A free invoice template for tradespeople, and what a valid UK invoice must include

An invoice is not just a request for money, it is the document that gets you paid on time and keeps you the right side of HMRC. Get it clear and complete and customers pay faster, because there is nothing to query. Here is a simple template you can copy, and the details every UK invoice needs to include.

What a valid invoice must include

For most trade work, an invoice needs to show a handful of basics: your name or business name and address, the customer's name and address, a unique invoice number, the date you are issuing it, a clear description of the work or materials, and the amount due. Add how and by when you want to be paid, for example "Payment due within 14 days by bank transfer to the account below", and your bank details. That is enough for a straightforward job.

The unique invoice number matters more than people think. Numbering your invoices in order (0001, 0002 and so on) means you can find any job in seconds, it looks professional, and it makes your bookkeeping and tax return far easier at the end of the year.

If you are VAT registered

A VAT invoice needs more. As well as the basics, you must show your VAT registration number, the rate of VAT on each item, the amount of VAT, and the total before and after VAT. If you are not sure whether you need to register, our guide on when a tradesperson should register for VAT walks through the threshold and what changes.

A simple invoice template

You can build a clean invoice with nothing more than these lines, in this order:

• Your business name, address and contact number

• The word "Invoice", plus a unique invoice number and the date

• Bill to: the customer's name and address

• A description of the work done and any materials, each with a price

• Subtotal, VAT if you are registered, and the total due

• Payment terms and your bank details

Keep it on one page, keep the wording plain, and put the total and the due date where they cannot be missed.

Get paid faster with a few small habits

Send the invoice the day the work is finished, not a fortnight later when you finally sit down to the paperwork. Agree the price and payment terms in writing before you start, so the invoice holds no surprises. For larger jobs, take a deposit and use staged payments rather than carrying the whole cost yourself. And keep a copy of every invoice you send, because you will need those records for your tax return and, increasingly, for Making Tax Digital.

Related guides

• How to chase an unpaid invoice

• Quote jobs faster and get paid sooner

• Making Tax Digital: what sole-trader tradespeople need to know

Sending tidy, correct invoices the moment a job is done, and keeping every copy in one place, is exactly what TradePilot is being built to do for UK trades. Join the waiting list and we will let you know the moment it launches.