Consultant invoice template (UK Ltd company)

Many UK consultants work through their own limited company, and their clients are usually businesses with an accounts team, a purchase order process and VAT to reclaim. That means the invoice needs a little more than a sole trader's: the company's registered details, a VAT number, the client's PO number and expenses shown properly.

This template shows a VAT-registered consultancy billing a workshop, a report and travel. Fill it in online and download a PDF. No account needed. It opens in the free UK invoice generator, ready to fill in.

What's on this template

• The company's full registered name, address and VAT number.
• The client company, the team to send it to and their PO number.
• Invoice number, date and due date.
• Each engagement or deliverable, then expenses on their own lines.
• VAT at 20% and the total.
• The company's bank details.
• Company number, place of registration and registered office in the footer.

Example line items

Footer: "Ashworth Advisory Ltd · Registered in England and Wales No. 09876543 · Registered office: 3 Park Square East, Leeds LS1 2NE".

Fees and expenses

Day rates, fixed fees and retainers all work on one template — just describe what the client is paying for and the period it covers. Travel and other costs you recharge as part of your service go on their own lines and generally take the same VAT rate as your fee. Keep the receipts in case the client asks.

The company details

A limited company's invoice must use its full registered name, and companies conventionally add the company number, where it's registered and the registered office. Choose Limited company in the editor and fill in the company number, and the template prints the footer for you. See limited company invoice requirements.

Payment terms

Thirty days is standard for consulting, but large clients may impose their own terms through their supplier agreement. If a business pays late, statutory interest and compensation apply — see late payment interest.

Day rates and IR35

If you supply your services through your own company to a medium or large client, the client decides whether the off-payroll working rules (IR35) apply to the engagement. That decision affects how you are paid, not what the invoice looks like, but it's worth settling before you start. If the rules apply, the fee-payer deducts tax and National Insurance before paying your company.

Supplier onboarding and PO numbers

Large clients often need you set up as a supplier first: a supplier form, the company's bank details on letterhead, your VAT certificate and sometimes insurance certificates. Once you have a purchase order, quote its number on every invoice. Invoices without a valid PO are commonly returned unpaid, so ask for one before the work starts.

Retainers

For an ongoing advisory arrangement, bill a fixed monthly retainer in advance or arrears as agreed, with any work outside the retainer listed separately. State the month the retainer covers so the client can match it to their budget.

Making it easy to pay

Bank transfer is the default in the UK: print the account name exactly as your bank holds it, the sort code (20-00-00) and the 8-digit account number, and ask customers to use the invoice number as the payment reference so you can match the money when it arrives. If you take card payments, add a payment link alongside the bank details. A short "Thank you for your business" in the notes costs nothing and reads better than a bare demand for payment.

Common mistakes

• No PO number on an invoice to a large client.
• A trading name with no registered company name.
• VAT left off recharged travel.
• A director's personal bank account for company income.