What has to be on a sole trader invoice?

Everything on the list above, plus your own name alongside any trading name. The address requirement is the one that gets missed: if you invoice as "Northgate Design" rather than as yourself, the invoice must carry an address where legal documents can be served. It can be your accountant's or a registered office service; it cannot be absent.

When do I start adding VAT?

When your taxable turnover passes 90,000 pounds in any rolling twelve-month period, or when you expect to pass it in the next thirty days alone. Register, then charge from your effective date. Some freelancers register voluntarily below the threshold to reclaim input tax; that only makes sense when your customers are themselves VAT registered.

Do I need to issue a VAT invoice to a consumer?

Not automatically. A full VAT invoice is required between VAT-registered businesses; a consumer only gets one if they ask, and under 250 pounds a simplified invoice will do. Keeping the same document for everyone is simpler, and it means you are never scrambling when a customer turns out to be a business after all.

United Kingdom

UK VAT invoice template

A UK invoice has a short mandatory list, and one item on it catches sole traders every time: if you trade under a business name, the invoice needs an address where legal documents can be served on you. Add your VAT number and the tax shown separately once you are registered, and the same document works for a limited company and for a sole trader.

What gov.uk asks for

A unique identification number, sequential across your invoices.
Your business name, address and contact information; a sole trader adds their own name and, when trading under a business name, an address where legal documents can be delivered.
The customer's name or company name and address.
A clear description of what you are charging for.
The date of supply and the date of the invoice, both shown.
The amount being charged and the total owed.
Once VAT registered: your VAT number, the rate applied and the VAT amount shown separately from the net.

gov.uk on what invoices must include Checked 2026-08-23

Same engine as the full Invoice generator

Invoice details

Template

Seeds the tax lines for your situation. Everything stays editable.

Currency

Changes the symbol and number format only; it does not convert amounts.

From (you)

Your name or business, and how to reach you.

Bill to (client)

Who pays this invoice.

Invoice number

Any scheme works; stay consistent. 2026-014 beats random.

Invoice date

Due date

Net-14 or net-30 from the invoice date is standard.

Line items

Qty

Unit price

Amount£0

Disc.

Taxes

Per line

Added taxes (VAT, sales tax) increase the total; withheld ones like Spanish IRPF are paid to the tax agency by your client. No tax lines is normal for most US service freelancers.

Discount on the total

Percentage off the subtotal, if agreed.

Logo (optional)+ Choose image

Notes and payment terms

Bank details, payment link, late fee terms, a thank-you.

Preview

Invoice

Bill to (client)

Description	Qty	Unit price	Amount
	1	£0	£0

Subtotal: £0
Total due: £0

workingfigures.com/uk/vat-invoice-template

What gov.uk asks for

The preset carries a single 20% VAT line. Delete it until you are registered: charging VAT you are not registered for is an offence, and the threshold is 90,000 pounds of taxable turnover in any rolling twelve months, not a tax year.

Before you send it

Invoice contents from gov.uk's invoicing guidance and the VAT registration threshold from gov.uk, both checked 2026-08-23. Not covered here: the extra particulars a full VAT invoice needs for mixed rates, simplified invoices under 250 pounds, the flat rate and cash accounting schemes, and construction industry reverse charge. Making Tax Digital governs how you keep and file the records behind these invoices, not what the invoice itself looks like.

FAQ

What has to be on a sole trader invoice?: Everything on the list above, plus your own name alongside any trading name. The address requirement is the one that gets missed: if you invoice as "Northgate Design" rather than as yourself, the invoice must carry an address where legal documents can be served. It can be your accountant's or a registered office service; it cannot be absent.
When do I start adding VAT?: When your taxable turnover passes 90,000 pounds in any rolling twelve-month period, or when you expect to pass it in the next thirty days alone. Register, then charge from your effective date. Some freelancers register voluntarily below the threshold to reclaim input tax; that only makes sense when your customers are themselves VAT registered.
Do I need to issue a VAT invoice to a consumer?: Not automatically. A full VAT invoice is required between VAT-registered businesses; a consumer only gets one if they ask, and under 250 pounds a simplified invoice will do. Keeping the same document for everyone is simpler, and it means you are never scrambling when a customer turns out to be a business after all.