Does an invoice have to say the word invoice?

Yes, it should be clearly identifiable as an invoice. A document headed only with your business name could be read as a quote, a statement or a receipt. The word Invoice, plus a unique invoice number, removes the ambiguity.

Do I have to put my home address on an invoice as a sole trader?

You need to give an address at which you can be contacted, but it does not have to be your home address. A registered office service, a business address or a PO box can be used instead. Limited companies must show their registered office address, which is a matter of public record.

Do I need a purchase order number on an invoice?

Not legally, but many medium and large organisations will not process an invoice without one. Ask whether a PO number is required before you invoice — a missing PO is one of the most common reasons an invoice stalls in a finance inbox.

Do I need to include bank details on an invoice?

It is not a legal requirement, but if you expect payment by bank transfer you should include the account name, sort code and account number. An invoice without a payment method is an invitation to be asked how to pay, which adds days to your payment time.

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What to put on an invoice

Q: What is the difference between the invoice date and the supply date?

The invoice date is the day you issue the document. The supply date, sometimes called the tax point, is the day the goods or services were provided. They are often the same day but not always, and for VAT purposes the tax point is what determines which VAT period the sale falls into.

An invoice has one job: to be so clear that nobody has a reason to delay paying it. Here is every field that belongs on one, which are legally required, and which just get you paid faster.

The essentials — every invoice

Whatever you do and however you're set up, these belong on the document:

Field	Why it's there
The word "Invoice"	Distinguishes it from a quote, a statement or a receipt. Sounds trivial; prevents real confusion.
Unique invoice number	How both sides reference the document. Must be unique and sequential — no reuse, no gaps.
Your name / trading name	Who is owed the money. Sole traders can trade under a business name but should show their own name too.
Your address and contact details	An address where you can be reached, plus email or phone for queries.
Client's name and address	The legal entity being billed — the company name, not just your contact's name.
Invoice date	The day you issue it. Payment terms usually run from this date.
Supply date	When the work was done or goods delivered. Often the same as the invoice date.
Description of what you supplied	Itemised, in language the client recognises. Vague descriptions cause queries; queries cause delays.
Quantity, rate and line amount	So the client can check the arithmetic without asking you to.
Total owed	One unambiguous figure, with the currency shown.
Payment terms and due date	An actual calendar date beats "net 30" every time.
How to pay	Account name, sort code, account number — or a payment link.

If you trade as a limited company

Company law requires certain details on your business documents, and invoices are no exception. Alongside everything above, show:

The full registered company name, exactly as it appears on the Companies House register — including "Limited" or "Ltd".
The company registration number.
The registered office address, and the part of the UK where the company is registered (for example, "Registered in England and Wales").

If you trade under a name different from the registered company name, both should appear. If you name any directors on the invoice, the convention is to name all of them or none.

If you're VAT registered

A VAT invoice has its own required contents. On top of the essentials, you need:

Your VAT registration number.
The tax point (time of supply), if it differs from the invoice date.
For each line: the VAT rate applied and the amount excluding VAT.
The total excluding VAT, the total VAT charged, and the gross total.
The rate of any cash discount offered.
If lines carry different VAT rates, they must be shown separately.

Only charge VAT if you're registered. Adding "VAT" to an invoice when you don't have a VAT number is a serious problem, not a rounding error. If you're not registered, your invoice simply doesn't mention VAT. More detail in when to charge VAT in the UK.

Every field, already laid out

The generator has the standard fields built in — line items, VAT, discount, notes and payment terms.

Create your invoice free →

The optional bits that get you paid faster

Purchase order number. Not a legal requirement, but many finance systems will not process an invoice without one. Ask before you invoice.
Project or job reference. Helps the client match your invoice to their budget line.
The name of the person who commissioned the work. When your invoice reaches accounts, they need to know who to ask for approval.
Late payment terms. A single line stating what happens after the due date. It rarely needs enforcing; it does change behaviour.
Payment reference. Ask them to use the invoice number as the transfer reference so you can reconcile without guessing.
A short thank you. Costs nothing.

Name the file properly. Invoice-0007-JaneDoeDesign.pdf survives a finance inbox. invoice_final_v2.pdf does not. Put the invoice number and the amount in the email subject line too.

The checklist

Run through this before you hit send:

Headed "Invoice", with a unique sequential number
Your name / trading name, address and contact details
Client's correct legal entity name and address
Invoice date and supply date
Itemised description of the work, with quantity, rate and line total
Subtotal, any discount, any VAT, and one clear grand total with currency
Payment due date as a real calendar date
Bank details or payment link, plus the reference to quote
Company number and registered office, if you're a limited company
VAT number and per-rate VAT breakdown, if you're VAT registered
PO number, if the client uses them
Sent as a sensibly named PDF, to the person who actually pays

Common questions

Does it have to say the word "invoice"?

It should be clearly identifiable as one. A document with just your business name at the top could be read as a quote or a statement. The word "Invoice" plus a number removes the ambiguity.

Do I have to put my home address on it as a sole trader?

You need an address where you can be contacted, but it doesn't have to be your home. A business address or registered office service works. Limited companies must show their registered office, which is public anyway.

Do I need a PO number?

Not legally, but many organisations won't pay without one. Always ask before invoicing.

What's the difference between the invoice date and the supply date?

The invoice date is when you issue it; the supply date is when the work was actually delivered. Often the same. For VAT, the supply date (tax point) determines which VAT period the sale falls into.

Do I need bank details on the invoice?

Not legally, but if you want a bank transfer, include the account name, sort code and account number. Otherwise you're adding a round trip to every payment.

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