Free UK invoice generator with VAT support

How to create an invoice for United Kingdom

1. Check the region and currency. The editor opens with United Kingdom defaults: GBP, VAT presets and the right date and number format. Change the currency in the settings if you bill in another one.
2. Add your business details. Enter your name, address and VAT reg. no. and company no.. Upload a logo if you have one. Save it as a business profile so you can reuse it next time.
3. Add the client. Fill in the customer’s name and address and their client vat no. where it applies. Saved clients are stored in your browser for next time.
4. Add line items and tax. Describe each item, enter quantity and rate, and choose a VAT preset or set your own rate. The totals update as you type, and you can switch between tax-exclusive and tax-inclusive prices.
5. Check the checklist and terms. Open the compliance checklist to see which required fields are still empty, then choose payment terms, add bank details and notes.
6. Pick a template and colour, then export. Choose one of the 15 templates and colour themes, then download the PDF, use Print / Save as PDF, or export a PNG. Everything is created in your browser.

What counts as a UK invoice

In the United Kingdom, an invoice is a business document that records a supply of goods or services and asks for payment. If you are registered for VAT, the invoice you issue to another VAT-registered business is also the document your customer uses to reclaim input VAT, which is why HMRC is specific about what it must show. If you are not VAT registered, you cannot charge VAT, and the invoice can be simpler, but GOV.UK still lists the details a normal business invoice should include.

There are three practical situations. A full VAT invoice goes to VAT-registered customers for standard sales. A modified or simplified invoice is allowed for some retail supplies of up to £250 including VAT. A non-VAT invoice is used by anyone below the registration threshold or otherwise not registered. This generator handles the first and third directly. For simplified invoices, leave out the customer’s details and rate breakdown only if HMRC’s guidance for your case allows it.

The editor uses A4 paper, long dates (for example 28 October 2026) and the pound sign by default. You can switch the currency to euros or dollars if you invoice overseas clients.

What must be on a UK VAT invoice

HMRC’s VAT trader records guidance (VATREC5010) and regulation 14 of the VAT Regulations 1995 set out the details for a full VAT invoice. The generator’s checklist follows the same ground:

• Unique, sequential invoice number
• Invoice date (and tax point if different)
• Supplier name and address
• Your VAT registration number – Only if you are VAT registered.
• Customer name and address
• Description, quantity, unit price, VAT rate and net amount per line
• Total excluding VAT, total VAT (in sterling) and total payable
• Company number for limited companies – Company name must match the certificate of incorporation.

The details people forget

• Time of supply (tax point). If the date the goods are delivered or the service is completed differs from the invoice date, show both. The tax point decides which VAT return the sale belongs on.
• VAT in sterling. If you invoice in euros or dollars, the invoice must also show the total VAT in pounds.
• Any cash discount. If you offer a discount for early payment, state its terms.
• Company details. For a limited company use the full name exactly as on the certificate of incorporation. Company number, registered office and place of registration are commonly shown on business documents; confirm your obligations with Companies House guidance.
• Reverse-charge wording where the customer must account for the VAT, for example domestic reverse charge for certain construction services.

The generator gives you a VAT reg. no. field and a Company no. field. Switch the title between “Invoice” and “VAT Invoice” depending on whether you are registered.

VAT rates and when you must register

The UK has a standard rate of 20%, a reduced rate of 5% for some goods and services such as domestic fuel and some energy-saving installations, and a zero rate for items such as most food and children’s clothes. Some supplies are exempt (for example many financial and educational services) and others are outside the scope of UK VAT. The official GOV.UK “VAT rates” page lists them all, and you should check it for your product.

You must register for VAT if your taxable turnover goes over £90,000 in any rolling 12-month period, or you expect to go over it in the next 30 days. You may also register voluntarily below that figure. Once registered, you charge VAT on taxable sales and can reclaim VAT on business purchases. Check GOV.UK for the current threshold, since it is reviewed by the Treasury.

Need to add VAT to a net price or take it out of a gross price? The VAT calculator does both, and it also handles the reduced and zero rates.

A worked VAT example

Priya is a VAT-registered graphic designer in Manchester. She charges a client £850 for brand identity work and £150 for a licence to use the artwork. Both are standard-rated.

She keeps the tax-point date equal to the invoice date, adds her VAT number, sets payment terms to 30 days and includes her sort code and account number. If the client had been a VAT-registered business under a construction domestic reverse charge, she would instead tick the reverse-charge flag. The generator would then set the VAT to zero and print the required wording.

Late payment: your statutory rights

Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, a business that sells to another business can claim statutory interest and fixed compensation on an overdue invoice. Interest runs at 8% a year above the Bank of England base rate in force at a reference date, unless your contract sets a different substantial remedy. On top of that you can claim fixed recovery costs of £40 for debts under £1,000, £70 for debts of £1,000 to £9,999.99, and £100 for £10,000 or more. When this page was last checked, in October 2026, the Bank of England’s Bank Rate stood at 3.75%, but the rate used for any calculation is the one in force on 30 June or 31 December before the debt becomes late, so use the official GOV.UK guidance.

This right applies to commercial transactions, not to consumers. If you do not agree a payment date, the Act implies a 30-day period from delivery or invoice. The default terms in the editor reference the Act so that clients are reminded. To calculate what you can claim, use the UK late-payment interest calculator.

Making Tax Digital, e-invoicing and your records

Two reforms matter to UK invoicers. First, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax has applied from 6 April 2026 to sole traders and landlords with qualifying income above £50,000, from April 2027 above £30,000, and from April 2028 above £20,000, according to GOV.UK. If it applies to you, keep digital records and use compatible software. A PDF invoice from a browser is a perfectly fine document, but you should track your income and expenses in your bookkeeping system as well.

Second, the government has confirmed it intends to make e-invoicing mandatory for VAT invoices between businesses and to government from April 2029, following its consultation. The details are still being worked out, so check GOV.UK for the latest. Nothing about that change affects a PDF today. Our UK e-invoicing guide summarises what is known.

VAT-registered businesses should keep VAT records, including copies of invoices issued and received, for 6 years, unless HMRC agrees otherwise. See also how long to keep invoices.

Common UK invoicing mistakes

• Charging VAT without being registered, or using a VAT number that has not been issued yet. If you are waiting for registration, ask HMRC what to do about invoices raised in the meantime.
• Missing tax-point date on invoices where delivery and invoice dates differ.
• Not showing the VAT rate per line when you sell items at different rates.
• Using a trading name only. Limited companies should show their registered name.
• Gaps in the invoice sequence. HMRC expects a unique sequential number. If you void an invoice, issue a credit note rather than deleting it.
• Vague terms. “Payment on receipt” can be interpreted differently by every accounts team. Give a date.

How to get paid faster in the UK

1. Invoice immediately; you generally have 30 days from the supply to issue a VAT invoice, but your client’s payment run starts when they receive it.
2. Make bank transfer easy: sort code, account number, and a reference that matches your invoice number. Many clients now prefer Faster Payments to cheque.
3. State the statutory interest wording in your terms so late payment is not a surprise.
4. For bigger jobs, take a deposit or stage payments. See the deposits and milestone billing guide.
5. Follow up on day one after the due date. Our non-payment guide includes a reminder sequence.

Glossary

Tax point

The date a supply is treated as taking place for VAT purposes.

Reverse charge

A rule making the customer, not the supplier, account for VAT.

Bank Rate

The Bank of England’s policy rate, used as the base for statutory late-payment interest.

MTD

Making Tax Digital, HMRC’s programme for digital record-keeping and reporting.

CIS

Construction Industry Scheme, which has its own deduction and reverse-charge rules.

Related topics

• UK invoice template
• VAT invoice
• sole trader invoice
• limited company invoice
• reverse charge invoice
• late payment interest
• CIS invoice
• self-employed invoice
• invoice PDF A4
• HMRC invoice requirements