Free invoice template
Blank, ready to fill in, built for UK sole traders. Download it in whatever you actually use.
No signup. No card. Nothing to install. Google Docs users: take the Word file, drop it in Drive, and it opens as a Doc.
Or skip the typing
The template works. It also means retyping your address, your bank details and your invoice number every time. Our invoice generator fills that in once and remembers it — still free, still no signup.
[Your trading name]
[Address line 1]
[Town, postcode]
[Phone]
[Email]
[VAT number] (if registered)
Bill to
[Client name]
[Address line 1]
[Town, postcode]
Invoice number: [001]
Invoice date: [DD/MM/YYYY]
Work completed: [DD/MM/YYYY]
Payment due by: [DD/MM/YYYY]
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
Payment details
Bank: [Bank name]
Account name: [Account name]
Account number: [Account number]
Sort code: [Sort code]
Payment reference: [Invoice number]
Payment terms: due within [14] days of the invoice date.
The same fields in all four downloads.
What a UK invoice has to show
Get these wrong and a client has a reason to delay paying you.
- The word Invoice, somewhere obvious
- Your trading name and address, and theirs
- A unique invoice number, in sequence
- The date you're sending it, and the date you did the work
- What you did, itemised
- The amount due
- The date you want paying by
- Your bank details
If you're VAT registered, you also need your VAT number, the rate you've applied, the VAT amount, and the net and gross totals shown separately. The template has a row for each.
Number them in order
001, 002, 003. Not the date, not the job name, not whatever came to mind.
Gaps in an invoice sequence are one of the first things HMRC looks at in an enquiry, because a missing number looks like a missing payment. If you void one, keep the number and mark it void.
The list is gov.uk guidance on what invoices must include. General guidance, not legal or accounting advice.
Last checked: 30 July 2026
Put your payment terms on it before you need them
“Payment due within 14 days” is a term. So is “2% interest on overdue balances.” If it isn't written down before the job, you don't have it.
This matters more than it sounds. If your customer is a business, the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act gives you a statutory right to interest at Bank of England base rate + 8% — 11.75% at a 3.75% base rate — plus fixed compensation of £40, £70 or £100 depending on the invoice size.
If your customer is a homeowner, that Act doesn't apply. Your only right to charge interest is the one written on the quote they accepted.
Most solo trade work is for homeowners. Put the term on the quote.
VAT on your invoice
Standard rate is 20%. Some work — certain energy-saving materials, some residential conversions — is 5%, but the conditions are specific and worth checking with your accountant before you put it on a quote.
You have to register once your taxable turnover passes £90,000 in any rolling twelve months. Not your tax year — any twelve months. Check the last twelve, not the last accounting period.
CIS: itemise labour and materials separately
The contractor deducts 20% if you're registered, 30% if you're not. That comes off labour only — genuine materials are excluded.
So if labour and materials sit on one line, you're handing over 20% of your materials cost for no reason and waiting until your return to get it back. Split the lines.
Fill it in once, not every time
Your trading name, address, bank details and terms are the same on every invoice you will ever send. A template asks for them every time; the generator asks once.
And the invoice number is the field a template can't help with at all — it has no idea what you used last.
This is a general guide, not tax, legal or financial advice. Rates checked July 2026. The statutory late-payment rate is fixed for six months at a time (whatever the base rate was on 30 June applies to debts falling due between 1 July and 31 December), and VAT and CIS rates are set by government. Always confirm the current rates and rules with HMRC or your accountant before relying on a figure.
Invoice templates by trade
Same template, with the line items each trade actually uses.
- Electricians
- Consumer unit work, testing and certification, Part P notification. Put the certificate number on the invoice.
- Plumbers
- Parts and labour split out, and your Gas Safe registration number if it was gas work.
- Painters & decorators
- Prep, materials and sundries as their own lines, so the price makes sense.
- Landscapers
- Plants and materials separate from labour, and your waste carrier licence number if you took green waste away.
- Handymen
- Itemise per task, not per hour, or you'll be asked to justify the hours.
- Cleaners
- Recurring versus one-off, and whether materials are included.
- Carpenters
- Hardware and fixings separate from the making.
- Tilers
- Grout, adhesive and sealant as materials.
- Bathroom fitters
- First fix, second fix and materials as three groups.
Common questions
Can I use this invoice template as a sole trader?
Yes. It's built for sole traders and the self-employed. You don't need a company number to invoice someone — your own name and address is enough.
Do I need to be VAT registered to send an invoice?
No. If you're not registered, don't mention VAT at all and don't charge it. Delete the VAT row from the template and the total is simply the sum of your lines.
What invoice number should I start at?
001 is fine. So is 1001 if you'd rather not look brand new. What matters is that they go up by one and never repeat.
Is this template free?
Yes. No signup, no card, no email required. Download the Word, Excel or PDF file and use it on real jobs.
Can I put my logo on it?
On the template, yes — drop it in the header. If you'd rather it landed on every invoice automatically, that's what SoloDesks Pro does.
Which format should I pick?
Word if you want to type over the placeholders and keep a copy per client. Excel if you'd rather the maths did itself — quantity times unit price, subtotal, VAT and total are real formulas. PDF if you want to print it and fill it in by hand.
Or send it from the driveway
The template needs a laptop, a printer and a spare evening. SoloDesks builds the same invoice on your phone while you're still parked outside, and turns an accepted quote into one without retyping a thing.
Free plan covers 10 quotes and 10 invoices a month. No card.
Start freeWant one written for your trade instead? Per-trade invoice and quote templates carry the line items a plumber, electrician or cleaner actually bills.