An invoice template for UK sole traders, and what goes on it

What every UK invoice must show

GOV.UK lists the following as the minimum for an invoice. Check the page itself for the current wording.

• A unique identification number
• Your name or company name, address and contact details
• The name and address of the customer you are invoicing
• A clear description of what you are charging for
• The supply date, when the goods or service were provided, and the invoice date
• The amount or amounts being charged, any VAT, and the total owed

What a sole trader adds

A sole trader's invoice must also carry your own name and any business name you trade under. If you use a business name, GOV.UK says the invoice must include an address where legal documents can be delivered to you. A limited company uses its full name as it appears on the certificate of incorporation, and if it lists its directors' names it must list all of them.

VAT invoices carry more

If you and your customer are both VAT registered you must use a VAT invoice, which includes more information than a non-VAT invoice. Check GOV.UK for the full list of what a VAT invoice needs, because it is longer than the basic list above.

Reusing the same layout

Most of an invoice repeats: your details, your payment terms, the client and often the line items. In Taxmo you save the client details and line items you bill repeatedly as a template, then start a new invoice from it in one click and change only what differs. Taxmo allocates the invoice number, so the sequence has no gaps from retyping.

Common questions