What Do I Do If a Creditor Refuses to Give Me a Receipt?

by Tim McMahon

A receipt is proof that you have made a specified payment for goods or services. It is also is a important documentation for maintaining your business records and in preparing your tax returns. Best business practices require that you file your receipts in some sort of organized manner so that if you need to refer to them, you can find them easily. If you can't get a receipt, there are still measures you can take to create a paper trail.

Standard Procedure

Unless you paid in advance, when you receive delivery, you will generally receive either a packing list or an invoice. If you paid in advance, you should receive a receipt. If you only receive a packing list, the supplier may send a separate bill or combine bills and send you a monthly invoice. At this point, you owe your supplier money and he becomes not only your supplier but also your creditor.

Missing Documentation

An adequate paper trail is an essential component in running a successful business. You need not only to track your expenses but you also need to be able to verify expenditures should you become the subject of an audit by the Internal Revenue Service. If you are missing a receipt, the first step is to contact the creditor and request a duplicate. Most creditors understand your need to maintain proper records. They also want to be sure that you both agree as to what has been paid and what is due. By providing their records, it is easier to work out any discrepancies.

Creditor Refusal

There aren't many instances when a creditor won't give you a receipt. If you are on good terms and they are keeping adequate records themselves, they should be happy to do so. Of course, if they have no record of your payment, they will be unable to verify your payment and thus unable to provide a receipt. As a business owner, it is important that you maintain tight internal controls to be sure that your payment was actually made and not diverted by one of your employees, thus resulting in the creditor refusing to issue a receipt because they never received the funds.


You can always use some form of alternative verification for your records, if you can't get a receipt from the former creditor. If you paid by check, simply attach a copy of the canceled check to a copy of the invoice and put that in your records. Even just writing the check number, date and amount paid on the invoice should be sufficient for your records. In October 2004, a federal law known as "Check 21" was passed that allows banks to only provide an electronic copy of your check. This is legally binding proof of payment.

Supporting Documentation

If you paid by credit card you can attach a copy of the monthly statement. If you paid by cash and can't get a receipt, it is possible that the supplier does not want to report that income and you will not be able to verify the payment. You can still list the payment on your tax return. According to IRS Publication 583 canceled checks, cash register receipts, account statements, credit card slips, invoices and petty cash slips are all valid forms of supporting documents.

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