What to include on an invoice

These are the items every invoice needs, regardless of where you trade or what you sell. Leaving any of them off gives a client's accounts team a reason to put your invoice to the back of the queue.

At a minimum that means the word 'Invoice', a unique invoice number, the issue date and payment due date, your name, address and contact details, the client's name and billing address, a clear description of what was supplied, the quantity and price per item, the subtotal, tax and total amount due, and the payment instructions and terms.

Some fields apply only to certain businesses. If you're registered for VAT or GST, you must show your registration number and break out the tax. If your client works with purchase orders, quote the PO number. International invoices should state the currency clearly to avoid confusion over which dollar or which pound is meant.

So depending on your circumstances you may also need your VAT, GST or tax registration number, the tax rate and tax amount shown separately, a purchase-order or project reference, a currency code (e.g. GBP, USD, EUR), and any discount applied before tax.

Beyond the essentials, a few additions make life easier for the person paying you. A short payment-terms note, a payment link or full bank details, and a friendly line thanking the client all reduce friction. invoiceme lets you save these details once and reuse them on every invoice, so nothing important gets dropped.