UK Invoice Template — VAT & non-VAT
This free UK invoice template works for sole traders, contractors, and limited companies alike — anyone who needs to bill a customer and look professional doing it. The one thing that matters most here is whether you are registered for VAT. If you are not VAT-registered, you must not charge VAT or show a VAT number on your invoice; doing either is a mistake HMRC takes seriously. If you are registered, your invoice has to carry the full VAT details — your VAT number, the rate, and the VAT amount — so the customer can reclaim it. The second thing that matters is whose name is on the document: a sole trader shows their own name alongside any trading name, and a limited company shows its registered name and registered office.
The generator below is pre-filled with a realistic GBP sample that charges VAT at the standard 20 percent, so a registered business can edit the names, rates, and terms and download a finished PDF in a minute. Not registered? Turn it into a plain invoice by setting the VAT rate to 0 and removing the VAT number line — the generator lets you do both — and you are left with a clean, no-VAT invoice. Under the sample is a field-by-field walkthrough plus notes on the tax point, simplified invoices, the Construction Industry Scheme, late payment, and what HMRC expects you to keep. Either way there is no signup and no watermark, just a professional bill you can send today.
What this template looks like
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiler service and safety check | 1 | £95.00 | £95.00 |
| Replacement thermostat (parts) | 1 | £68.00 | £68.00 |
A sample invoice — every field, from the line items to the tax and notes, is yours to edit in the free generator.
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How to fill out an invoice in the United Kingdom
Decide which invoice you are issuing
Before anything else, settle your VAT status, because it changes the document. VAT-registered means a full VAT invoice with your VAT number, a rate on each line, and a VAT total. Not registered means a plain invoice with no VAT anywhere on it — set the rate to 0 and delete the VAT number line rather than leaving either blank.
Add your business details in the right name
A sole trader shows their own name as well as any trading name they use, plus an address where documents can be served. A limited company shows its registered company name and registered office address. Add your phone and email underneath, and use the bank account name that matches, so payments reconcile without a chase.
Add your VAT number, if you have one
If you are registered, put your VAT registration number in the supplier block, formatted the way HMRC issued it. This is the field a customer's finance team looks for before they reclaim the VAT, so a typo will bounce the invoice back. If you are not registered, leave it off entirely — you must not display a VAT number you do not hold.
Add the customer's name and address
Bill the entity that actually pays. For a business customer use the registered company name, not the trading name over the door, and add the accounts contact if you have one. Include a purchase order or job reference where the customer uses them, because on many commercial accounts an invoice without a PO number simply will not enter the payment run.
Number it and get the dates right
Every invoice needs a unique number in a sequential series, with no reused numbers and no unexplained gaps. Add the invoice date, and where the tax point differs from it, show that too. The tax point decides which VAT period the sale falls into, so it matters most on jobs that straddle a quarter end.
Describe the work and price it excluding VAT
Give each item or service its own line with a plain description of what you supplied. Show the unit price excluding VAT, the quantity, and the VAT rate that applies to that line. Keep anything at a different rate — reduced, zero-rated, or exempt — on separate lines, so the tax on each is easy for the customer to follow.
Total the net, the VAT, and the amount payable
Show three figures, not one: the total excluding VAT, the VAT itself, and the total payable. The generator does the arithmetic once you set the rate — 20 percent for standard-rated work. A customer reclaiming input tax needs to read the VAT as its own number, and a lump-sum "including VAT" total is exactly what their finance team will query.
Set the payment terms and your bank details
Put a specific due date on the invoice rather than "on receipt," and state any late payment terms you intend to rely on. Add your account name, sort code, and account number so the customer can pay straight away, and add a reference — usually the invoice number — so you can match the payment when it lands.
Billing tips for invoicing in the United Kingdom
VAT invoice or simple invoice?
Which document you send depends entirely on your VAT status. If you are registered, you issue a full VAT invoice showing your VAT number, the rate on each line, and the VAT total. If you are not registered, you send a normal invoice with no VAT and no VAT number at all — you simply bill your price. Sending a VAT invoice without being registered is not allowed, so match the document to your status.
The tax point matters
For VAT, the date that counts is the tax point, also called the time of supply — not always the day you did the work. As a rule, the tax point is the invoice date, provided you issue the invoice within 14 days of supplying the goods or service. It decides which VAT period the sale falls into, so when an invoice straddles a quarter end, get the dates right.
Simplified VAT invoices under £250
If the total including VAT is £250 or less, you can issue a simplified VAT invoice with fewer required fields. It still needs your name, address, and VAT number, the date, a description, and the VAT rate and amount — but you can skip some of the customer detail a full invoice needs. For anything above £250, use the complete VAT invoice layout on this page.
Late payment and the 30-day norm
Unless you have agreed a different timescale in writing, payment is due within 30 days as a default. Put a clear due date on every invoice so there is no ambiguity. On overdue commercial invoices you are entitled to charge statutory interest on late payment, and stating your terms up front makes it far easier to follow up firmly but politely when a bill runs late.
CIS and the construction reverse charge
Two rules change the invoice if you work in construction. Under the Construction Industry Scheme, a contractor deducts tax from the labour element of your bill and pays it to HMRC against your tax account, deducting less from subcontractors registered under the scheme than from those who are not — so list materials on their own lines, because the deduction applies to labour, not materials. Separately, where the domestic reverse charge for building and construction services applies, a VAT-registered subcontractor billing a VAT-registered contractor does not charge VAT and the invoice says the customer accounts for it.
What HMRC expects you to keep
Keep a copy of every invoice you send and every one you receive. VAT-registered businesses have to keep VAT records for six years and, under Making Tax Digital, keep them digitally and file returns through compatible software. Sole traders who are not registered still need records behind a Self Assessment return for years after filing. A numbered PDF per invoice in one folder is enough — the failure mode is missing paperwork, not the tool you kept it in.
What a UK VAT invoice must include
- A unique, sequential invoice number
- Your business name and address
- Your VAT registration number (if VAT-registered)
- The invoice date, and the tax point if it differs
- The customer's name and address
- A description of the goods or services
- For each line: the unit price excluding VAT, quantity, and VAT rate
- The total amount excluding VAT
- The total VAT amount
- The total amount payable
A simplified invoice is allowed for totals of £250 or less including VAT, and a business that is not registered for VAT must not charge VAT or show a VAT number.
Frequently asked questions
Do sole traders need to be VAT-registered to invoice?
No. You can trade and invoice as a sole trader without being VAT-registered — you simply bill your price with no VAT added and no VAT number on the invoice. You only need to register for VAT when you are required to, and many sole traders never reach that point. If you are not registered, use this template as a plain invoice with the VAT set to 0.
What must a UK VAT invoice show?
A full VAT invoice needs a unique invoice number, your business name and address, your VAT number, the invoice date and tax point, and the customer's name and address. Each line shows the description, the unit price excluding VAT, the quantity, and the VAT rate; then you total the net, the VAT, and the amount payable. The complete checklist is set out on this page.
What is a simplified VAT invoice?
It is a shorter VAT invoice you can use when the total including VAT is £250 or less. It still shows your name, address, and VAT number, the date, a description of what you sold, and the VAT rate and amount — but it drops some of the detail a full invoice requires. Above £250, you need to issue a full VAT invoice instead.
How do I turn this into a non-VAT invoice?
Set the VAT rate to 0 and remove the VAT number line — the generator lets you do both — and the template becomes a clean invoice with no VAT anywhere on it. That is exactly what you want if you are not VAT-registered, since you must not charge VAT or display a VAT number. The layout, totals, and payment terms all still work as normal.
When do I have to register for VAT?
When your VAT taxable turnover over a rolling twelve months passes the registration threshold, or when you expect to pass it in the next thirty days alone. HMRC sets that figure and it has changed more than once, so check the current threshold on GOV.UK rather than working from a number you half-remember. You can also register voluntarily below it, which some businesses do so they can reclaim VAT on purchases. Until you are registered, do not charge VAT.
What is CIS and how does it change my invoice?
The Construction Industry Scheme applies when a contractor pays a subcontractor for construction work. The contractor deducts tax from the labour part of your invoice and pays it to HMRC against your tax bill, taking less from subcontractors registered under the scheme than from those who are not. Because the deduction hits labour and not materials, split them onto separate lines so you are not effectively taxed on the materials you supplied and passed on.
What can I do when a customer will not pay?
Start with the due date on the invoice and a short written reminder that references the invoice number. On overdue business-to-business invoices you can claim statutory interest plus a fixed sum in compensation for the cost of recovering the debt, which steps up with the size of the invoice — that entitlement comes from legislation whether or not you printed it on the bill, though stating your terms up front makes the conversation easier. Consumer debts work differently, so rely on the terms you agreed.
Is this UK invoice template really free?
Yes — fill it in and download the PDF with no signup and no watermark, for one invoice or a hundred. If you later want to keep your customers on file, send repeat invoices without retyping, and track which ones have been paid, the Paid app on iPhone adds that tracking and repeat billing when you need it.
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