An invoice a list of goods sent or services provided, with a statement of the sum due for these. It is also just called a Bill. One of the main parts for a freelance photography is getting work through commission. The way it is a important part of gaining money. It is important to make it easier and simple for your clients to view it so knowing how to charge your work is vital.
Invoices — what they must include
You must clearly display the word ‘invoice’ on the document. You must include:
- a unique identification number
- your company name, address and contact information
- the company name and address of the customer you’re invoicing
- a clear description of what you’re charging for
- the date the goods or service were provided (supply date)
- the date of the invoice
- the amount(s) being charged
- VAT amount if applicable
- the total amount owed
Sole trader invoices
If you’re a sole trader, the invoice must also include:
- your name and any business name being used
- an address where any legal documents can be delivered to you if you are using a business name
Limited company invoices
If your company is a limited company, you must include the full company name as it appears on the certificate of incorporation.
If you decide to put names of your directors on your invoices, you must include the names of all directors.
VAT invoices
You must use VAT invoices if you and your customer are VAT registered.
These include more information than non-VAT invoices.
From the AOP (The association of photographers) have a load of downloadable content online. All that is needed was to enter your email address. There are many other forms which can be extremely useful for having an invoice. They also contain other templates that could be useful to use. Such as a model release form. Having these templates will give you a good step in the right direction, and give you a good idea of what to do if the there is a form you don’t know how to create appears.
An example of a service invoice below. These are a rough template of what you should include in yours. The suggestion is that you create your own template which then you can tweak and change depending on the work. For committing potential a long time in order to make sure you have a detailed invoice is important and will save you more time later on, from confusion.
