Free invoice generator

What a UK invoice must include

There is no official invoice form in the UK, but every invoice needs the same core details. The generator has a field for each of them.

• A unique invoice number, usually the next in a sequence.
• Your business name, address and contact details.
• Your customer’s name and address.
• The invoice date, and the date you supplied the goods or services if it is different.
• A clear description of what you are charging for, with quantities and prices.
• The amount, any VAT, and the total due.

Sole traders who trade under a business name should show their own name too, with an address where legal documents can be delivered. Limited companies need the full company name, the company number, where the company is registered and the registered office address. Enter a company number and the generator adds the registration line to the foot of the invoice; if your registered office differs from the address at the top, add it in the notes.

VAT-registered businesses also show their VAT number and the VAT rate on each line, with the VAT total set out separately. Choose VAT registered in the generator to add both.

Source: GOV.UK, invoices: what they must include.

How to raise an invoice

1. Agree the price and payment terms first. Say when you expect to be paid, such as 14 or 30 days from the invoice date, and put the due date on the invoice.
2. Give it the next number. Never reuse a number. If an invoice is wrong, cancel it with a credit note and send a new one.
3. Describe the work line by line. One line per product or service, with a quantity and a unit price, so your customer can check it against what they ordered.
4. Make it easy to pay. Add the account name, sort code and account number, and ask customers to use the invoice number as the payment reference.
5. Send it as a PDF and keep a copy. Record each invoice so you know what is owed, and follow up once the due date passes.

Need payment before the work starts? Send a pro forma invoice for the deposit, then raise the real invoice when you deliver.

Invoice template for Word

Prefer to type straight into a document? The Word template has the same layout, with each field in square brackets ready to replace. It opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice. It does not add up the lines, so use the generator above when you want the totals and VAT worked out for you.

Raising invoices in Briefcase Ledger

In Briefcase Ledger, sales invoices are raised from the same books that hold your bank, costs and VAT, so every invoice you send is already recorded.

• Set up once. Add your issuing name and address, the bank account customers pay into, and your branding: one of five layouts, your logo and an accent colour.
• Raise. Pick the customer and the items you sell, each with its price, VAT rate and revenue account. The preview shows the PDF exactly as your customer will see it.
• Approve and send. Raise & approve gives the invoice the next number, posts it to your debtors, revenue and VAT return, and can email it to your customer in the same step.
• Repeat. For retainers, rent or support plans, turn on Repeat this invoice: monthly, quarterly, every 6 months or yearly. Each one can be emailed, approved without emailing or left as a draft for you to check.
• Get paid. Mark the invoice paid by matching it to the bank transaction, or record the receipt straight away.

Read how to raise an invoice in Briefcase and how to set up recurring invoices.