Invoicing guides
Practical, plain-language guides on invoices, payment terms, tax and the documents around them.
The basics
What invoices are, what they must include and how to number them.
How to Make an Invoice: Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to make an invoice in 8 clear steps: what to include, how to number it, set payment terms, add tax and send it to get paid on time.
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Invoice Number Format: How to Number Invoices
How to number invoices: sequential, date-based and client-based formats with examples, tax authority rules and how to handle gaps.
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Invoice vs Receipt vs Bill: The Difference
An invoice asks for payment, a receipt confirms it and a bill is the buyer's word for an invoice. Learn when to use each, with examples.
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What Is an Invoice? Meaning, Types, Examples
What is an invoice? Learn what it means, what it includes, the main types and how it differs from a bill or receipt, with clear examples.
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What to Include on an Invoice: Checklist
Every element a professional invoice needs, from numbers and dates to tax and payment terms, with UK, US, Canada and Australia notes.
Read guideGetting paid
Payment terms, late fees, reminders and cash flow.
Deposit and Progress Invoices: Billing in Stages
How to use deposit invoices, progress and milestone billing, retainers and final invoices, with worked examples, tax points and refunds.
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How to Get Paid Faster: 25 Practical Ways
25 practical ways to get paid faster as a freelancer or small business: clearer invoices, better terms, deposits and a reminder routine.
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Invoice Factoring: How It Works, Costs, Risks
What invoice factoring is, how advances and fees work, a worked cost example, recourse vs non-recourse, the risks and the cheaper alternatives to try first.
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Invoice Late Fees: Wording, Rates and Rules
How to charge late fees on overdue invoices: sample wording, typical rates, when fees are allowed and how to apply them without losing the client.
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Invoice Payment Terms: Net 10, Net 30 and More
What invoice payment terms mean: how Net 10, Net 30, 2/10 net 30 and due on receipt work, how to choose the right terms and how to write them clearly.
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Invoice Reminder Email Templates That Work
Ready-to-send invoice reminder emails for before, on and after the due date: friendly, firm and final templates with subject lines and timing.
Read guideDocuments and how they differ
Receipts, quotes, credit notes, purchase orders and how they fit together.
How to Write a Receipt: What to Include
How to write a proper receipt: the details to include, steps and examples for cash, card and bank transfer, plus tax and numbering tips.
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Pro Forma vs Commercial Invoice: Differences
The difference between a pro forma and a commercial invoice, when to use each in domestic and international trade, and what each must include.
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Purchase Order vs Invoice: The Difference
A purchase order authorizes a purchase; an invoice requests payment. Learn the differences, the document order, three-way matching and what to include.
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Quote vs Estimate vs Invoice: The Difference
A quote is a fixed price offer, an estimate is an approximation and an invoice requests payment. Learn when to use each, with examples.
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Statement of Account: Meaning, Example, Format
What a statement of account is, how it differs from an invoice, what it includes, an example with ageing, how to make one and how to reconcile a supplier statement.
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What Is a Credit Memo or Credit Note? Meaning
A credit memo (credit note) reduces or cancels an invoice. Learn what it is, when to issue one, what it must include and how it differs from a refund.
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What Is a Packing Slip? Meaning and Example
What a packing slip is, what it includes, how it differs from an invoice, packing list and shipping label, with an example and a step-by-step guide to making one.
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What Is a Purchase Order? Meaning and Example
What a purchase order (PO) is, what it includes, a worked example, the types of PO, how the process works and how a PO differs from an invoice or quote.
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What Is a Work Order? Meaning and Example
What a work order is, what it includes, the types, how the process works and how it differs from a purchase order, quote and invoice, with an example.
Read guideTax and invoicing rules
Sales tax, VAT and GST on invoices.
1099 Invoice Guide for US Freelancers
How invoices, Form W-9 and Form 1099-NEC work together for US freelancers and the businesses that hire them: thresholds, deadlines and records.
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GST Invoice Requirements: Canada and Australia
What a GST/HST invoice needs in Canada and a tax invoice in Australia: required details by amount, thresholds, credit notes and records.
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How to Fill Out Form W-9 (Line by Line)
How to complete IRS Form W-9 line by line for freelancers, sole proprietors and LLCs: names, tax classification, TIN, certification, safe sending and common mistakes.
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Sales Tax on Invoices: How to Show and Calculate
How to add sales tax, VAT or GST to an invoice: where it goes, inclusive vs exclusive pricing, rounding, exemptions and worked examples.
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UK VAT Invoice Requirements: What to Show
What HMRC expects on a UK VAT invoice: required details, simplified invoices, the 30-day rule, zero-rated items, foreign currency and records.
Read guideFor freelancers and contractors
Invoicing as a freelancer or contractor.
