[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1277},["ShallowReactive",2],{"page-\u002Fuk-vat-invoices-explained":3,"related-\u002Fuk-vat-invoices-explained":332},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"body":7,"category":318,"date":319,"dek":320,"description":321,"extension":322,"featured":323,"meta":324,"navigation":325,"path":326,"readingTime":327,"seo":328,"sitemap":329,"stem":330,"__hash__":331},"content\u002Fuk-vat-invoices-explained.md","UK VAT Invoices Explained: Requirements & Examples","Daniel Reed",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":299},"minimark",[10,29,32,37,40,43,46,49,53,56,130,133,136,140,143,146,149,153,220,223,226,230,233,236,240,243,246,249,253,256,259,263,268,271,275,278,282,285,289,292,296],[11,12,13],"blockquote",{},[14,15,16,20,21,28],"p",{},[17,18,19],"strong",{},"General guidance, not tax advice."," This article reflects HMRC rules as we understand them in 2026; VAT rates and requirements change. Confirm the current details on ",[22,23,27],"a",{"href":24,"rel":25},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fvat-record-keeping\u002Fvat-invoices",[26],"nofollow","GOV.UK"," or with an accountant before relying on it for your business.",[14,30,31],{},"A VAT invoice does two jobs at once: it requests payment like any invoice, and it documents the VAT charged on the transaction so the buyer can reclaim it as input tax. Get the format wrong and your customer's VAT reclaim gets blocked — which tends to generate phone calls.",[33,34,36],"h2",{"id":35},"do-you-need-to-be-vat-registered","Do You Need to Be VAT-Registered?",[14,38,39],{},"You must register for VAT when your taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 in any rolling 12-month period. This threshold was raised from £85,000 in April 2024.",[14,41,42],{},"Voluntary registration below the threshold is also an option. It tends to make sense when you sell primarily to other VAT-registered businesses (they can reclaim the VAT you charge, so it doesn't effectively raise your price for them) and you have meaningful VAT on your own purchases to reclaim. It makes less sense if most of your clients are consumers, since adding 20% either makes you pricier or eats your margin. It also adds admin: quarterly returns, digital records, and filing deadlines.",[14,44,45],{},"Once registered, your obligations include charging VAT on all taxable sales, issuing proper VAT invoices, filing quarterly VAT returns via MTD-compatible software, and keeping VAT records for at least 6 years.",[14,47,48],{},"HMRC generally requires VAT-registered businesses to issue VAT invoices to taxable customers within 30 days of the tax point. The invoice is what allows the buyer to reclaim the VAT on their own return. Without it, they're stuck paying the tax with no credit.",[33,50,52],{"id":51},"what-must-appear-on-a-full-vat-invoice","What Must Appear on a Full VAT Invoice",[14,54,55],{},"HMRC specifies exactly what a full VAT invoice must contain. Missing any of these can invalidate the invoice for input tax purposes:",[57,58,59,66,72,77,83,88,94,99,104,110,115,120,125],"ul",{},[60,61,62,65],"li",{},[17,63,64],{},"A sequential number from one or more series that uniquely identifies the invoice"," — keep an audit trail for any voided or cancelled numbers.",[60,67,68,71],{},[17,69,70],{},"Your business name, address, and VAT number"," (format: GB followed by 9 or 12 digits).",[60,73,74],{},[17,75,76],{},"The invoice date.",[60,78,79,82],{},[17,80,81],{},"The tax point (date of supply)"," — when the goods were delivered or the service performed. This can differ from the invoice date.",[60,84,85],{},[17,86,87],{},"Customer name and address.",[60,89,90,93],{},[17,91,92],{},"Description of goods or services"," supplied.",[60,95,96],{},[17,97,98],{},"Quantity of each item.",[60,100,101],{},[17,102,103],{},"Unit price excluding VAT.",[60,105,106,109],{},[17,107,108],{},"VAT rate for each item"," (20%, 5%, or 0%).",[60,111,112],{},[17,113,114],{},"Total excluding VAT.",[60,116,117],{},[17,118,119],{},"Total VAT charged.",[60,121,122],{},[17,123,124],{},"Total including VAT.",[60,126,127],{},[17,128,129],{},"Any discount rate applied.",[14,131,132],{},"The sample invoice below shows a properly formatted UK VAT invoice with all required fields.",[14,134,135],{},"Our UK freelance template and UK consulting template have these fields pre-configured.",[33,137,139],{"id":138},"simplified-vat-invoices-under-250","Simplified VAT Invoices (Under £250)",[14,141,142],{},"For transactions under £250 including VAT, you can issue a simplified invoice. This is what most retail businesses use — the till receipt at a restaurant or shop is typically a simplified VAT invoice.",[14,144,145],{},"A simplified invoice needs: your name, address, and VAT number; the date of supply; a description of the goods or services; the total including VAT; and the VAT rate charged. You don't need the customer's details, the net amount, or a separate VAT calculation.",[14,147,148],{},"Simplified invoices are not valid for reverse charge transactions.",[33,150,152],{"id":151},"uk-vat-rates-at-a-glance","UK VAT Rates at a Glance",[154,155,156,172],"table",{},[157,158,159],"thead",{},[160,161,162,166,169],"tr",{},[163,164,165],"th",{},"Rate",[163,167,168],{},"Percentage",[163,170,171],{},"Applies To",[173,174,175,187,198,209],"tbody",{},[160,176,177,181,184],{},[178,179,180],"td",{},"Standard",[178,182,183],{},"20%",[178,185,186],{},"Most goods and services (the default)",[160,188,189,192,195],{},[178,190,191],{},"Reduced",[178,193,194],{},"5%",[178,196,197],{},"Home energy, children's car seats, smoking cessation products, some mobility aids",[160,199,200,203,206],{},[178,201,202],{},"Zero-rated",[178,204,205],{},"0%",[178,207,208],{},"Most food (not restaurant meals), children's clothing, books, newspapers, public transport, prescribed medicines",[160,210,211,214,217],{},[178,212,213],{},"Exempt",[178,215,216],{},"N\u002FA",[178,218,219],{},"Financial services, education, health services, insurance, burial\u002Fcremation",[14,221,222],{},"The distinction between zero-rated and exempt matters for your VAT return. Zero-rated supplies are technically taxable (at 0%), so you can still reclaim input VAT on associated costs. Exempt supplies carry no VAT, and you generally cannot reclaim input VAT on costs related to them. \"Outside the scope\" of VAT is a separate category again, covering certain cross-border or non-business supplies.",[14,224,225],{},"If you supply items at multiple VAT rates on the same invoice, show the subtotal and VAT for each rate separately. Most accounting software handles this automatically.",[33,227,229],{"id":228},"what-triggers-hmrc-questions","What Triggers HMRC Questions",[14,231,232],{},"VAT inspections tend to flag the same issues repeatedly. Missing VAT number — without it, your customer cannot reclaim input tax, and it's the single most common error. Wrong VAT rate, particularly charging 20% on a zero-rated or reduced-rate item. Incorrect tax point: using the invoice date when goods were actually delivered on a different date. Gaps in invoice numbering, which suggest missing invoices and prompt further scrutiny. Missing the net\u002FVAT\u002Fgross breakdown, since all three must appear separately on a full VAT invoice. And rounding errors, which are small per invoice but cumulative across a year of returns.",[14,234,235],{},"Use a template with built-in VAT calculations to eliminate most of these. Our invoice generator handles VAT arithmetic automatically.",[33,237,239],{"id":238},"making-tax-digital-and-record-keeping","Making Tax Digital and Record-Keeping",[14,241,242],{},"Most VAT-registered businesses must keep some VAT records digitally and file through MTD-compatible software, unless exempt from Making Tax Digital for VAT.",[14,244,245],{},"You must retain all VAT records for at least 6 years. This includes every VAT invoice you issue and receive, credit notes, debit notes, records of goods and services bought and sold, and your VAT account summary.",[14,247,248],{},"Practically, this means using accounting software (Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent) or at minimum well-organised digital files that your accountant can access. Paper shoeboxes won't satisfy HMRC.",[33,250,252],{"id":251},"credit-notes-correcting-vat-invoice-errors","Credit Notes: Correcting VAT Invoice Errors",[14,254,255],{},"If you issue an incorrect VAT invoice, don't edit the original. Issue a credit note that references the original invoice number, then issue a corrected replacement invoice with a new number. HMRC requires a clear audit trail showing the correction.",[14,257,258],{},"A credit note must contain: the words \"credit note,\" your name and VAT number, the customer's name, the date, a reference to the original invoice, the reason for the credit, and the VAT adjustment.",[33,260,262],{"id":261},"frequently-asked-questions","Frequently asked questions",[264,265,267],"h3",{"id":266},"what-is-the-uk-vat-registration-threshold-in-2026","What is the UK VAT registration threshold in 2026?",[14,269,270],{},"£90,000 in taxable turnover over any rolling 12-month period (raised from £85,000 in April 2024). You can register voluntarily below this threshold.",[264,272,274],{"id":273},"can-a-non-vat-registered-business-issue-a-vat-invoice","Can a non-VAT-registered business issue a VAT invoice?",[14,276,277],{},"No. Only VAT-registered businesses can issue VAT invoices. If you're not registered, you must not charge or display VAT. A note such as \"Not VAT registered\" on your invoices avoids confusion.",[264,279,281],{"id":280},"do-i-need-a-vat-invoice-for-every-sale","Do I need a VAT invoice for every sale?",[14,283,284],{},"Not always. You must still charge VAT on every taxable supply, but a full VAT invoice is mainly required for VAT-registered customers so they can reclaim the input tax. For non-registered customers a simplified invoice or receipt is often enough, though issuing a proper VAT invoice never hurts.",[264,286,288],{"id":287},"how-long-must-i-keep-vat-records","How long must I keep VAT records?",[14,290,291],{},"At least 6 years. HMRC can inspect records going back this far during a VAT audit.",[264,293,295],{"id":294},"what-if-i-issue-an-incorrect-vat-invoice","What if I issue an incorrect VAT invoice?",[14,297,298],{},"Issue a credit note referencing the original, then issue a corrected invoice with a new number. Never edit the original — HMRC requires a clear audit trail.",{"title":300,"searchDepth":301,"depth":301,"links":302},"",3,[303,305,306,307,308,309,310,311],{"id":35,"depth":304,"text":36},2,{"id":51,"depth":304,"text":52},{"id":138,"depth":304,"text":139},{"id":151,"depth":304,"text":152},{"id":228,"depth":304,"text":229},{"id":238,"depth":304,"text":239},{"id":251,"depth":304,"text":252},{"id":261,"depth":304,"text":262,"children":312},[313,314,315,316,317],{"id":266,"depth":301,"text":267},{"id":273,"depth":301,"text":274},{"id":280,"depth":301,"text":281},{"id":287,"depth":301,"text":288},{"id":294,"depth":301,"text":295},"Tax & Compliance","2026-05-09",null,"Everything you need to know about UK VAT invoices: mandatory fields, the 20% standard rate, simplified invoices, and HMRC compliance requirements.","md",false,{},true,"\u002Fuk-vat-invoices-explained","11 min read",{"title":5,"description":321},{"loc":326},"uk-vat-invoices-explained","DOn47FSzFgX-OPol3vZJlK3GzXeslMH1NFjg6rXnTxM",[333,764],{"id":334,"title":335,"author":6,"body":336,"category":754,"date":755,"dek":320,"description":756,"extension":322,"featured":323,"meta":757,"navigation":325,"path":758,"readingTime":759,"seo":760,"sitemap":761,"stem":762,"__hash__":763},"content\u002Fhow-to-bill-clients-for-expenses.md","How to Bill Clients for Expenses: Reimbursable Expenses on Invoices",{"type":8,"value":337,"toc":741},[338,342,345,353,356,360,363,375,378,398,401,405,408,414,420,427,430,434,437,442,572,578,581,589,593,604,608,623,633,645,649,657,661,674,685,689,696,699,703,738],[33,339,341],{"id":340},"what-counts-as-a-reimbursable-expense-and-what-doesnt","What counts as a reimbursable expense (and what doesn't)",[14,343,344],{},"A reimbursable expense is a cost you incur on a project that the client has agreed to pay back. You front the money, then recharge it. Classic examples: a train fare to a client site, a stock photo licence bought for their brochure, a domain and hosting plan set up in their name, or a specialist subcontractor you hired to finish part of the job.",[14,346,347,348,352],{},"What is ",[349,350,351],"em",{},"not"," reimbursable is your ordinary cost of being in business. Your laptop, your accounting software subscription, your home office internet, your professional insurance — those are overhead. You recover them through your rate, not by itemising them on a client invoice. The line matters because clients push back hard when they see costs they consider \"your problem\" appearing on a bill.",[14,354,355],{},"The cleanest test: would this cost exist if the project didn't? A flight booked specifically for one client's workshop fails the \"would exist anyway\" test, so it's reimbursable. Your Adobe subscription would exist regardless, so it's overhead.",[33,357,359],{"id":358},"agree-the-rules-before-you-spend-a-penny","Agree the rules before you spend a penny",[14,361,362],{},"Most expense disputes are really scope disputes that surfaced late. Kill them in the contract or proposal. A short clause is enough:",[11,364,365],{},[14,366,367],{},[349,368,369,370,374],{},"Expenses: The Client will reimburse pre-approved out-of-pocket costs incurred on this project, including travel, accommodation, third-party software licences, and subcontractor fees. Costs above $150 per item require written approval in advance. Expenses are billed at cost and supported by receipts. Mileage is charged at ",[371,372,373],"span",{},"rate"," per mile.",[14,376,377],{},"Three things that clause does for you:",[57,379,380,386,392],{},[60,381,382,385],{},[17,383,384],{},"Sets an approval threshold."," Anything above the limit needs a yes in writing. Below it, you're covered to just spend and recharge.",[60,387,388,391],{},[17,389,390],{},"States the markup policy up front"," (here, \"at cost\" — no markup). Decide this deliberately; more on markup below.",[60,393,394,397],{},[17,395,396],{},"Requires receipts",", which signals you'll keep clean records and pre-empts the \"can you prove that?\" conversation.",[14,399,400],{},"Get the client to confirm expensive items by email before you commit. A one-line \"Booking the Tuesday flight at £142, confirming that's approved\" costs you nothing and turns a possible fight into a paper trail.",[33,402,404],{"id":403},"to-mark-up-or-not-to-mark-up","To mark up or not to mark up",[14,406,407],{},"There are two honest positions, and clients treat them very differently.",[14,409,410,413],{},[17,411,412],{},"Billing at cost (pass-through)."," You recharge exactly what you paid. A £142 flight becomes a £142 line. This is the norm for genuine third-party disbursements and it builds trust because there's nothing to argue about. The downside: you carry the cash-flow burden and admin for free.",[14,415,416,419],{},[17,417,418],{},"Adding a handling markup."," Some agencies add 10–20% to expenses to cover the time spent booking, coordinating, and financing the cost. This is legitimate as long as it's disclosed. What damages relationships is a hidden markup a client discovers by seeing the original receipt. If you mark up, either state the percentage in your contract or fold the handling into a separate \"coordination fee\" line rather than inflating the receipt total.",[14,421,422,423,426],{},"A middle path many freelancers use: pass genuine disbursements through at cost, but bill your own ",[349,424,425],{},"time"," spent managing a subcontractor or sourcing materials as normal billable hours. That keeps the expense honest and still pays you for the work.",[14,428,429],{},"For mileage, use your tax authority's standard rate as a defensible number rather than guessing. In the US the IRS sets an annual business mileage rate; the UK uses HMRC approved mileage allowance payments (commonly quoted as 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles); Canada and Australia publish their own per-kilometre figures. These change, so check the current rate for your country each tax year.",[33,431,433],{"id":432},"how-to-list-expenses-on-the-invoice","How to list expenses on the invoice",[14,435,436],{},"Keep expenses visually distinct from your fees. Clients scan invoices, and burying a £600 subcontractor cost inside your service total invites suspicion. Two structures work well.",[14,438,439],{},[17,440,441],{},"Option A — a dedicated expenses block:",[154,443,444,459],{},[157,445,446],{},[160,447,448,451,454,456],{},[163,449,450],{},"Description",[163,452,453],{},"Qty",[163,455,165],{},[163,457,458],{},"Amount",[173,460,461,475,488,501,513,525,540,556],{},[160,462,463,466,469,472],{},[178,464,465],{},"Web design services (June)",[178,467,468],{},"22 hrs",[178,470,471],{},"$85",[178,473,474],{},"$1,870.00",[160,476,477,482,484,486],{},[178,478,479],{},[17,480,481],{},"Reimbursable expenses",[178,483],{},[178,485],{},[178,487],{},[160,489,490,493,496,499],{},[178,491,492],{},"Stock photography licence (invoice #A-2231)",[178,494,495],{},"1",[178,497,498],{},"$79.00",[178,500,498],{},[160,502,503,506,508,511],{},[178,504,505],{},"Return train fare, London↔Bristol (12 Jun)",[178,507,495],{},[178,509,510],{},"$64.00",[178,512,510],{},[160,514,515,518,520,523],{},[178,516,517],{},"Subcontractor: copywriting (J. Okafor)",[178,519,495],{},[178,521,522],{},"$450.00",[178,524,522],{},[160,526,527,532,534,536],{},[178,528,529],{},[17,530,531],{},"Subtotal — services",[178,533],{},[178,535],{},[178,537,538],{},[17,539,474],{},[160,541,542,547,549,551],{},[178,543,544],{},[17,545,546],{},"Subtotal — expenses",[178,548],{},[178,550],{},[178,552,553],{},[17,554,555],{},"$593.00",[160,557,558,563,565,567],{},[178,559,560],{},[17,561,562],{},"Total",[178,564],{},[178,566],{},[178,568,569],{},[17,570,571],{},"$2,463.00",[14,573,574,577],{},[17,575,576],{},"Option B — a separate expenses invoice"," entirely, cross-referenced to the project. Useful when expenses are large or arrive on a different timeline than your fees, and when a client's accounts team codes reimbursements to a different budget.",[14,579,580],{},"Either way, name the specific supplier, date, and purpose on each line. \"Travel — $64\" is weak. \"Return train fare, London↔Bristol, 12 Jun client workshop — $64\" gets approved without a follow-up email. Attach the underlying receipts as a PDF; don't wait to be asked.",[14,582,583,584,588],{},"If you're building invoices by hand, the layout principles in ",[22,585,587],{"href":586},"\u002Fhow-to-make-an-invoice-in-excel-word-google-docs","how to make an invoice in Excel, Word or Google Docs"," apply here too — a clean expenses subtotal is just another block.",[33,590,592],{"id":591},"the-vat-and-sales-tax-part-people-get-wrong","The VAT and sales-tax part people get wrong",[14,594,595,596,599,600,603],{},"This is where recharging expenses gets genuinely technical, and the rules differ by tax and by country. Two concepts get confused constantly: ",[17,597,598],{},"recharges"," and ",[17,601,602],{},"disbursements",".",[264,605,607],{"id":606},"recharges-vs-disbursements-vat-registered-businesses","Recharges vs disbursements (VAT-registered businesses)",[14,609,610,611,614,615,618,619,622],{},"A ",[17,612,613],{},"recharge"," is a cost you incurred ",[349,616,617],{},"for your own business"," in order to deliver the service, which you then pass on. Your train fare to a client meeting is your cost — you bought the ticket, you travelled. When you recharge it, it becomes part of the consideration for your service, so in the UK and similar VAT systems you generally add VAT to it at your service rate, ",[349,620,621],{},"even if the original ticket was zero-rated or VAT-exempt",". That surprises people: a zero-rated train fare recharged to a client typically gets 20% VAT added because it's now part of your taxable supply.",[14,624,610,625,628,629,632],{},[17,626,627],{},"disbursement"," is a cost you paid ",[349,630,631],{},"as the client's agent"," — the goods or services were supplied to the client, not to you, and you merely handled the payment. A statutory fee (say, a companies-registry filing fee paid on the client's behalf) can qualify. Disbursements are passed on at exact cost with no VAT added by you, but they must meet strict conditions: the client received the supply, you were acting as their agent, and you show the cost separately. Getting this wrong means under- or over-charging VAT.",[14,634,635,636,639,640,644],{},"Practical takeaway for UK and EU-style VAT: most of what freelancers call \"expenses\" are actually recharges, not disbursements, so you add VAT. Read ",[22,637,638],{"href":326},"UK VAT invoices explained"," and, if you're near the threshold, ",[22,641,643],{"href":642},"\u002Fdo-i-need-to-register-for-vat","do I need to register for VAT",". Rules vary — confirm your specific situation with HMRC or an accountant.",[264,646,648],{"id":647},"us-sales-tax","US sales tax",[14,650,651,652,656],{},"Whether a reimbursed expense is taxable depends on the state and on whether the underlying item was taxable and how it's characterised. Reimbursed costs that are part of a bundled taxable service can be taxable; a separately stated pass-through of a non-taxable item may not be. There's no single national rule. The overview in ",[22,653,655],{"href":654},"\u002Fus-sales-tax-on-invoices","US sales tax on invoices"," is a starting point, but check your state.",[264,658,660],{"id":659},"canada-and-australia","Canada and Australia",[14,662,663,664,668,669,673],{},"For GST\u002FHST in Canada, recharged expenses generally follow the tax treatment of your overall supply; see ",[22,665,667],{"href":666},"\u002Fcanada-gst-hst-invoice-requirements","Canada GST\u002FHST invoice requirements",". In Australia, GST on reimbursements versus true disbursements follows a similar agent-vs-principal logic to the UK; a valid ",[22,670,672],{"href":671},"\u002Fwhat-is-a-tax-invoice-australia","tax invoice"," still needs the right GST breakdown.",[14,675,676,677,680,681,684],{},"One more trap: ",[17,678,679],{},"don't double-count VAT\u002FGST you've already reclaimed."," If you're VAT-registered and reclaimed the input tax on that £79 stock photo, you recharge the £79 net (pre-VAT) figure and add your own VAT on top. Recharging the VAT-inclusive amount ",[349,682,683],{},"and"," adding VAT again overcharges the client.",[33,686,688],{"id":687},"keep-the-receipts-and-keep-them-findable","Keep the receipts, and keep them findable",[14,690,691,692,603],{},"Every recharged cost needs a supporting document you can produce on demand: the supplier invoice, the ticket, the mileage log. Tax authorities can ask you to justify both the expense you claimed and the amount you recharged. Retention periods vary (commonly several years), so store them with the project. The practical mechanics are covered in ",[22,693,695],{"href":694},"\u002Fhow-long-to-keep-invoices-and-receipts","how long to keep invoices and receipts",[14,697,698],{},"A simple system: create a folder per project, drop every receipt in as you incur it, and log the date, supplier, amount, and whether tax was charged in a spreadsheet. When invoice day arrives the expenses block writes itself.",[33,700,702],{"id":701},"handling-the-awkward-cases","Handling the awkward cases",[57,704,705,711,721,732],{},[60,706,707,710],{},[17,708,709],{},"The client rejects an expense after the fact."," If it was under your approval threshold and inside the contract's categories, point to the clause. If it was over the threshold and you didn't get sign-off, you may have to eat it — which is exactly why the threshold exists.",[60,712,713,716,717,720],{},[17,714,715],{},"A subcontractor you're recharging."," You're the principal: you hired them, you pay them, you recharge the client. Their invoice is addressed to ",[349,718,719],{},"you",", and you issue your own invoice to the client. Don't just forward the sub's invoice.",[60,722,723,726,727,731],{},[17,724,725],{},"Foreign-currency expenses on an overseas project."," Convert at the rate on the date you paid, note the rate, and be consistent. ",[22,728,730],{"href":729},"\u002Fhow-to-invoice-international-clients","Invoicing international clients"," covers the currency and payment side.",[60,733,734,737],{},[17,735,736],{},"Expenses that arrive after final payment."," Bill them promptly on a short-dated invoice rather than sitting on them. A late \"oh, and there's also £200 of expenses\" three months on reads as disorganised and gets queried.",[14,739,740],{},"Recharging expenses well is mostly about being boringly transparent: agree the rules in writing, spend inside the agreed limits, itemise clearly, attach the receipts, and apply the right tax treatment for your jurisdiction. Do that and expenses stop being a source of friction and become just another clean line on the invoice.",{"title":300,"searchDepth":301,"depth":301,"links":742},[743,744,745,746,747,752,753],{"id":340,"depth":304,"text":341},{"id":358,"depth":304,"text":359},{"id":403,"depth":304,"text":404},{"id":432,"depth":304,"text":433},{"id":591,"depth":304,"text":592,"children":748},[749,750,751],{"id":606,"depth":301,"text":607},{"id":647,"depth":301,"text":648},{"id":659,"depth":301,"text":660},{"id":687,"depth":304,"text":688},{"id":701,"depth":304,"text":702},"Invoicing Basics","2026-07-29","How to recharge travel, materials, software and subcontractor costs to clients, whether to add markup, and how VAT and sales-tax rules apply.",{},"\u002Fhow-to-bill-clients-for-expenses","8 min read",{"title":335,"description":756},{"loc":758},"how-to-bill-clients-for-expenses","RpKUmFUK7kvh-_hOs2fJkgj3NKtNotmV5Fped0xpX-s",{"id":765,"title":766,"author":6,"body":767,"category":754,"date":1269,"dek":320,"description":1270,"extension":322,"featured":323,"meta":1271,"navigation":325,"path":1272,"readingTime":759,"seo":1273,"sitemap":1274,"stem":1275,"__hash__":1276},"content\u002Fwhat-is-progress-billing.md","What Is Progress Billing? How to Invoice a Project in Stages",{"type":8,"value":768,"toc":1259},[769,773,776,779,792,796,799,820,827,833,839,842,846,849,852,988,999,1003,1006,1023,1026,1029,1088,1091,1099,1103,1106,1112,1128,1134,1139,1142,1148,1154,1158,1161,1166,1174,1179,1199,1202,1206,1209,1246,1250,1253,1256],[33,770,772],{"id":771},"getting-paid-before-the-project-ends","Getting paid before the project ends",[14,774,775],{},"A web build quoted at $18,000 takes four months. If you invoice once at the end, you're effectively lending the client the cost of a third of a year's work, absorbing every scope change and stall, and betting your cash flow on a single payment that may arrive 30 days after the final sign-off. That's month five before a dollar lands.",[14,777,778],{},"Progress billing fixes this. Instead of one invoice, you break the project into stages and bill for each as you complete it. The client pays as value is delivered; you fund the work as you go. It's the standard model in construction, engineering, and large creative or software projects, and it scales down neatly to a solo freelancer running a $6,000 branding job.",[14,780,781,782,786,787,791],{},"This is different from a one-off ",[22,783,785],{"href":784},"\u002Fhow-to-ask-for-a-deposit-upfront-invoices","deposit invoice"," or a fixed monthly ",[22,788,790],{"href":789},"\u002Frecurring-and-retainer-invoices","retainer",". A deposit is a single upfront payment. A retainer bills a recurring fee regardless of specific deliverables. Progress billing charges incrementally against measurable chunks of one large project as they're finished.",[33,793,795],{"id":794},"how-progress-billing-actually-works","How progress billing actually works",[14,797,798],{},"Every progress-billed project rests on three decisions you make before you start:",[800,801,802,808,814],"ol",{},[60,803,804,807],{},[17,805,806],{},"The total contract value."," The agreed price for the whole job (or a clear rate structure if it's time-and-materials).",[60,809,810,813],{},[17,811,812],{},"The billing triggers."," What event releases each invoice, a calendar date, a completed milestone, or a percentage of work done.",[60,815,816,819],{},[17,817,818],{},"The schedule of values."," A line-by-line breakdown showing how the total is split across stages.",[14,821,822,823,826],{},"Two broad methods exist for deciding ",[349,824,825],{},"when"," to bill:",[14,828,829,832],{},[17,830,831],{},"Milestone billing."," You invoice when a defined deliverable is complete: \"homepage design approved,\" \"database migration signed off.\" Best when the work has clear, discrete stages. Clients like it because they're paying for something they can see.",[14,834,835,838],{},[17,836,837],{},"Percentage-of-completion billing."," You invoice based on how much of the total work is finished, often assessed monthly. A builder might bill for 40% of a job at the end of month two. This suits long, continuous work where deliverables blur together. It requires an honest, defensible way to estimate \"percent complete,\" which is where disputes usually start.",[14,840,841],{},"Most small-business projects use milestones. They're concrete and hard to argue with.",[33,843,845],{"id":844},"building-a-schedule-of-values","Building a schedule of values",[14,847,848],{},"The schedule of values is the backbone. It's a table, agreed in the contract, that both parties reference for the life of the project. Keep the number of stages sensible: too few and you're back to lump-sum risk, too many and you drown in admin.",[14,850,851],{},"Here's a schedule for that $18,000 website, split into five stages plus a deposit:",[154,853,854,871],{},[157,855,856],{},[160,857,858,861,863,866,868],{},[163,859,860],{},"Stage",[163,862,450],{},[163,864,865],{},"% of total",[163,867,458],{},[163,869,870],{},"Trigger",[173,872,873,889,905,920,937,952,968],{},[160,874,875,878,881,883,886],{},[178,876,877],{},"0",[178,879,880],{},"Mobilisation deposit",[178,882,183],{},[178,884,885],{},"$3,600",[178,887,888],{},"On contract signing",[160,890,891,893,896,899,902],{},[178,892,495],{},[178,894,895],{},"Discovery & sitemap approved",[178,897,898],{},"15%",[178,900,901],{},"$2,700",[178,903,904],{},"Client sign-off on IA",[160,906,907,910,913,915,917],{},[178,908,909],{},"2",[178,911,912],{},"Design mockups approved",[178,914,183],{},[178,916,885],{},[178,918,919],{},"Client sign-off on designs",[160,921,922,925,928,931,934],{},[178,923,924],{},"3",[178,926,927],{},"Development complete (staging)",[178,929,930],{},"25%",[178,932,933],{},"$4,500",[178,935,936],{},"Site live on staging server",[160,938,939,942,945,947,949],{},[178,940,941],{},"4",[178,943,944],{},"Testing, revisions, launch",[178,946,898],{},[178,948,901],{},[178,950,951],{},"Site live on production",[160,953,954,957,960,962,965],{},[178,955,956],{},"5",[178,958,959],{},"Retention release",[178,961,194],{},[178,963,964],{},"$900",[178,966,967],{},"30 days after launch, no defects",[160,969,970,972,976,981,986],{},[178,971],{},[178,973,974],{},[17,975,562],{},[178,977,978],{},[17,979,980],{},"100%",[178,982,983],{},[17,984,985],{},"$18,000",[178,987],{},[14,989,990,991,994,995,998],{},"Notice stage 5. That's ",[17,992,993],{},"retainage"," (also called retention), a slice of the total held back until after final delivery to guarantee you fix defects. It's ingrained in construction, where 5–10% is typical, and it's increasingly reasonable for larger creative and software work. As the contractor being billed ",[349,996,997],{},"against",", you want retainage low and released quickly; as the party doing the work, you accept it because it reassures a nervous client. State the release condition precisely: \"5% retained, payable 30 days after production launch provided no critical defects remain open.\"",[33,1000,1002],{"id":1001},"what-goes-on-each-progress-invoice","What goes on each progress invoice",[14,1004,1005],{},"A progress invoice looks like a normal invoice with a few extra fields that show where this payment sits in the bigger picture. Every one should show:",[57,1007,1008,1011,1014,1017,1020],{},[60,1009,1010],{},"The overall contract value",[60,1012,1013],{},"This stage's amount (the \"current claim\")",[60,1015,1016],{},"Total billed to date, including this invoice",[60,1018,1019],{},"Total remaining after this invoice",[60,1021,1022],{},"Any retainage held",[14,1024,1025],{},"That running tally prevents the most common progress-billing argument: the client losing track of what they've already paid.",[14,1027,1028],{},"Here's how a stage 2 invoice might read:",[11,1030,1031,1037,1078,1085],{},[14,1032,1033,1036],{},[17,1034,1035],{},"Invoice #2026-034","\nProject: Website redesign — Contract value $18,000",[154,1038,1039,1048],{},[157,1040,1041],{},[160,1042,1043,1046],{},[163,1044,1045],{},"Line item",[163,1047,458],{},[173,1049,1050,1058,1066],{},[160,1051,1052,1055],{},[178,1053,1054],{},"Stage 2: Design mockups approved (20% of contract)",[178,1056,1057],{},"$3,600.00",[160,1059,1060,1063],{},[178,1061,1062],{},"Less retainage (5% of this claim)",[178,1064,1065],{},"–$180.00",[160,1067,1068,1073],{},[178,1069,1070],{},[17,1071,1072],{},"Amount due this invoice",[178,1074,1075],{},[17,1076,1077],{},"$3,420.00",[14,1079,1080,1081,1084],{},"Contract value: $18,000.00\nPreviously billed (stages 0–1): $6,300.00\nThis claim: $3,600.00\n",[17,1082,1083],{},"Billed to date: $9,900.00 (55%)","\nRetainage held to date: $495.00\nRemaining to bill: $8,100.00",[14,1086,1087],{},"Payment terms: Net 14. Work on stage 3 begins on receipt.",[14,1089,1090],{},"Whether you deduct retainage from each claim or hold it all in a final stage is a style choice; both are fine as long as the contract and the invoice math agree. Deducting a little from each claim (as above) is cleaner because the client always sees the running retention figure.",[14,1092,1093,1094,1098],{},"Number your invoices in a consistent sequence so the project's billing history is auditable. If you juggle several clients, see ",[22,1095,1097],{"href":1096},"\u002Finvoice-numbering-best-practices","invoice numbering best practices"," for a scheme that won't collapse under multiple projects.",[33,1100,1102],{"id":1101},"contract-wording-that-protects-you","Contract wording that protects you",[14,1104,1105],{},"Progress billing lives or dies by what's written before work starts. The schedule of values belongs in the signed contract or statement of work, not buried in an email. Include clauses covering:",[14,1107,1108,1111],{},[17,1109,1110],{},"The trigger definition."," Vague triggers cause disputes. \"Design phase complete\" invites argument; \"Client provides written approval of homepage and two interior page mockups via email or project tool\" does not.",[14,1113,1114,1117,1118,1122,1123,1127],{},[17,1115,1116],{},"Payment terms per stage."," Short terms suit staged work. Net 7 to Net 14 is common; some freelancers use ",[22,1119,1121],{"href":1120},"\u002Fdue-on-receipt-payment-terms","due on receipt"," for deposits and early stages. Whatever you pick, spell out your ",[22,1124,1126],{"href":1125},"\u002Fhow-to-charge-late-fees-on-overdue-invoices","late fee"," policy too.",[14,1129,1130,1133],{},[17,1131,1132],{},"A stop-work clause."," The single most valuable line in a progress-billing contract:",[11,1135,1136],{},[14,1137,1138],{},"\"Work on the subsequent stage will not commence until payment for the preceding stage has been received in full. Timelines extend automatically by any period of delayed payment.\"",[14,1140,1141],{},"This turns your invoice into a gate. No payment, no progress. It's the natural leverage staged billing gives you, and it beats chasing an $18,000 balance at the end.",[14,1143,1144,1147],{},[17,1145,1146],{},"Scope-change handling."," When the client adds work mid-project, don't quietly absorb it into an existing stage. Issue a change order that adjusts the contract value and, if needed, adds a stage. Revised schedule of values, signed, then carry on.",[14,1149,1150,1153],{},[17,1151,1152],{},"Deposit and retainage terms."," State the deposit amount, whether it's refundable, and how it's applied (usually credited against stage 0 or spread across the first stages). State the retainage percentage and its precise release condition.",[33,1155,1157],{"id":1156},"a-worked-cash-flow-comparison","A worked cash-flow comparison",[14,1159,1160],{},"The point of all this is timing. Same $18,000 project, two approaches:",[14,1162,1163],{},[17,1164,1165],{},"Lump-sum, Net 30, invoiced at completion (month 4):",[57,1167,1168,1171],{},[60,1169,1170],{},"Cash in: $0 until roughly day 150",[60,1172,1173],{},"You self-fund four months of work",[14,1175,1176],{},[17,1177,1178],{},"Progress-billed against the schedule above:",[57,1180,1181,1184,1187,1190,1193,1196],{},[60,1182,1183],{},"Month 0: $3,600 deposit",[60,1185,1186],{},"Month 1: $2,700 (stage 1)",[60,1188,1189],{},"Month 2: $3,420 (stage 2, net of retainage)",[60,1191,1192],{},"Month 3: $4,275 (stage 3, net of retainage)",[60,1194,1195],{},"Month 4: $2,565 (stage 4, net of retainage)",[60,1197,1198],{},"Month 5: $2,340 (stage 5 + accumulated retainage $900)",[14,1200,1201],{},"By the end of month 2 you've collected $9,720 on a project you're only a bit over halfway through delivering. That's the difference between a healthy freelance business and one perpetually one late invoice away from trouble.",[33,1203,1205],{"id":1204},"tax-and-record-keeping-notes","Tax and record-keeping notes",[14,1207,1208],{},"A few things to get right, and rules vary by jurisdiction, so confirm with your tax authority or an accountant:",[57,1210,1211,1231,1237],{},[60,1212,1213,1216,1217,1219,1220,1222,1223,1226,1227,1230],{},[17,1214,1215],{},"When to recognise income and charge sales tax\u002FVAT"," usually depends on when each invoice is issued or paid, not on when the whole project finishes. If you're VAT-registered in the UK, each progress invoice is generally a tax point in its own right; see ",[22,1218,638],{"href":326},". US sales tax on services varies by state, covered in ",[22,1221,655],{"href":654},". Canadian GST\u002FHST has its own ",[22,1224,1225],{"href":666},"invoice requirements",", and Australian ",[22,1228,1229],{"href":671},"tax invoices"," have set fields.",[60,1232,1233,1236],{},[17,1234,1235],{},"Deposits can be treated differently from progress claims"," for tax purposes in some jurisdictions. Don't assume they're the same.",[60,1238,1239,1242,1243,1245],{},[17,1240,1241],{},"Keep every progress invoice, change order, and sign-off email"," for the whole project and beyond. Guidance on ",[22,1244,695],{"href":694}," applies here.",[33,1247,1249],{"id":1248},"when-progress-billing-isnt-worth-it","When progress billing isn't worth it",[14,1251,1252],{},"Skip it for anything short or small. A $900 logo delivered in a week doesn't need five invoices, take a deposit and bill the balance. Progress billing carries admin overhead: more invoices, more approvals, more tracking. The break-even point is roughly a project long enough or large enough that carrying the full cost to completion would strain your cash or your nerves.",[14,1254,1255],{},"It also demands a client who signs a proper contract and approves stages promptly. If sign-offs are the bottleneck, add a clause deeming a stage approved if the client doesn't respond within, say, five business days. Otherwise your carefully staged cash flow stalls on someone else's inbox.",[14,1257,1258],{},"Structure the stages, define the triggers in writing, and let each paid invoice unlock the next slice of work. The project funds itself, and you never carry more risk than the current stage.",{"title":300,"searchDepth":301,"depth":301,"links":1260},[1261,1262,1263,1264,1265,1266,1267,1268],{"id":771,"depth":304,"text":772},{"id":794,"depth":304,"text":795},{"id":844,"depth":304,"text":845},{"id":1001,"depth":304,"text":1002},{"id":1101,"depth":304,"text":1102},{"id":1156,"depth":304,"text":1157},{"id":1204,"depth":304,"text":1205},{"id":1248,"depth":304,"text":1249},"2026-07-27","A practical guide to milestone and staged invoicing for freelancers and contractors, covering deposits, progress claims, retainage, and sample wording.",{},"\u002Fwhat-is-progress-billing",{"title":766,"description":1270},{"loc":1272},"what-is-progress-billing","1f7Wj81KqhhKD9NyCFT0w5kd8bObLSynWMtfQE4jWeY",1785314447908]