Keep issued invoices unchanged (Austrian mode)

Some countries require an invoice to stay exactly as it was issued. Once you send an invoice, a later refund, cancellation, or order edit must be handled with a separate credit note, never by changing the original document. Austria is the best-known example.
Invoice Falcon's Austrian mode enforces this. When it is on, an invoice is locked the moment it is created, and nothing you or Shopify do afterwards will alter it.

Who this is for

Turn this on if your tax rules require issued invoices to be immutable. If you are not sure whether this applies to you, check with your accountant. The setting is off by default, and leaving it off keeps Invoice Falcon's standard behaviour, where an invoice updates automatically to reflect refunds and order changes.

How to turn it on

1. In Invoice Falcon, go to Settings.
2. Open the Compliance tab.
3. Under Lock invoices after issue, tick Keep issued invoices unchanged (Austrian mode).
4. Save your changes.

That is all. From now on, every new invoice is locked as soon as it is created.

What changes once it is on

With Austrian mode on:

• The first invoice for an order is created as usual, from the order's current details.
• After that, no later change touches the invoice — refunds, cancellations, and order edits leave the issued document exactly as it was.
• Viewing, printing, and downloading never change the invoice. You can open, print, or bulk-download a locked invoice as many times as you like and it stays identical to the version you issued.
• A locked invoice is not automatically re-emailed when the order changes, so your customer does not receive repeated copies.

To reflect a refund or cancellation on a locked invoice, issue a separate credit note for it. That is the standard, compliant way to make corrections in Austrian mode.

Two things that still update the invoice on purpose

• The first invoice for an order is always built from the order's current data, even if the order was already refunded before the invoice was created. The lock protects an invoice after it exists; it does not pre-empt the first one.
• Regenerate deliberately overrides the lock. If you manually use the Regenerate action on an invoice, Invoice Falcon rebuilds it from the current order data. This is an explicit action you take yourself, so it is allowed even in Austrian mode. Everyday actions like viewing, printing, and downloading never trigger it.

FAQ

Q: Does turning this on change my existing invoices? 
A: No. It only affects how invoices behave from the point you enable it. Existing invoices are not rewritten.

Q: A customer was refunded. How do I show that on a locked invoice? 
A: You do not change the invoice. Create a separate credit note for the refund. The original invoice stays as issued, and the credit note records the correction.

Q: I printed a locked invoice and it still shows the original amount, not the refund. Is that a bug? 
A: No, that is exactly what Austrian mode is for. A locked invoice keeps its original figures no matter how often you view, print, or download it. Use a credit note to record the refund.

Q: I really do need to rebuild one invoice. Can I? 
A: Yes. Open the invoice and use Regenerate. That is an explicit override and will rebuild the invoice from the current order data. Use it only when you intend to replace the issued document.

Q: Can I turn Austrian mode off again? 
A: Yes. Untick the setting in Settings → Compliance at any time. Invoice Falcon then returns to updating invoices automatically when orders change.

Updated on: 13/08/2026