I cannot change an asset with processed depreciation or one already scrapped

Symptom

You want to correct an asset that already has processed depreciation, or that has already been scrapped or sold, and when you save the Invalid Operation window appears. The messages are below, case by case.

Message

When changing the Start of Use Date of an asset with processed periods:

“The date placed in service cannot be changed once there are processed periods: the processed lines are confirmed and the dates from which they were calculated must stay. Correct it by creating a new asset.”

When deleting an asset that has journal entries (the ⋮ menu next to the name, Delete):

“The asset "Telemóveis da equipa comercial" has journal entries and cannot be deleted: its history must be kept. Cancel the processing, or dispose of or scrap the asset, instead.”

When changing a scrapped or disposed asset:

“The asset "Computadores portáteis e servidor" was disposed of or scrapped and cannot be changed (name): only its notes and attachments are editable. If the disposal was wrong, the certified accountant reverses it on the disposal record, with a reason.”

The word in brackets is the internal name of the field: name is the Name.

When clicking Cancel batch on a depreciation batch with a later confirmed batch (the Cancellation Reason must be written; without it, the refusal is “Write the reason for cancelling the batch "Mês 31/10/2026" before cancelling it.”):

“The batch "Mês 31/10/2026" cannot be cancelled while the later batch "Mês 30/11/2026" is confirmed for some of its assets: cancel the later one first.”

When disposing of an asset that has components in use:

“The asset "Mobiliário de escritório" has components in use (Licença do programa de gestão): dispose of or scrap them first, so that each one leaves the books with its own value, and then dispose of the main asset.”

Verified causes

• Processed periods are history. They already have a journal entry. fiscaldoo does not change them: it reverses them with new journal entries.
• A scrapping or a sale closes the asset. Only the notes and attachments remain editable, until the disposal is reversed.
• Journal entries stay forever. After cancelling the processing, the asset still cannot be deleted: the journal entries and the reversals remain in the accounts.

What to check

1. The state of the asset, in the top right corner of the form: In use, Stopped or Scrapped.
2. What is wrong: the start date, the cost or the useful life, or the whole asset.
3. Whether there are also processed tax periods: in the Depreciation plan tab, lines with Type Tax and State Processed. Cancel processing does not reverse them.

How to fix it

The start date is wrong

Who does it: Accountant.

1. Open the form, click Actions and then Cancel processing.
2. In the window “The confirmed periods are reversed with new journal entries (nothing is deleted). Continue?”, click Confirm.
3. Check that Depreciated so far, at the top of the form, has no value: it shows a dash (—). In the example, for Telemóveis da equipa comercial, the movements went from 9 to 18: the 9 original ones and the 9 reversals.
4. Change the Start of Use Date and save.
5. Process the periods again: How to process depreciation.

Current limitation: Cancel processing also accepts a period of a fiscal year that is already closed, without warning. For Edifício da loja (Porto), with the period of 31/12/2025 and the 2025 fiscal year closed, the next batch could not be confirmed: “The fiscal year 2025 (01/01/2025 to 31/12/2025) is closed: you cannot create the journal entry (new, not yet saved) dated 31/12/2025. …” Before cancelling, check the dates of the processed periods in the Depreciation plan tab.

If the refusal persists, the asset has a processed tax period. This happened with Edifício da loja (Porto): with the tax period of 31/12/2025 processed, after cancelling, the date was still refused. In that case, do what the message asks and create a new asset. Pending validation by a certified accountant: how to handle the old asset when a new one is created only to correct the date.

The cost or the useful life is wrong

Current limitation: in the Accounting board tab of the form, the Acquisition Value and Accounting Useful Life (years) fields still accept changes, without warning, with the asset in use. This is not the rule: it is planned to be refused. While it is possible:

1. Change the value and save.
2. In Actions, click Compute accounting board.

The processed periods do not change and the remaining ones are recalculated. On the Impressora multifunções (€2,400.00, 5 years, 8 months processed at €40.00), changing to €2,600.00 and 6 years left the 8 months unchanged. The amount still to be depreciated (€2,280.00) was spread over the 64 remaining months: €35.63 in the following month.

Pending validation by a certified accountant: when a change like this is an error to correct and when it is a change of estimate, and what consequences it has for the tax limits of Regulatory Decree (Decreto Regulamentar) 25/2009.

To change only the useful life there is also a dedicated path, which stays in the history: How to change the useful life.

The scrapping or the sale was wrong

Who does it: Certified accountant. With the Accountant profile, the button does not appear.

1. On the asset form, click 1 disposal and open the record.
2. Write the Reversal Reason.
3. Click Reverse disposal and then Confirm. Without a reason, the refusal is “Write the reversal reason before reversing the disposal of "Computadores portáteis e servidor".”.

In the example, the asset went back to In use and the movements went from 3 to 4: the disposal entries are reversed, not deleted.

The batch or the component

• Batch: start with the most recent batch: write the Cancellation Reason and click Cancel batch and then Confirm. Then do the same on the previous one. The rest is in How to process depreciation.
• Component: first dispose of or scrap each component and only then the main asset: How to scrap or sell an asset.

If you try another way

These refusals do not appear on the form's buttons, because the fields are locked. They come up in an import or an integration, and were copied by trying through an integration:

• Going back to “In preparation”: “The asset "Impressora multifunções" has processed periods or journal entries: it cannot go back to "In preparation". Cancel the processing first (the journal entries are reversed).”
• Changing the code: “The code of an asset cannot be changed once assigned: it identifies the asset in the inventory, the depreciation lines and the fiscal maps. If it was wrong, create a new asset.”
• Changing a processed period: “A processed tax period cannot be changed: it is confirmed. Change the asset's parameters to affect only the periods still planned.”
• Reopening a processed period: “A processed period cannot be reopened by hand: its journal entry is posted. Use “Cancel processing” (the entry is reversed, never deleted) and process it again.”
• Changing, deleting or creating a history event: “An asset event cannot be changed: the history is immutable. Correct a mistake with a new event.”, “An asset event cannot be deleted: the history is immutable. Correct a mistake with a new event.” and “Asset events are written by the system only; they cannot be created by hand.”

Expected result

• After Cancel processing, Depreciated so far has no value and the Start of Use Date can be changed.
• After Reverse disposal, the asset goes back to In use: the disposal entries are reversed, not deleted.

When to contact support

See The operation is not possible in the asset's current state. If that is not the case, ask for support.

Information to send

• The asset code.
• The text of the message.