Incorrect document

What should I do if I receive an incorrect credit note?

Short answer

Delivery of a credit note does not mean that the recipient automatically accepts its substance. Slovak Financial Administration guidance says that the recipient should contact the issuer and request correction of an obviously incorrect document. If the issuer cannot be contacted, the recipient is advised to notify the tax administrator, for example through a general submission.

Delivery ≠ recognition

The substantive assessment remains

The recipient can dispute the credit note.

Supplier contact

First step

Request an explanation or correction of a document.

Contactless supplier

Submission to the tax administrator

General administration is recommended.

BT-25 control

Verify reference

Check that the credit note refers to the correct invoice.

Detailed explanation

An incorrect credit note may contain an incorrect amount, an incorrect reference to the original invoice in BT-25, or may relate to a different transaction. From the perspective of factual acceptance, the recipient is not obliged to record it in their accounts, but it is in their own interest to resolve the situation directly with the supplier to avoid ambiguities in the control statement and in the accounts of both parties.

As set out in the Act

The VAT Act does not provide for a specific procedure for an incorrect credit note beyond the general rules for correcting the tax base under Section 25. The procedure, as set out in the official methodological and information materials of the Slovak Financial Administration, is based on an analogy with the existing approach to incorrect documents in paper or email form.

Practical examples

The recipient receives a credit note with an incorrect amount and contacts the supplier to request a correction.
The credit note refers to an invoice that the recipient has never received, so they do not record it in their accounts.
If the supplier cannot be contacted, the recipient reports the situation to the tax authority.

Most common mistakes

“I must always record a received credit note exactly as it was received.” Substantive acceptance remains with the recipient; delivery alone may not be sufficient.
“It is sufficient to ignore an incorrect credit note without taking any further action.” It is in the recipient’s interest to resolve the situation with the supplier.
“There is no procedure to follow if the supplier cannot be contacted.” It is recommended to submit a general report to the tax authority.

Conclusion

Do not treat an incorrect credit note as automatically accepted; seek correction from the supplier and, where necessary, notify the tax administrator.

Legal basis

Act No. 222/2004 Coll. on VAT, Section 25
Official methodological and information materials Financial Administration of the Slovak Republic k e-invoice