Xero audit trail.
Finding and understanding transaction changes
An invoice total moves. A tax rate changes. An entry appears in a period you already closed. Start with the transaction history, then follow the evidence to understand what happened.
Does Xero have an audit trail?
Xero provides History and Notes for reviewing recorded transaction history and user activity. It is a useful starting point when investigating a specific record. A history entry, a before-and-after comparison and a numbered accounting trail answer different questions: what activity was recorded, what values changed, and how the postings relate.
Start with the original transaction
- Open the relevant organisation and locate the invoice, bill or other transaction by its reference.
- Review the history and notes available for that record. For wider activity, consult Xero’s History and Notes summary and use the available filters.
- Check the recorded action, its timestamp and any named user. Do not assume the person running a report is the person who changed the transaction.
- Compare that evidence with the transaction’s current values and any earlier records you have retained.
Access depends on your permissions. For Xero’s own instructions, see View a History and Notes summary for transactions and user activity.
Read the change, not just the latest total
A current balance does not explain how it got there. Review the earlier value, the later value and the fields affected. A change to an invoice’s gross value can also affect its net and tax; a nominal account change may move a posting without changing the total.
| # | Type | Reference / evidence | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | SI | DEMO-0042 - original invoice | 600.00 |
| 42 | SI | Invoice cancelled - cancellation of audit line #41 | 600.00 |
| 43 | SI | DEMO-0042 - corrected invoice | 720.00 |
In plain English: the invoice value changed from 600.00 to 720.00, an increase of 120.00. Accaud’s cancellation line offsets the earlier recorded posting; the next line records the corrected version.
This is Accaud’s representation of an amendment, not evidence that someone issued a credit note or voided the invoice in Xero. Genuine sales and purchase credit notes remain SC and PC. Displayed amounts are positive; the type and cancellation label explain the direction.
Common type codes
SI / PI: sales and purchase invoices.
SC / PC: sales and purchase credit notes.
BR / BP: bank receipts and payments.
JD / JC: the debit and credit sides of a manual journal.
Not every edit needs a cancellation and repost. Accaud distinguishes changes to posting values from other recorded edits. Always read the details alongside the type code.
Accounting date is not the time of the change
The accounting date determines which period a transaction belongs to. A provider update timestamp describes when the source record was updated, where supplied. A sync timestamp tells you when Accaud captured it. These are not interchangeable.
For example, an invoice dated 20 September might be amended on 5 November. Its accounting date can remain in September even though the edit happened after October month-end.
Checking a closed period
Accaud’s saved month-end or year-end close retains a finalisation time and transaction snapshots. A later check compares saved evidence with the latest synced data and subsequent recorded events, covering transactions dated on or before the closing date - not just transactions in that month.
Saving a close in Accaud does not lock the source ledger. Learn more about the Close down report, or use the Change down report to compare captured evidence at two moments.
What Accaud adds to the investigation
- A numbered trail per client: captured invoice, bill, credit note, payment, bank transaction and manual-journal evidence in one client-specific sequence.
- Recorded before-and-after values: inspect available evidence for changes to amounts, nominal accounts and tax treatment.
- Linked amendments: cancellation entries reference the original audit line; corrected postings retain their own place in the sequence.
- Original-record links: supported references open the source transaction in a new tab. Access still requires the appropriate source-account permissions.
- Honest attribution: user names appear where supported by recorded evidence. Missing attribution is not replaced with the sync operator’s name.
Know the limits of the evidence
Accaud compares captured versions. An initial import is a baseline, not a reconstruction of every earlier edit. Multiple changes between successful syncs may not appear as separate versions, and records absent from a provider response may leave gaps.
Results reflect the latest successful sync, not an instant live feed. A sync failure or missing provider permission can leave evidence incomplete. The transaction trail is not a complete general ledger; do not treat reconstructed financial reports as a complete trial balance, profit and loss or balance sheet.
Common questions about Xero audit trails
How do I get an audit trail report in Xero?
Start with Xero’s History and Notes summary and the original transaction’s history. Use the available filters to investigate relevant activity. If you need Accaud’s client-specific numbered trail and amendment comparisons, those come from its captured transaction evidence rather than replacing Xero’s native history.
Can I see who changed a transaction?
Check the recorded history for a named user. Accaud displays an editor only when the available evidence supports that attribution. Some records and historical versions do not supply a reliable name; those remain unrecorded.
Does “Invoice cancelled” mean a credit note was issued?
No. On an Accaud amendment line, it means the earlier recorded posting has been offset in the trail before the corrected posting is shown. It does not create a credit note or change the original transaction.
Can a change to September appear after October month-end?
Yes. A change can happen later while the transaction remains dated in an earlier period. Accaud’s close check includes captured transactions dated up to the closing date, so an earlier-period adjustment can be relevant to that saved close.
Does Accaud change my accounting data?
No. The accounting connection is read-only. Accaud records captured evidence and comparisons; it does not post cancellations, amend invoices or lock periods in your source account.