How to Cancel an Invoice in Mexico: What It Means
Learning how to cancel an invoice in Mexico means voiding a CFDI you already stamped with the SAT, whether because it has an error, the transaction never actually happened, or you need to replace it with a correct one. It isn't the same as deleting the document: cancelling a CFDI is a formal process you run through the SAT portal or your invoicing system, and in most cases it doesn't take effect immediately — it only becomes final once the recipient accepts it.
Knowing how to cancel an invoice correctly avoids two common problems: the SAT rejecting the cancellation because you picked the wrong reason code, and your client ending up with a cancelled CFDI in their records without any warning, which complicates their own bookkeeping.
The 4 SAT Cancellation Reasons: 01, 02, 03 and 04
Every time you request a CFDI cancellation, the SAT system asks you to choose one of four reason codes. Picking the right one matters: it determines whether you need to issue a replacement invoice first and how it links to the original.
- 01 – Invoice issued with errors, with relation: use this when the CFDI has an error (amount, product code, the recipient's tax details) and you've already stamped the corrected invoice that replaces it. The SAT requires you to issue the new invoice first and link it to the one you're cancelling.
- 02 – Invoice issued with errors, without relation: applies when the CFDI has an error but you won't issue a replacement, such as an invoice duplicated by mistake.
- 03 – Transaction never took place: used when the sale or service was never actually delivered, like an order cancelled before fulfillment or a contract terminated with no economic effect.
- 04 – Nominative transaction related to a global invoice: for when you need to invoice a specific customer individually who was already included in a general-public global invoice.
Cancellation With Recipient Acceptance: How It Works
For most income CFDIs, cancelling an invoice isn't entirely up to you. When you request the cancellation, the SAT notifies the recipient through their tax mailbox (buzón tributario), and they have three business days to accept or reject it.
If the recipient doesn't respond within those three days, the SAT treats the silence as tacit acceptance and the invoice is cancelled automatically. If the recipient rejects the cancellation outright, the CFDI stays valid and you'll need to sort out the disagreement directly with your client before trying again.
When You Can Cancel Without Recipient Acceptance
The SAT allows cancelling a CFDI without asking the recipient to accept it in a handful of cases, including:
- Invoices with a total amount, VAT included, of up to one thousand pesos, as long as they don't carry an associated payment complement.
- Payroll CFDIs.
- Expense CFDIs, such as credit notes for discounts, returns, or rebates.
- Transfer CFDIs, used to support the movement of goods.
- Invoices issued to the general public (global invoices) or by foreign residents.
Outside of those cases, if your CFDI includes a payment complement (REP) or exceeds that amount, you need the recipient's acceptance — express or tacit — for the cancellation to be valid.
Deadlines for Cancelling an Invoice in 2026
The deadline to cancel an invoice is tied to the fiscal year in which you issued it. As a general rule, you can cancel a CFDI at the latest during the month you file the annual income tax (ISR) return for the year that invoice was issued. In other words, an invoice issued in 2026 can be cancelled, at the latest, during the period when you file that year's annual return.
Once that deadline passes, you can no longer cancel it on your own through the portal: cancellation only proceeds through a special request to the SAT, backed by the corresponding documentation, and the authority can take time to resolve it. That's why it's worth reviewing your CFDIs before the fiscal year closes instead of leaving cancellations for the last minute.
Substituting an Invoice Instead of Just Cancelling It
When the reason is 01 (errors with relation), cancelling an invoice isn't the first step: you first have to issue the correct CFDI and link it to the one you're about to cancel, using the matching relationship type from the SAT catalog. Only once that replacement invoice exists can you request the cancellation of the original.
That's different from issuing a credit note: a credit note is used when the original transaction still holds but you need to adjust the amount (a discount, a partial return, a rebate), while a reason-01 substitution is used when the entire invoice was wrong and needs to be replaced outright. Mixing up the two is one of the most common mistakes when correcting an invoice.
Step by Step: How to Cancel an Invoice on the SAT Portal
- Log in to the SAT portal with your RFC and password or e.firma.
- Find the CFDI you want to cancel by its fiscal folio (UUID), date, or the recipient's RFC.
- Select the correct cancellation reason (01, 02, 03, or 04).
- If the reason is 01, enter the fiscal folio of the CFDI that replaces the one you're cancelling.
- Confirm the request. If the case requires recipient acceptance, the system automatically sends the notice to their tax mailbox.
- Track the status: you can check whether the cancellation shows as "accepted," "pending," or "rejected" from the same portal.
If you issue your CFDIs through an invoicing system connected to the SAT, this same flow is usually available without leaving your platform, with the added benefit that the system can flag a CFDI automatically before it runs out of its cancellation window.
Common Mistakes When Cancelling an Invoice
- Cancelling without warning the client first, which triggers rejections and unnecessary back-and-forth.
- Choosing reason 02 when reason 01 actually applies, because you are going to issue a replacement.
- Missing the deadline tied to the annual return and having to file a special authorization request.
- Not checking whether the CFDI has a linked payment complement before assuming it doesn't need recipient acceptance.
- Cancelling the original CFDI before the replacement is stamped and properly linked.
Many of these mistakes come from managing invoicing manually across several people. Having clear rules and, when volume justifies it, a process connected directly to your invoicing requirements cuts down on how many cancellations you need in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cancel an invoice without my client's permission?
Only in the cases the SAT exempts from acceptance, such as payroll CFDIs, transfer CFDIs, invoices under one thousand pesos with no payment complement, or general-public invoices. In every other case you need their express acceptance, or the three business days to pass with no response.
What happens if my client rejects the cancellation?
The CFDI stays valid in the SAT's system. You'll need to resolve the situation directly with your client and, if it still applies, request the cancellation again once you both agree.
How much time do I have to cancel an invoice from the current fiscal year?
As a general limit, until the month you file the annual ISR return for the year that CFDI was issued. After that deadline, cancellation requires a special request to the SAT.
Does cancelling a CFDI with a payment complement work differently?
Yes. An invoice with a payment complement always requires the recipient's acceptance to be cancelled, regardless of the amount, because it documents a payment that was already received and applied.
Do I need CFDI 4.0 to cancel correctly?
Yes, cancellation works on invoices issued under the current standard. If you're still unsure about the fields and validations in the current version, check our guide to CFDI 4.0 first.
If your business ends up cancelling invoices often because of manual errors, rework between teams, or missed SAT deadlines, at AISDC we build CFDI invoicing systems that validate data before stamping, flag CFDIs approaching their cancellation deadline, and keep full traceability of every reason code and substitution.