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Invoice Example - Free Downloads and 5 Things You
Must Know
If you are using a limited company as your
payment structure you will need to raise invoices
for the services you provide or goods that you
sell, this article explains how to prepare one
with an example, the best practices you need to
know, double taxes case example, proforma invoice
example and in the end I will give you tips about
how to find a good invoice example online, I will
also include a couple of invoice example free
download in Microsoft Word and Excel format for
you to use.
1. How to prepare an invoice - examples and
introduction
Information that should be included in an invoice
includes
A generic invoice should contain The word
"invoice" A unique reference number (in case of
correspondence about the invoice) Date of the
invoice Name and contact details of the seller
Tax or company registration details of seller (if
relevant) Name and contact details of the buyer/
customer -Purchaser's name or firm name Date that
the product was sent or delivered or the service
or services rendered,or the work that was done.
Purchase order number (or similar tracking
numbers requested by the buyer to be mentioned on
the invoice) Description of the product(s)
-(sales invoice) or of the services ( service
invoice) Unit price(s) of the product(s) (if
relevant) Total amount charged (optionally with
breakdown of taxes, if relevant) Payment terms
(including method of payment, date of payment,
and details about charges late payment)
Discount,total before discount,and total after
discount. (if relevant) Tax,total before tax,and
total after tax. (if relevant) Shipping details
if different from buyer details.The US Defense
Logistics Agency requires an employer
identification number on invoices.
If you are permitted to submit your invoice via
email then it is useful to convert the invoice
into PDF format so that it cannot be altered.
There is a free PDF creator which you can use at
PDFCreator. This creates a PDF file from any
application which can then be emailed to the
client.
Better off, if you can use a software system, it
will automatically generate invoice in PFD
format, you can also email it straight away from
within the a software program.
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2. Invoice examples and best practices
Invoices are just part of the picture that
mirrors the company's image and business
standing. A successful business will have a good
template that has all the details. The important
details are of the company, the buyer and the
shipment. There should be the logo and contact
details of the company on the very top of an
invoice. This should be followed by details of
the buyer and the destination of the shipment.
The details of the shipment should clearly
outline what it consists of, the quantities as
well as the unit cost of each item. This should
be followed by the cost of the purchase, other
costs, any tax that has been included and lastly
the total cost of the shipment.
Your invoice should be prompt, so that you can
get paid by your clients on time, while invoicing
is not a fun task, it's a necessary one by
keeping clients informed of your expectations,
you will get paid punctually and reinforce your
professionalism.
After going over some best practices for creating
invoices, I will review some great (and not so
great) invoicing practices, so that you can spend
less time creating invoices and more time doing
the things you love!
So here are some general guidelines, best
practices and examples that will help you make
sure your invoices are up to specification.
a.Their Details and Yours - must be complete This
is basic stuff, but you can't afford to forget
it. In addition to the client's address, make
sure to include the name of the client's contact
person who handles your account! A company with
three employees can figure out what you're doing
but in big companies, invoices get misplaced,
especially if there's confusion over who belongs
to which project.
You'll also need your company name, your name,
address, telephone number and email address. If
they have any questions about the charges,
contacting you should be as easy as possible.
b.Itemized List of Services - must be specific
People want to know what they've paid for. Most
people will not pay for something described
merely as "Design." Tell them exactly what they
have received e.g. "Design of three-page static
website for Sporting Goods Department." Be as
specific as possible. In five years, would both
you and the client know what you meant by your
description? Also, specify whether the charge is
project-based or hourly.
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c. Include Your Terms - must be clear When do you
expect the client to pay you? What happens if
they miss the deadline? To be able to send
follow-up or overdue notices or to charge
interest, you need a rock-solid paper trail that
no one can argue with.
d. Let Them Know How to Pay You - must be easy Do
you want a cheque mailed to you, a money
transfer, flowers? Be explicitly clear about what
you expect and in what form. It is usually best
to discuss with the client beforehand their
preferred method or to come to an agreement about
a method you both like.
If you want a money transfer, provide all the
necessary information. Foreign transfers need
more than your account number in some countries,
you need your International Bank Account Number
(IBAN) or a Bank Identifier Code (BIC).
International transfers also double-charge you
the client's bank might charge you 20, and your
own bank might charge you another 15 to accept
the payment. Make it clear which of you will
absorb these charges, and talk it out with them.
PayPal is another option, but you still get
charged a percentage of the transaction.
e. Numbers and Numbers and Records and Books -
must be trackable Referring to "invoice 9048,"
rather than "That invoice I sent you last month,
I think on a Tuesday," is much easier to track
for both you and your client.
Assign numbers to your invoices systematically,
consistently and chronologically. Some people
number their invoices by year (for example,
2009043 would be the 43rd invoice of 2009). You
could also specify a code for the project. For
example, ABC06 would be the 6th invoice for the
ABC project that you're currently working on.
Having an invoice and project numbering system
keeps everything in line.
f. Thank Them, and Ask Them to Thank You - must
be sincere Money is often a touchy subject, so
politeness about it is a good idea. Your clients
are paying you money that they've earned with
blood, sweat and tears, so let them know you
appreciate it. You should also invite them to
contact you if they have any questions and, more
importantly, make it clear that you appreciate
their present (and future) business.
Some people also welcome testimonials for
example, by adding, "Let us know how we did.
Write a testimonial and sent to... " If you're
building your website's testimonials page or want
to complete the feedback loop, this is a great
way to get clients to give feedback on your work.
If they have suggestions for making the process
smoother, it's also a great opportunity for you
to improve.
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g. Don't Forget You're a Designer - must be
professional Imagine this, you're at an expensive
restaurant. Every detail is perfect the food was
fantastic, the service excellent and the
atmosphere rich and plush. Then, you receive the
bill, which is printed on cheap paper with
low-quality ink. What would you remember about
this experience?
Most people spend hours on their website design,
business cards and resumes but then use a
template for their invoice. The invoice is your
last contact with your client, and it should
share the attention to detail, branding and style
of your other elements. By creating a beautiful,
clear invoice, you are saying that you care about
the little details.
Most importantly, make sure you have all the
necessary information. Make sure there are no
spelling mistakes and that your spacing is
consistent. Customize your invoice as much as you
can. Your logo is a must, but colors and a style
that match your other branding items will make it
a joy to pay (well, as much as is possible).
3.Invoice example With GST PST An invoice not
only shows the customer or client how much money
is due but provides tax information, in some
countries multiple taxes may apply, for example
in Canada it is required to put the Supplier's
identification numbers for GST and QST taxes
purposes. Whenever a taxable sale is made, the
customer must be informed that GST and QST are
added to the selling price. As there are no
standard invoices required by law for this
purpose, you must indicate the amount of the
taxes on the cash register receipt on the
invoice or contract remitted to the customer. If
you choose to indicate the GST and the QST, the
amounts must be stated clearly.The European Union
requires a VAT (value added tax) identification
number on invoices between entities registered
for VAT.
There are certain pieces of information that have
to be on your invoices if you are charging GST,
HST and/or PST. Your invoice must include
your business name
the date of the invoice
your Business Number (also known as the GST
Registration Number)
the purchaser's name
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a brief description of the goods or services
performed
the total amount paid or payable
the terms of payment
an indication of items subject to GST at 5 or
HST at the appropriate provincial rate, or that
the items are exempt, and either the total amount
of GST/HST charged, or a statement that the
GST/HST is included and the total rate of tax
if applicable, an indication of items subject
to PST (also known as RST) at the provincial
rate, or that the items are exempt, and either
the total amount of PST charged, or a statement
that the PST is included and the total rate of
tax.
4.About proforma invoice
A Proforma invoice is an invoice provided by a
supplier in advance of providing the goods or
service. A quotation in the form of an invoice
prepared by the seller that details items which
would appear on a commercial invoice if an order
results. It is more of a customs declaration form
used in international trade that describes the
parties involved in the shipping transaction, the
goods being transported, and the value of the
goods. It is the primary document to declare
value for customs. It is not a true invoice,
because the seller does not record a pro forma
invoice as an accounts receivable and the buyer
does not record a pro forma invoice as an
accounts payable Example.
Proforma invoices basically contain much of the
same information as the formal quotation, and in
many cases can be used in place of one. It should
give the buyer as much information about the
order as possible so arrangements can be made
efficiently. The invoices inform the buyer and
the appropriate import government authorities
details of the future shipment changes should
not be made without the buyer's consent.
As mentioned for the quotation, the points to be
included in the proforma are
1.Seller's name and address
2.Buyer's name and address
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3.Buyer's reference 4.Items quoted 5. Prices of
items per unit and extended totals 6. Weights
and dimensions of quoted products 7. Discounts,
if applicable 8. Terms of sale (include delivery
point) 9. Terms of payment 10. Estimated shipping
date 11. Validity date
When a buyer asks for a quotation the seller
should always provide a pro-forma invoice. A
pro-forma invoice is an invoice sent in advance
of the commercial invoice, which is the final
bill that the buyer agrees to pay. Some of the
advantages of pro-forma invoice to the importer
include to show to his government for foreign
currency allocation, opening letters of credit
and most importantly, to have a detailed
information on the transaction that can help him
plan. An accurate and professionally submitted
pro forma-invoice can help buyers to make a
decision and agree to the quotation.