Filling in the template, box by box
HMRC doesn't publish an official form, but gov.uk lists what an invoice has to show. Here's where each item lives in this template:
| gov.uk asks for | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| A unique identification number | Invoice No. It counts up on its own, so you never reuse one |
| Your name, address and contact details | From: your name, trading name, address, email and phone |
| The customer's name and address | Bill to |
| A clear description of the work | One line per job, product or block of hours |
| The date of supply | Work done on, which prints a "Date of supply" line |
| The invoice date | Issue date, today by default |
| The amounts charged and the total owed | Quantity × price per line, then the total |
| The VAT amount, if applicable | Only when you're VAT-registered (see below) |
Write descriptions your customer's bookkeeper will understand in six months' time. "Copywriting" is vague; "Website copy, 5 pages" says exactly what was delivered.
Your own name comes first
Being self-employed means you are the business, so gov.uk asks sole traders for two things a company doesn't show:
- Your own name, plus any business name you use. "Tom Reilly, trading as Reilly Words" covers both in one line.
- An address where legal documents can be delivered to you, if you trade under a business name. Working from home? Your home address is the usual answer. If you'd rather not print it, you need another address that can genuinely receive post for you.
You don't need a limited company, a logo or a VAT number to send a proper invoice. If you later incorporate, the rules change: see the company column in our UK invoice template.
VAT: leave it off until you register
Most self-employed people aren't VAT-registered, and their invoices simply have no VAT. In this template that means a 0% rate and an empty VAT No. field, so no VAT line appears. A short "Not VAT registered" note, as in the example, stops business customers asking where the VAT is.
According to gov.uk, the VAT threshold is currently £90,000. You have to register if your taxable turnover over the last 12 months goes above it, or if you expect it to go above £90,000 in the next 30 days alone. Check the rolling 12-month figure every month, not once a year.
Once you're registered, add your VAT number and pick the rate (20%, 5% or 0%, per line if needed). Invoices to VAT-registered customers then have to be full VAT invoices, which our sole trader invoice guide walks through in detail.
Payment terms that actually get you paid
gov.uk lets you set your own payment terms, including discounts for paying early or asking for money upfront. If you never agreed a date, the customer must pay within 30 days of getting your invoice. Waiting a month is a long time when you're self-employed, so put your terms on every invoice:
- Pick a due date. 14 days is common for freelancers; 7 days suits one-off private jobs. The template prints the exact date, not just "14 days".
- Make paying easy. Add your sort code and account number once and they appear on every invoice.
- Ask for a reference. Quoting the invoice number on the transfer lets you match payments in seconds.
- Decide on late payment. gov.uk says you have the right to charge interest on late payments, but you can choose not to. Our overdue invoice email guide covers polite chasers first.
Keeping invoices for Self Assessment
Your sales invoices are part of the records HMRC expects you to keep for your Self Assessment tax return, alongside records of all your business expenses. gov.uk says to keep them for at least 5 years after the 31 January submission deadline of the tax year they belong to.
A simple routine:
- Number every invoice in one sequence and download the PDF the moment you send it.
- File the PDFs by tax year (6 April to 5 April) and note the date each one was paid.
- If you use cash basis, income counts in the tax year you receive it, not when you invoiced. gov.uk's own example: money received on 30 April 2024 goes in 2024 to 2025, even if the invoice went out in March.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is also rolling out. Per gov.uk, sole traders with qualifying income over £50,000 in 2024 to 2025 had to start from 6 April 2026, and the threshold drops to £30,000 from April 2027. If that's you, you'll need compatible software to report to HMRC. Duebolt makes the invoices; your accounting software does the reporting.
Last checked October 23, 2026.