What to Include on an Invoice: A Small Business Checklist

An invoice is a request for payment. It should make it obvious who is asking, what for, how much and by when. Beyond that, what an invoice must contain depends on your country, your tax registration and who your customer is.

This article is part of our guide to choosing invoicing software. The legal points come from UK government guidance (GOV.UK), checked on 20 September 2026, and are examples of one country's rules, not advice for yours. Check with your local tax authority. The checklist below is common practice.

What GOV.UK says

GOV.UK's overview says an invoice needs to specify:

• how much the customer needs to pay you
• when the customer must pay you

It also says that in the UK you have to give a customer an invoice by law if both you and the customer are registered for VAT. And it notes that an invoice is not the same as a receipt, which acknowledges payment.

A practical checklist

Use this as a starting point. Add whatever your country's rules require, such as tax registration numbers.

About you

• Business name, address and contact details
• Your tax or registration number, if you have one

About the customer

• Their name or business name and billing address

About the invoice

• A unique invoice number, so you and the customer can refer to it
• The date of the invoice
• The due date or payment terms
• A description of what you supplied, with quantities and prices
• Any tax shown separately, if you charge it
• The total amount due

About payment

• Accepted payment methods and how to pay
• Bank details or a payment link
• What happens if the invoice is paid late, if you've agreed that in advance

Small things that speed up payment

• Put the due date where it can't be missed.
• Give the customer a reference to quote when they pay.
• Use plain descriptions. "Replace kitchen tap, 2 hours labour" is easier to approve than "Service call".
• Send it promptly after the job. See how to get paid faster.

Estimates and quotes

An estimate or quote is a price before the work, not a request for payment. Many tools let you convert an accepted estimate into an invoice so the details carry over. That saves retyping, and it keeps the invoice consistent with what the customer agreed.

If it goes unpaid

A clear invoice makes chasing easier. See how to chase overdue invoices. If you're choosing software to produce invoices, compare plans in FreshBooks vs QuickBooks vs Wave.