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What to Put on an Invoice: A Checklist for the Self-Employed

3 min read

An invoice has one job: tell your client exactly what they owe, for what, and how to pay it. When one of those is missing, the client has a reason to wait. Here is what to put on every invoice, whether you fix boilers or build websites.

The ten things every invoice needs

  1. The word “Invoice”. It sounds obvious, but it separates the document from an estimate or a quote.
  2. A unique invoice number. Number them in sequence and never reuse one. It is how you and your client refer to the same document.
  3. The invoice date. Payment terms count from this date.
  4. Your business details. Name or trading name, address, phone or email. Add your tax or registration number if you have one.
  5. Your client’s details. Name and address. For a company, the name of the person who approves payments helps.
  6. A clear description of the work. “Replace kitchen faucet, parts and labor” beats “Plumbing”. Include the date of the job when it differs from the invoice date.
  7. Quantities and unit prices. Hours, units, rate. Clients pay faster when they can check the math.
  8. Subtotal, taxes and total. Show the tax as its own line with its rate.
  9. The due date. A date, not only “Net 30”. See how payment terms work.
  10. How to pay. Bank details, check payable to, payment link, cash on site. If the client has to ask, you lose a week.

If you charge sales tax, VAT or GST

Tax rules depend on where you work and whether you are registered. A few common cases:

  • United States. There is no single national invoice format. Sales tax depends on your state and on what you sell: many services are not taxed, most goods are. Show the tax as a separate line when you charge it.
  • Canada. If you are registered for GST/HST, your registration number goes on the invoice, along with the tax charged.
  • United Kingdom. If you are VAT registered, a VAT invoice needs your VAT number, the VAT rate and the VAT amount, among other details.
  • Australia. If you are registered for GST, the document should say “Tax invoice” and show your ABN.

These are starting points, not tax advice. Your tax office publishes the exact list for your situation, and an accountant can confirm it in ten minutes.

Details that get you paid faster

  • Send it the day the job ends. The longer you wait, the longer they wait.
  • Deduct the deposit on the invoice. If the client paid part upfront, show it and show the balance due. More on asking for a deposit.
  • One job, one invoice. Mixed invoices get stuck on the one line the client disputes.
  • Add a short note. “Thank you for your business” costs nothing and people remember it.
  • Keep a copy. You will need it at tax time, and when you follow up on a late payment.

A simple layout that works

Top: your business and the word “Invoice” with its number and dates. Then the client. Then the lines, one per item. Then subtotal, tax, total. At the bottom: due date, how to pay, and any notes. One page is enough for most jobs.

If you write invoices on your phone, Pronteo fills in most of this for you: numbering follows on its own, clients and items are saved, and taxes are calculated as you add lines.

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