What to put on an invoice: a complete checklist

In short: An invoice needs the word “Invoice”, a unique invoice number, your details and VAT number, the client’s details, the invoice date and a due date, a clear line for each item, the subtotal, any VAT and discount, the total due, the currency, and how to pay. A VAT invoice also needs your VAT number, the VAT rate, and the VAT amount shown separately. The full checklist of what to put on an invoice, with each part explained, is below.

Getting paid starts with a document that leaves no room for doubt. A tidy, complete invoice tells your client exactly what they owe, when, and how to pay, so nothing stalls in someone’s inbox. This is the deep-dive checklist: every part of a professional invoice, each explained in a sentence or two, plus the extra details a VAT invoice needs and how an invoice differs from a receipt.

If you just want the quick version of the whole process, start with the pillar guide: how to invoice a client as a freelancer. This page goes deeper on what actually goes on the page.

What are the essential parts of an invoice?

Here is the core checklist. Include every one of these on every invoice and clients have no reason to delay:

1. The word “Invoice”. Label the document clearly at the top so it isn’t mistaken for a quote, an estimate, or a receipt.
2. A unique invoice number. A sequential reference with no gaps and no repeats (more on schemes below). It is how you and the client both find this exact document later.
3. Your details. Your name or business name, address, and a contact email or phone. Add your VAT number here if you are VAT-registered.
4. The client’s details. Their business name and billing address. For cross-border EU business-to-business work, you usually show their VAT number too.
5. The invoice date. The date you issue the invoice. This often sets the clock for your payment terms.
6. The due date or payment terms. When payment is expected, written plainly, for example “Payment due within 14 days” (more on wording below).
7. A clear line for each item. One line per thing you did or supplied: a short description, the quantity, and the unit price. “Landing page design, 2 rounds” beats “design work”.
8. The subtotal. The sum of your lines before VAT, after any discount is applied.
9. Any discount. If you agreed one, show it as its own line so the maths is transparent.
10. VAT. The VAT rate and the VAT amount, shown separately from your fee (see the VAT section below).
11. The total due. The final amount the client pays, in large, unmissable figures.
12. The currency. State it clearly, especially if you and the client are in different countries. “€500” and “$500” are not the same request.
13. How to pay. Your bank details (IBAN and BIC) and, ideally, a pay-online link so the client can settle it in a click.

A tool that handles the numbering, totals, VAT, discounts, and currency for you turns this list into a few minutes of filling in boxes. That is what Tally Crow does: auto-numbered invoices, up to 10 line items, VAT and discounts, IBAN and BIC bank details, and a professional PDF, with no accounting experience required.

How should you number your invoices?

Every invoice needs a unique number, and the sequence should be easy to follow. The number is what ties a payment, a query, or your bookkeeping back to one specific document, so gaps and duplicates cause real confusion at tax time.

A few simple schemes that work:

• Plain sequential: 001, 002, 003. The simplest option, fine when you are starting out.
• Year-prefixed: 2026-001, 2026-002. Resets each year and keeps things sorted by date. This is a popular, tidy default.
• Client-prefixed: ACME-001, ACME-002. Handy if you want to see a client’s history at a glance.

Pick one scheme and stick to it. The two rules that matter: numbers must be unique (in the EU, a legal requirement for VAT invoices), and they should run in a sensible sequence without gaps. Tally Crow numbers invoices automatically and lets you set a resumable starting number, so you can carry on from whatever sequence you already use rather than starting again at one.

If you ever need to correct an invoice you have already sent, do not edit it and reissue the same number. Issue a credit note against the original and send a fresh invoice with a new number. Here is the difference between the two: credit note vs invoice.

How do you word payment terms and due dates?

Vague terms invite late payment. Show both the invoice date and a specific due date, and spell out the terms in words the client cannot misread.

Clear ways to write it:

• “Payment due within 14 days” or “Payment due by 20 August 2026” (an actual date leaves nothing to interpret).
• “Net 30” is common shorthand for “due 30 days from the invoice date”, though plain wording is friendlier for clients who do not live in accounting terms.

Fourteen or 30 days is typical for freelancers, and shorter terms tend to get you paid sooner. There is no rule that says 30. In Tally Crow you can set a rolling due date per client (anywhere from 1 to 365 days), so the due date is calculated for you each time you invoice them.

What does a VAT invoice also need?

If you are VAT-registered, a plain invoice is not quite enough. A VAT invoice carries a few extra details so the tax is transparent and your client can reclaim it where they are entitled to. On top of the essentials above, a VAT invoice usually shows:

• Your VAT registration number.
• The VAT rate applied to each item or to the invoice.
• The VAT amount shown as its own figure, separate from your net fee.
• The client’s VAT number, for cross-border EU business-to-business supplies where the reverse charge applies (the reverse charge is where your business client accounts for the VAT instead of you).
• A tax point (the date of supply), which may differ from the invoice date.

Exact requirements vary by country, so check what your tax authority asks for. Tally Crow calculates VAT and discounts on the invoice and shows the totals clearly, but it does not file anything with a tax authority. If your VAT situation is unclear, speak to your own accountant.

Which invoice details are optional (but worth adding)?

These are not required, but each one smooths the path to payment or keeps your client’s accounts team happy:

• A purchase order (PO) number. If the client raised a PO for the work, put their PO number on the invoice. It is the reference their accounts team uses to match your invoice to an approved order, and leaving it off is a common reason invoices sit unpaid.
• A late-fee note. If you intend to charge interest on overdue payment, state it upfront, for example “Late payments may incur interest at [rate]”. In the EU, business-to-business rules may entitle you to statutory interest on late payment, but say so on the invoice rather than springing it later.
• A short thank-you. A line like “Thanks for your business” costs nothing and keeps the tone warm. A brief payment-terms reminder (“Payment due within 14 days”) also does no harm.

Invoice vs receipt: what is the difference?

They are easy to mix up, but they do opposite jobs:

• An invoice is a request for payment. You send it before the client has paid, to tell them what they owe.
• A receipt confirms that payment has been made. You issue it after the money has arrived, as proof for the client’s records.

So the same job can produce both: an invoice to ask for the money, then a receipt once it lands. (A credit note is a third document again, used to cancel or reduce an invoice you have already sent. The credit note vs invoice guide covers when to use each.)

Want to put this checklist straight to work? The free invoice generator builds a complete invoice in your browser, with no signup, so you can see every field in place before you commit to a tool.

Put the whole checklist on autopilot

You should not have to remember 13 fields every time you bill someone. Tally Crow builds a complete, professional invoice for you: automatic numbering, VAT and discounts, any-currency invoicing, your bank details, an optional pay-online link, and a polished PDF, starting free with 2 invoices a month and no credit card. See what is included on each plan on the pricing page.