Invoices (Basic): Lock Docs to Invoices

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Lock a document to an invoice so that the client sees it is available but can’t view or download it until the work has been paid for. Once the client pays, the document automatically unlocks for them.

Covered here:

• Locking a Document to an Invoice, Explained
• Locking a Document While Uploading
• Locking a Document to an Invoice in the Desktop App
• Locking an Existing Document to an Invoice
• Changing the Invoice Locking a Document
• Unlocking the Invoice From a Document
• Linking Docs Pending Payment to Jobs and Using Automove

Locking a Document to an Invoice, Explained

After you prep a document, the next step is uploading it to the client’s TaxDome account. Uploaded files become visible to the client only once you make them public. If you don’t lock a document to an invoice, the client can immediately download it. However, if you lock the document to an unpaid invoice, it becomes available for download only once the client pays for the work.

We recommend locking documents to invoices when uploading them to a top-level folder with Client can view access; it helps the billing process. You can lock a doc to an existing invoice or create a new one for it.

How you do it is flexible: Upload a document to a top-level folder with Client can view access first, then lock it to an invoice later when you create the invoice. You can still edit a public document at any point.

The Lock document to unpaid invoice feature is also available in our desktop apps.

Note: 

• The document can be locked to several invoices at once.
• There's no validation for ACH payments. Thus, we recommend use he credit card payment option only for invoices locking a document.

Locking a Document While Uploading

To lock a document to an invoice as you upload it to a top-level folder with Client can view access, follow these steps:

1. Select the top-level folder with Client can view access when uploading the document.

2. Click Link invoice, then select the invoice you want to lock the document to or click Create invoice to create a new one.

3. Click Upload to upload the document you are locking to the invoice.

Locking a Document to an Invoice in the Windows App

If you’re using the TaxDome Windows App to upload a file, you can also lock it to an invoice:

1. Select the top-level folder with Client can view access.

2. Toggle on Lock document to an unpaid invoice, then select the invoice you want to lock the document to, or click CREATE INVOICE to create a new one, then сlick CHOOSE.

3. Click UPLOAD FILES to upload the document you are locking to the invoice.

Locking an Existing Document to an Invoice

Lock any document from a top-level folder with Client can view access to an invoice:

1. Make sure the document is inside the top-level folder with Client can view access (if not, move it there).

2. Click on the three dots to the far right of the document, then click Edit.

3. Click Link Invoice, then select the invoice you want to lock the document to or click Create invoice to add a new one. Multiple documents can be locked to the same invoice.

4. Click Save to keep your changes.

Changing the Invoice Locking a Document

To change the invoice a document is locked to, click on Link Invoice in the Edit Document pop-up, select the new invoice you want to lock the document to, then click Save.

Unlocking the Invoice From a Document

Sometimes clients may want to pay an invoice outside of TaxDome. In this case, you’ll have to unlock the invoice manually to give them access to the document. To do this, click the three dots to the far right of the document, then click Unlock Invoice Pending and confirm by clicking Yes, unlock.

It is also possible to unlock the invoice from the Edit Document pop-up. Click the three dots to the far right of the document’s name, select Edit, then click on the cross on the far right of the invoice and Save the document.

After that, you can mark the invoice as paid (as described in the article) or delete it (as described in Deleting an Invoice).