The short answer

Match the invoice to your payment history by vendor, invoice number and amount before approving it.

Calculator, coins, glasses, and a red pen on a lined notepad.
Illustrative stock photo · Photo: Tara Winstead / Pexels · Pexels License

Use a duplicate flag, not an automatic rejection

Search both paid bills and pending payments. Compare the property and service date too: two genuine visits can cost the same. If a contractor resends a bill, attach the new email to the existing record rather than opening a second payable.

The IRS identifies invoices and payment records as supporting business documents. [1]

Illustrative case: invoice 418 for $240 appears again with “overdue” in the subject. Your bank shows payment but the vendor has not applied it. Send the payment reference through a verified contact and request an updated balance.

Sources

This article was generated by AI using the sources below. Editorial standards.

  1. What kind of records should I keep? — IRSSupports the attributed passage: The IRS identifies invoices and payment records as supporting business documents. The practical workflow and labeled examples are the publication’s own applications, not source-reported cases. Source checked Sep 8, 2026.

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