The details every invoice needs
Whether you're a sole trader or a limited company, every invoice you issue should carry the following.
- The word "Invoice" — so it isn't mistaken for a quote or estimate
- A unique, sequential invoice number (INV-0001, INV-0002…) with no gaps
- Your business name, address and contact details
- The customer's name and address
- A clear description of the goods or services supplied
- The date the work was done or goods supplied (the supply date)
- The date the invoice was issued
- The amount being charged, and the total due
- Your payment terms and how to pay you
If you're VAT registered
A VAT invoice needs more. Alongside everything above, show your VAT registration number, the VAT rate applied to each line, the VAT amount in sterling, and the total excluding VAT as well as the total including it.
Where you supply items at different rates — 20% standard, 5% reduced, 0% zero-rated — break the VAT down by rate rather than showing one lump sum. If the domestic reverse charge applies, the invoice must say so and state that the customer accounts for the VAT.
If you're a limited company
Include your full registered company name as it appears at Companies House, your company registration number, and your registered office address. If you trade under a different name, both can appear — but the registered details must be there.
The extras that get you paid faster
None of these are legally required, but each removes a reason to delay: a due date rather than vague terms, bank details on the invoice itself, a purchase order or job reference if the client uses them, and a named contact in accounts payable.
Sequential numbering matters more than people expect. Gaps in your numbering are the sort of thing that invites questions from an accountant or HMRC, so let your system handle it rather than typing numbers by hand.