, or the record has moved past the point where it can change. A stock item's tracking choice locks as soon as it has movements, for example.
- A greyed-out action with a tooltip about permission means your role does not include it. Ask whoever runs your workspace — see Inviting your team.
- A padlock on a menu item means the feature is not part of your current plan.
- An order that will not confirm may have been closed or cancelled: Reopen it first.