UK invoice template
Every field a UK invoice legally has to carry, in the order it should appear — with the VAT, no-VAT, CIS and reverse charge sections that generic templates written for other countries leave out.
Every UK invoice must show
- The word “Invoice”
- Stated clearly. A document headed “Statement” or “Receipt” is not an invoice.
- Unique invoice number
- Sequential, with no gaps. If you void one, keep the number and mark it void.
- Your business name and address
- Trading name and address. A limited company must also show its registered name, company number and registered office.
- Customer name and address
- The legal entity being billed, not just the site contact.
- Invoice date
- The date you issue it. If you are VAT registered this is the tax point unless a different one applies.
- Supply date
- When the work was done or the goods supplied, if it differs from the invoice date.
- Description of the work
- Enough for the customer to recognise what they are paying for. “Labour” alone invites a dispute.
- Amount charged per line
- Split labour from materials. It matters for CIS, and it makes the invoice easier to accept.
- Total due
- The single figure the customer pays.
- Payment terms and due date
- A specific date, not “30 days”. Interest runs from the day after it.
- Payment details
- Account name, sort code and account number, or a card payment link.
If you are VAT registered, also show
- Your VAT registration number
- Mandatory on every VAT invoice. Without it the customer cannot reclaim.
- VAT rate per line
- 20%, 5%, 0% or exempt. Different lines can carry different rates.
- Net total
- The total before VAT.
- VAT amount
- Shown separately from the net figure.
- Gross total
- Net plus VAT — the amount actually payable.
- Reverse charge statement
- Where the domestic reverse charge applies: state it, show the VAT rate, and exclude the VAT from the total.
If the job falls under CIS
- Labour charge
- Shown separately. This is the only part CIS is deducted from.
- Materials and plant
- Shown separately and never deducted from. Keep the supplier receipts.
- CIS deduction rate
- 0%, 20% or 30%, applied to the labour figure only.
- CIS deduction amount
- Stated as a figure so the contractor’s deduction statement can be reconciled against it.
- Net payable after CIS
- What actually lands in your account.
If you are not VAT registered
Do not show a VAT number, do not show a VAT line, and do not use the word VAT anywhere on the document. Charging or implying VAT while unregistered is an offence, not a formatting slip. Show a single total and the payment terms. You must register once your taxable turnover crosses the registration threshold in any rolling 12-month period, so watch the running figure rather than the tax year.
Set the due date as a date
“Payment within 30 days” starts an argument about when the clock began. A specific date does not. It also matters legally: statutory interest on a commercial debt runs from the day after payment fell due, at the Bank of England base rate plus 8%, along with fixed compensation of £40, £70 or £100 by debt size. You cannot claim from a date you never set.
Keep the numbering sequential
Invoice numbers must be unique and sequential with no gaps. If you cancel an invoice, keep its number and mark it void rather than reusing it. A gap in the sequence is one of the first things an inspection asks about, and “I deleted it” is not an answer that ends the conversation.
How long to keep them
Six years from the end of the accounting period they relate to, and the same six years is the limitation period for chasing an unpaid one through the courts. Digital copies are fine — and if you are inside Making Tax Digital, digital is now the requirement rather than the convenience.
Questions
What information must be on a UK invoice?
The word invoice, a unique sequential number, your business name and address, the customer's name and address, the invoice date, the supply date if different, a description of the work, the amount per line, the total due, the payment terms with a specific due date, and how to pay. A limited company must also show its registered name, company number and registered office address.
Do I need a VAT number on my invoice?
Only if you are VAT registered, in which case it is mandatory and the customer cannot reclaim the VAT without it. If you are not registered, do not show a VAT number and do not show a VAT line at all.
Can I invoice without being VAT registered?
Yes. You issue an invoice with a single total and no VAT line, no VAT rate and no VAT number. Do not use the word VAT anywhere on it. Register once your taxable turnover crosses the registration threshold in any rolling 12-month period.
What is the correct invoice numbering format?
There is no mandated format. Anything unique and sequential works — 0001, INV-0001, or a prefixed scheme per customer or per year such as 2026-0001. What matters is that numbers do not repeat and the sequence has no unexplained gaps.
How long do I have to keep invoices?
Six years from the end of the accounting period they relate to. Digital copies are acceptable, and are required if you are within the scope of Making Tax Digital.
Guidance, not tax or legal advice. UK requirements checked against GOV.UK and HMRC guidance in September 2026. If you are unsure about VAT, CIS or the reverse charge, see the VAT, CIS and MTD guide or ask your accountant.
A template you fill in is still paperwork.
Love Invoicing builds the same document from the job, with the numbers already in it, and chases it until it is paid.
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