Current account and ongoing business relationship: prepare open balances safely
How creditors can structure several invoices, payments, credits and balances before reminder or lawsuit.
6 July 2026, Mag. Bernhard Brandauer, Rechtsanwalt
In ongoing business relationships, an open claim rarely comes from only one invoice. Several deliveries, partial payments, credits and counter entries can obscure the true balance.
For creditors, the last reminder is not enough. A traceable balance schedule must be understandable for the debtor and later for a court.
This article separates balance preparation from limitation issues. The focus is order, evidence and an economic decision on the next step.
Is the open balance traceable?
The self check helps separate invoices, payments and credits before the next step.
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Which situation is closest?
Choose the point that currently matters most for your claim.
Overview of all answers.
Structure documents first
Structure contract, invoice, payments, correspondence and known parties before pressure is increased.
Review the next step factually
Review evidence, due date, costs and debtor situation. A lawyer letter or lawsuit should fit the concrete position.
Flag the special risk
If deadlines, asset shifts, death of the debtor or serious objections matter, the request should make that clear from the start.
Why the total balance needs more than a list
A simple invoice list often does not show which item was paid, disputed or credited. In ongoing cooperation, misunderstandings can result.
A chronological overview with invoice number, due date, payment, payment purpose, credit and open rest is usually more useful.
Which documents matter for preparation
Invoices, delivery notes, proof of performance, bank statements, credits, balance confirmations and correspondence are relevant.
The more clearly incoming payments are allocated, the easier it is to justify the next step.
Difference from partial payment and acknowledgement
A partial payment can have legal relevance. In this article, the first focus is the arithmetic clarity of the total balance.
Whether a payment amounts to acknowledgement is a separate issue and should not be asserted casually.
How the firm reviews the next step
The firm reviews balance, documents, objections and cost risk. Only then can reminder, letter, settlement or lawsuit be assessed.
Where accounting is unclear, factual clarification before escalation may be more economic.
Practical note: Use a simple table. Date, document, amount, payment, purpose and open rest should be understandable without extra knowledge.
Frequent questions on open balances
Is a summary list enough for a lawsuit?
Often not. The individual items should be traceable and allocated.
Does the debtor need to confirm the balance?
Confirmation can help. Whether it exists or is needed depends on the business relationship.
Should credits be shown separately?
Yes. Otherwise the claim can quickly look unclear or overstated.
Claim, Current account, Creditor, Austria