How to write an invoice as a sole trader in the UK

A late payment often starts with a weak invoice. The customer can't find the amount, doesn't know the due date, or has to ask who to pay. Then the invoice sits in a pile.

Here's how to write an invoice as a sole trader in the UK, so nobody has a reason to wait.

What a UK invoice must include

GOV.UK lists what your invoice must include. It's short:

1. A unique ID number for the invoice
2. Your business name, address and contact details
3. The name and address of the customer
4. A clear description of what you're charging for
5. The supply date, when you provided the goods or service
6. The invoice date
7. The amount or amounts charged
8. The VAT amount, if it applies
9. The total owed

That's the whole legal list on GOV.UK's page about what invoices must include. You don't need a fancy template. You need all nine items.

Sole trader details to add

GOV.UK has an extra rule for sole traders. Put your own name on the invoice, plus any business name you use. If you trade under a business name, you also need to give an address where legal documents can be delivered to you.

So if you're Priya Shah and you trade as "Bright Spark Tutoring", both names go on the invoice.

Two dates people mix up

The supply date is when you did the work. The invoice date is when you wrote the invoice. GOV.UK says you must show both.

They're often the same day. They don't have to be. Say you clean an office on 29 September and send the invoice on 2 October. Both dates are different, and both belong on the page.

Numbering: keep it boring

The only rule on GOV.UK is that each invoice carries a unique ID number. So pick a simple pattern and stick to it. 001, 002, 003 works. Or 2026-001 if you like the year in it.

Never reuse a number. If you make a mistake, issue a new invoice and say it replaces the old one.

Add the due date and how to pay

Here's the part GOV.UK treats as a detail, but which matters most to you. Its page on invoicing says an invoice should show how much the customer needs to pay and when they must pay you.

So write a due date. Not "30 days". An actual date, like 31 October 2026.

Then say how to pay. Your account name, sort code and account number go on it. Or a payment link, if you use one. The fewer steps between opening the invoice and paying it, the better.

What if you don't state payment terms?

This is where a lot of people get caught. GOV.UK says that if you haven't agreed a payment date with a business customer, the payment is late 30 days after the later of two things: the customer receiving the invoice, or you delivering the goods or service.

So a clear due date does two jobs. It tells the customer what to do. And it gives you a firm date to point to if you need to chase. I wrote about what to do next in how to chase an unpaid invoice.

GOV.UK also says agreed payment dates for business deals are usually limited to 60 days. A longer period is allowed, but it has to be fair to both businesses. If a big client asks for 90 days, that's worth a conversation before you start work.

Those late payment rules cover payments between businesses. If your customer is a private person, they don't apply. I explained the basics in late payments and your bill as a self-employed person.

Do you need a VAT invoice?

GOV.UK says you must use VAT invoices if you and your customer are both VAT registered. These carry more information than a standard invoice. GOV.UK's page doesn't list the extra items, so check the VAT invoice guidance before you issue one.

If you're not VAT registered, the nine items above are what you need.

A simple layout

Keep it on one page. Top to bottom:

• Your name, business name, address, phone and email
• Customer name and address
• Invoice number, invoice date and supply date
• A line for each job, with a plain description and the price
• Total owed
• Due date, then your bank details or payment link

Use plain words in the description. "Deep clean, 3-bed house, 29 September" is better than "Services rendered".

Keep your invoices

GOV.UK says sole traders must keep records of business income and expenses for their Self Assessment return. How you record an invoice depends on your accounting method. On the cash basis, you record income when you receive the money. With traditional accounting, you record it by the invoice date, even if it's paid later.

Either way, a clean invoice with a date and number makes your records easy to check at tax time.

My take

An invoice isn't a formality. It's the one document that decides whether you get paid on time. Write it the same day you finish the work, with a real due date and a way to pay.

At Vcents, we help you send the request and the payment link on WhatsApp, where your customer already is. But even if you never use us, get the invoice right first.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Invoices, what they must include, checked 14 October 2026
• GOV.UK: Invoicing and taking payment from customers, checked 14 October 2026
• GOV.UK: Late commercial payments, interest and debt recovery, checked 14 October 2026
• GOV.UK: Payment terms, checked 14 October 2026
• GOV.UK: Keep records for your tax return, checked 14 October 2026