How to make an invoice

An invoice is a request for payment that also works as a record. Get a few details right and clients pay faster, and your own books stay clean. This guide goes through them in order.

What every invoice should contain

• The word "invoice" and a unique invoice number.
• Your name or business name, address and contact details.
• Your client's name and address.
• The issue date and the due date.
• A line for each product or service, with quantity, unit price and the line amount.
• The subtotal, any discount, any tax, and the total due.
• How and where to pay: bank details, a payment link or other instructions.

Many countries add rules of their own, such as a tax registration number or specific wording. Check what applies where you work, because this guide cannot cover local law.

Step 1. Number your invoices

Use a sequence that never repeats, such as INV-0001, INV-0002 and so on. Some people add the year, like 2026-014. Whatever you choose, keep it consistent and do not skip or reuse numbers. A clean sequence makes it easy to spot a missing invoice, and tax offices in many places expect it.

Step 2. Set the dates

The issue date is the day you send the invoice. The due date is the last day the client should pay. Fourteen or thirty days after issue are the usual choices. Write the terms in words as well, for example "Payment due within 14 days", so nobody has to count.

Step 3. List the work clearly

One line per item. Describe what was done in words the client's accounts team will understand, not internal shorthand. Show the quantity and the unit price, so the amount is easy to check: 3 hours at 60.00 is 180.00. If you charge by the project, use a quantity of 1.

Step 4. Apply a discount, then tax

Order matters here. Take the discount off the subtotal first, then work out tax on the reduced amount. For example, a subtotal of 1,000.00 with a 10% discount becomes 900.00, and 8% tax on that is 72.00, so the total is 972.00. This generator follows exactly that order. Rules differ between countries and tax types, so if your tax authority asks for something else, check with an accountant.

Step 5. Say how to pay

Add your bank details or a payment link in the payment terms. Mention the invoice number as the payment reference so the money can be matched to the right invoice. If you charge late fees, state the rate here and not for the first time after the invoice is overdue.

Step 6. Send it and keep a copy

Send the PDF by email with a short message, and keep a copy for your records. Many tax offices want invoices kept for several years. With this site you can also download a draft file, which holds all the fields and lets you reopen the invoice later.

Make one now

The invoice generator follows these steps, adds up the totals for you and prints to PDF. If you want to compare looks first, see the four templates. Questions about the tool itself are answered in the FAQ.