Free UK invoice templates

The Most Popular Types of Invoices in the UK

Invoices are used in businesses all over the world, no matter what country or type of business you are in. Whether you need sole trader invoice templates or ones for your construction or retail business, this document is important for the health of your business.

The type of business (such as sole traders, limited liability partnerships, private limited companies, etc) is one consideration when choosing the type of invoice you give your clients.

But in addition to invoice differences based on the type or industry of the business, there are also other types of invoices.

You may come across or need to issue the following types of popular invoices in the UK:

• Purchase or sales invoice - the invoice received by the buyer is called a purchase invoice, but the seller would call it a sales invoice.
• Tax invoice - this invoice includes the VAT amount for the services or goods provided, and is issued by tax registered companies.
• Past due invoice - this invoice is sent if the buyer has not paid their invoice past the deadline.
• Interim and final invoice - for services or goods provided over a long period of time, an interim invoice may be sent monthly, with the last one called the final invoice.
• Recurring invoice - subscriptions and leases may be issued recurring invoices as they are typically charged the same amount over a long period of time.
• Pro forma and commercial invoice - while the pro forma invoice is not a legal document, it is given to help the buyer calculate the customs cost of a shipment of goods; the commercial invoice is given when the transaction is final.

What Info Should a Basic Invoice Template in the UK Have

Having the right information in your invoice template as a UK based business is important. This helps you issue invoices faster, as well as avoid delayed payments, confusion, and other misunderstandings.

While you may need extra information based on the type of business you are in and if you are VAT registered, a basic invoice template for UK businesses should contain the following information:

• a unique invoice number
• the invoice date
• your business name, address, and contact information
• your client's name and address
• clear descriptions of the services or goods provided
• the date the service or goods were provided
• the amount being charged per service or product
• the total amount to be paid

What Formats do Invoice Templates in the UK Come

The choice of invoice template format will vary according to your needs and what applications are available. If you have Microsoft Word, a Word invoice template will likely be your first option, but you should also explore using an Excel invoice template as this will help you automatically calculate totals, discounts, and taxes.

If you are using a Mac, you also have the option to choose a Numbers invoice template, as the app is free for MacOS and iOS. Numbers gives you spreadsheet functions like Excel but gives you more visual options in terms of layout and design.

Operating-system-independent choices include Open Office invoice templates, or even ones hosted on Google Drive, such as Google Docs or Sheet.

All of these formats allow you to export or save your invoice as a PDF file, so you can easily send it to your clients without fear of any accidental editing. PDF invoice templates do also exist and may help if you have multiple staff issuing invoices.

Invoicing Software UK

Downloadable and free invoice templates are a great tool for starting businesses, when you are focused on growing your company as quickly as possible. They are fast and easy and you can use the tools you already have, saving you extra cost.

For a fast-growing company, however, you need to start looking into efficiency soon. Streamlining your tasks can save you and your staff significant time, allowing you to focus on more things that matter. While issuing invoices is a necessary task, an invoicing software can free up valuable time and even help you get paid faster.

An online invoicing software like InvoiceBerry lets users create customized invoices quickly from scratch or from pre-existing quotes, from anywhere at any time. Tracking customer information, invoice status, and generating reports can help you make strategic decisions as well. What's more, your clients may even appreciate the ability to pay you directly on the invoice itself.

Other Templates for UK Businesses

Once you have an on-brand invoice template, make sure that your other business documents follow suit. A cohesive design across all your business documents will look more professional, whether you are issuing a purchase order or a cash receipt.

It's easy to make sure you have a unified look by taking your invoice template and using it to create templates for your other business documents. Using the same software will help a lot in creating a single look for your business. Just make sure that the information you need is present and you'll be good to go.