For sole traders very little needs to be entered on a sales invoice apart from what it is for and the amount, but more is needed for a VAT registered limited company.
There are HMRC requirements for a VAT invoice and separately by Companies House for the company:
VAT Invoice:
- Business name and address
- Unique invoice number
- Invoice date (this may be the tax point when the goods/service was provided)
- Customer name and address
- Description of goods or services (and amount if applicable)
- Amount exluding VAT
- VAT amount
- Rate of VAT
- Total including VAT
- There are lower requirements for smaller sums see www.gov.uk website
Company documents:
- Full company name
- Registered office (this may be different to the trading address which can be shown separately)
- Registered number
Other information you may wish to include:
- Terms and conditions
- Trading name – if so it should be noted that it is a trading name of the company
- Trading address – this may be the branch or head office address
- Telephone numbers, web addresses and other contact information
- Logo
This article provides information of the major requirements for a sales invoice but may not wholly apply to your situation so you should seek professional advice before taking any steps based on the contents. If you would like advice in this or other areas feel free to call. Alastair Wood, AW Accounting, Gravesend, Kent – Accountants who “speak your language”