Late payments are a common issue that businesses and freelancers face. Excuses for late payments can range from genuine reasons to deliberate delay tactics. Knowing how to respond professionally and effectively to these excuses can help you maintain healthy business relationships and ensure timely collection of your outstanding invoices. In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss 20 common late payment excuses and provide suggestions on how to reply to each of them while maintaining professionalism and accountability in your business communications.