Sole trader invoice template (UK)

Most UK sole traders aren't VAT registered, so their invoices are refreshingly simple: who you are, who you're billing, what you did, what it costs and how to pay. This template is set up exactly that way — your name and trading name at the top, no VAT anywhere, and UK bank details at the bottom.

It suits joiners, gardeners, tutors, dog walkers, photographers and anyone else working for themselves. 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

• Your name and trading name: "Tom Hartley trading as Hartley Joinery".
• An address where legal documents can reach you, plus your phone or email.
• Your customer's name and address.
• Invoice number, invoice date and due date. Keep one unbroken sequence (INV-0027, INV-0028).
• What you did, line by line, with quantities and prices.
• The total due, with no VAT line.
• Bank details: account name, sort code and account number.

Example line items

The sample invoice above, for a kitchen job:

Materials you buy for a job can go on their own line, as here, or be built into your prices. Separate lines make it easier to answer "what was that for?".

Payment terms

State when you want to be paid: on completion, 7 days or 14 days are common for small jobs. If you agree nothing with a business customer, the law gives them 30 days from the invoice or the work, whichever is later. Put the due date on the invoice so there's no doubt.

Bank transfer is the norm. Print the account name exactly as your bank holds it, because the customer's bank checks it before the money goes (Confirmation of Payee). A payment link or PayPal can sit alongside it for customers who prefer cards.

When VAT comes in

You must register for VAT once your VAT-taxable turnover passes £90,000 in a rolling 12 months. Until then, don't add VAT or print a VAT number. Once registered, choose VAT registered in the editor and the same template becomes a VAT invoice, with your VAT number and a VAT line. See invoicing when you're not VAT registered and what a VAT invoice must include.

Numbering and dates

Start your numbering wherever you like, but keep one unbroken sequence and never reuse a number. A prefix with the year (2026-014) or a plain counter (INV-0027) both work; what matters is that each invoice can be found again and nothing is missing from the run. Put two dates on the invoice when they differ: the date you did the work (the date of supply) and the date you issued the invoice. If you invoice a week after finishing a job, both appear.

Sending the invoice

Email the PDF the day you finish, while the job is fresh in the customer's mind, and put the invoice number in the subject line. For repeat customers, invoice on the same day each week or month so they come to expect it. If a payment is late, send a short reminder the day after the due date with the invoice attached again; most late payments are forgotten rather than refused.

Deposits and part-payments

For bigger jobs, ask for a deposit before you buy materials. Invoice the deposit on its own, then show it as paid on the final invoice so only the balance is due. A customer who pays in instalments should see each payment recorded against the invoice and the remaining balance.

Common mistakes

• Only the trading name, with no personal name behind it.
• VAT added "to look professional" when you're not registered.
• No due date, so the customer pays when it suits them.
• Account name not matching the bank's records.

Keeping records

Keep a copy of every invoice for your Self Assessment: GOV.UK says at least 5 years after the 31 January filing deadline for that tax year. More on that in how to invoice as a sole trader.