Invoicing in the United Kingdom
How to invoice in the United Kingdom
The fields a UK invoice actually needs, the bank details your client will look for, and how JupiterInvoice handles GBP, VAT, and BACS without making you reformat anything.
The shape of a UK invoice
HMRC has a published list of what a UK invoice should contain. The substance does not change often. In plain English:
- •A unique, sequential invoice number
- •Your business name and address (and company number if you are a Ltd or LLP)
- •The customer's name and address
- •A clear description of the goods or services
- •The date the invoice was issued and (if different) the date of supply
- •The amount being charged, and the total
- •If you are VAT-registered: your VAT number, the VAT rate applied to each line, and the VAT amount
For the authoritative current rules, see HMRC: invoices, what they must include.
The UK-specific fields JupiterInvoice handles
GBP, sort code, account number
Your bank details surface on every invoice with click-to-copy. Sort code in the 6-digit XX-XX-XX format, 8-digit account number, BACS reference field.
VAT, properly
Tax label is editable, defaults to VAT for UK senders. Per-line VAT rates and a clean subtotal/VAT/total breakdown so your client can post it straight to their books.
International when you need it
IBAN and BIC fields for clients paying you from outside the UK. Live or historical FX if the invoice is in a non-GBP currency.
Learn more →
The bits that actually slow UK invoices down
The format is not the hard part. The hard part is the conversation around the invoice.
PO numbers AP forgot to mention
Larger UK buyers (especially in the public sector and big corporates) need a PO number on every invoice. JupiterInvoice lets your client add or update the PO number on the invoice itself, no email back-and-forth.
The wrong billing entity
Group structures mean your client might actually be billed by a different Ltd than the one you contracted with. Recipients can fix the billing entity directly. You see the change and can revert.
Slow-paying Net 30
Most UK B2B invoicing is Net 30 by default. Faster Payments lets your client settle in minutes once they have approved it. Make the bank details obvious and the wait gets shorter.
Cross-border VAT confusion
Post-Brexit reverse-charge VAT for B2B EU customers trips up plenty of UK freelancers. We do not hide tax behind a dropdown: you set the rate and label per line.
UK invoicing FAQ
Do I need to be VAT-registered to send an invoice in the UK?
What is the difference between an invoice and a VAT invoice?
Do UK invoices have to be sequential?
Can I invoice a UK client in a foreign currency?
What payment methods should I put on a UK invoice?
How long does an invoice have to be kept in the UK?
A note on what this is. This page is a plain-English orientation to invoicing in the United Kingdom, not tax advice. The authoritative source for current rules is HMRC. For anything that materially affects your tax position, talk to a UK accountant.
Send a UK invoice in two minutes
Free. No signup. Set your VAT number once and every future invoice carries it. Save your sort code and account number once and clients click-to-copy them straight into their bank.
Create your first invoiceNo signup required. Build now, save later.