The short answer
- Below are three free invoice templates to copy: a standard services invoice, a UK VAT invoice for a product sale, and a US freelancer invoice.
- Paste them into Word or Google Docs for layout, or rebuild them in Excel or Google Sheets with the formulas further down so the totals calculate themselves.
- Always send the invoice as a PDF, never as an editable file.
- A template isn’t enough on its own: check the required details (checklist below, based on GOV.UK and HMRC) and keep one unbroken numbering sequence.
- A PDF isn’t an e-invoice. The UK plans to make e-invoicing mandatory for all VAT invoices from 2029; France started phasing it in this September.
Which template should you use?
- Template 1, standard services invoice: you’re a freelancer or sole trader in the UK (or elsewhere) and you don’t charge VAT or sales tax. In the UK, you must register for VAT once your taxable turnover goes over £90,000 in a rolling 12 months.
- Template 2, UK VAT invoice for goods: you’re VAT-registered and selling to another business, which needs a proper VAT invoice to reclaim the VAT.
- Template 3, US freelancer invoice: you bill US clients for services, with your EIN, net terms and a sales tax line if your state taxes what you sell.
Replace everything in square brackets. The figures are examples with correct maths, so you can keep them to test your formulas.
Template 1: standard services invoice
INVOICE No. [INV-2026-043]
Invoice date: [23 Sep 2026]
Date of supply: [1–19 Sep 2026]
Due date: [23 Oct 2026]
[Maya Chen], trading as [Maya Chen Copywriting]
[Address where legal documents can be delivered]
[email] · [phone]
Bill to: [Northbank Dental Ltd]
[Client address]
PO number: [if the client gave you one]
Description Qty Unit price Amount
[Website copy, per page] 5 £180.00 £900.00
[Meta descriptions] 20 £6.00 £120.00
Total due £1,020.00
Payment by bank transfer within 30 days of the invoice date.
Sort code [00-00-00] · Account [00000000]
Please quote the invoice number as your payment reference.
If you trade under a business name, GOV.UK asks you to show both your own name and the business name, plus an address where legal documents can be delivered to you.
Template 2: UK VAT invoice for a product sale
VAT INVOICE No. [KC-2026-0118]
Date of issue: [23 Sep 2026]
Time of supply (tax point): [22 Sep 2026]
Due date: [23 Oct 2026]
[Kettle & Clay Ltd]
[Registered office address]
Company no. [00000000] · VAT reg. no. [GB 000 0000 00]
Bill to: [The Corner Café Ltd]
[Client address]
Description Qty Unit price VAT rate Net amount
[Stoneware mug] 24 £9.50 20% £228.00
[Serving plate] 12 £14.00 20% £168.00
[Delivery] 1 £15.00 20% £15.00
Total excluding VAT £411.00
VAT at 20% £82.20
Total due £493.20
Payment by bank transfer within 30 days.
Sort code [00-00-00] · Account [00000000]
Late payment: statutory interest may be charged on overdue business debts.
If you sell items at different VAT rates on one invoice (for example 20% and 0%), show the rate on each line and the VAT total for each rate.
Template 3: US freelancer invoice
INVOICE #[2026-031]
Invoice date: [September 23, 2026]
Service period: [September 1–19, 2026]
Terms: Net 30 · Due [October 23, 2026]
[Diego Alvarez Design]
[Street, City, State ZIP]
EIN: [00-0000000] · [email]
Bill to: [Brightline Apps Inc.]
[Street, City, State ZIP]
PO #: [if provided]
Description Qty Rate Amount
[UI design sprint, fixed fee] 1 $2,400.00 $2,400.00
[App icon set] 12 $35.00 $420.00
[Revisions, hours] 3 $95.00 $285.00
Subtotal $3,105.00
Sales tax [rate, if your state taxes this service] $0.00
Total due $3,105.00
Pay by ACH: routing [000000000] · account [000000000]
Please include the invoice number with your payment.
The EIN line keeps your Social Security number off your paperwork. An EIN is free from the IRS, and a sole proprietor who doesn’t need one for federal tax can still request one for banking or state tax purposes.
Template 2, filled in and annotated
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stoneware mug | 24 | £9.50 | £228.00 |
| Serving plate | 12 | £14.00 | £168.00 |
| Delivery | 1 | £15.00 | £15.00 |
Payment by bank transfer within 30 days of the invoice date. Please quote the invoice number as your reference.
- A sequential number that uniquely identifies the invoice.
- The time of supply, plus the date of issue if it differs.
- Your name, address and VAT registration number.
- Your customer’s name and address.
- For each line: description, quantity, unit price, VAT rate and net amount.
- Total excluding VAT, the VAT total in sterling, and the total due.
How to rebuild it in Word or Google Docs
- Paste the template into a blank document, then replace the line items with a table of 4 columns (5 for the VAT version): Insert > Table in both Word and Google Docs. Copy your descriptions, quantities and prices into it.
- Put your details in the header and your payment terms in the footer: they don’t change from one invoice to the next.
- Save it as a template. In Word: File > Save As > Word Template (.dotx), so each new invoice starts from a clean file. In Google Docs, keep a document called “TEMPLATE” and use File > Make a copy for each invoice.
- Export to PDF before sending: File > Save As > PDF in Word, or File > Download > PDF Document in Google Docs.
The weak spot of Word and Google Docs is that you do the maths by hand. Double-check every total, or use a spreadsheet.
How to rebuild it in Excel or Google Sheets: the formulas
Set up your columns like this, with line items in rows 2 to 20:
| Column | Contents | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| A | Description | text |
| B | Quantity | number |
| C | Unit price | number |
| D | VAT or sales tax rate | 20% or 0% (percentage format) |
| E | Line amount | =B2*C2, filled down |
A
ContentsDescription
Formulatext
B
ContentsQuantity
Formulanumber
C
ContentsUnit price
Formulanumber
D
ContentsVAT or sales tax rate
Formula20% or 0% (percentage format)
E
ContentsLine amount
Formula=B2*C2, filled down
Then, below the table:
| Row | Formula |
|---|---|
| Subtotal | =SUM(E2:E20) |
| VAT at 20% | =ROUND(SUMIF(D2:D20,20%,E2:E20)*20%,2) |
| Total due | Subtotal + VAT |
Subtotal
Formula=SUM(E2:E20)
VAT at 20%
Formula=ROUND(SUMIF(D2:D20,20%,E2:E20)*20%,2)
Total due
FormulaSubtotal + VAT
With Template 2’s figures, these return £411.00 before VAT, £82.20 of VAT and £493.20 in total. For a US sales tax at, say, 8.25%, replace 20% with 8.25% in the tax formula. In some regional settings, Excel and Google Sheets use semicolons instead of commas between arguments.
Two tips:
- Round tax to the penny or cent with ROUND. Without it, a tax amount like £17.875 shows as £17.88 but counts as £17.875 in the total, and the invoice looks half a penny out.
- Lock the formula cells so you don’t type over them, then export each invoice to PDF.
What every invoice must include: the checklist
In the UK, GOV.UK says an invoice must include:
- a unique identification number;
- your company name, address and contact information;
- the company name and address of the customer;
- a clear description of what you’re charging for;
- the date the goods or service were provided (supply date) and the date of the invoice;
- the amounts being charged, VAT if applicable, and the total amount owed.
Sole traders add their own name and any business name used; limited companies show their full registered name.
If you’re VAT-registered, HMRC’s VAT Notice 700/21 adds: your VAT registration number, the time of supply, the unit price, the VAT rate and net amount for each line, the rate of any cash discount, and the total VAT in sterling. You normally issue a VAT invoice within 30 days of the supply. For supplies of £250 or less including VAT, a simplified invoice is allowed. Keep VAT records for at least six years.
In the US, there’s no single federal invoice format. The IRS lists invoices among the supporting documents that back up your income and says you may choose any recordkeeping system that clearly shows income and expenses. In practice:
- show sales tax on its own line where your state (and sometimes your city) requires it;
- use your EIN rather than your Social Security number;
- expect business clients to ask for a Form W-9, and to send you a Form 1099-NEC if they pay you $2,000 or more for services in 2026 (up from $600 before);
- keep your records at least three years, and longer in some cases the IRS lists.
For numbering, payment terms and late-payment rules in more depth, read our guide on how to write an invoice.
What no Word, Excel or PDF template can do: e-invoicing
An e-invoice isn’t a PDF sent by email. It’s a structured file that software can read, usually sent through an approved network or platform. Governments are moving that way:
- UK: the government confirmed in November 2025 that it will introduce mandatory e-invoicing for all VAT invoices from 2029, with a roadmap due at Budget 2026. Your PDF invoices remain fine until then.
- France: since 1 September 2026, every business must be able to receive e-invoices, and large and mid-sized companies must issue them. Small businesses and micro-businesses must issue them from 1 September 2027. If you invoice French business clients, check what format they’ll need.
Binome360 prepares quotes and invoices from one sentence, with automatic numbering, your legal notes in the footer and a link to share, and your client can download a PDF. But it isn’t a certified e-invoicing platform. Where e-invoicing becomes mandatory for you, use an approved provider. See also our guide to quotes and invoices from your phone.
Your assistant prepares the document from one sentence; you check it, then send it as a link.
- Automatic numbering, with no gaps or duplicates
- Your details and legal notes in the footer
- Four templates in your colours, downloadable as PDF
- Paid and overdue invoices at a glance
Frequently asked questions
Is a free invoice template legally valid?
Yes. No particular template is required for a paper or PDF invoice. What matters is that it contains the required details, follows your numbering sequence and adds up. Check any template you download against the checklist above before using it.
Should I send an invoice as a Word file or a PDF?
A PDF. It looks the same on every device and your client can’t change it by accident. Keep the Word or Excel file for yourself as the editable master.
How do I number invoices from a Word or Excel template?
Pick a format (for example INV-2026-043) and keep a simple log of every invoice you issue, in order, with no gaps or duplicates. If an invoice is wrong, don’t delete it: issue a credit note, then a new invoice. Numbering is the weakest point of manual templates.
What’s the difference between an invoice template and an invoice example?
A template is a blank frame to fill in; an example is a finished invoice that shows the result. This page gives you both: three templates to copy and one annotated example.
What about a proforma invoice?
A proforma invoice is a preliminary document, not a demand for payment, and it isn’t part of your invoice sequence. Our proforma invoice guide explains when to use one.
In short
Copy the template that matches your situation, rebuild it in Word for layout or in Excel for automatic totals, and check each required detail against the checklist. Always send a PDF and keep one unbroken numbering sequence. Your first step: create a “TEMPLATE” file today with your details and payment terms, so you never have to type them again.
Sources
- GOV.UK, “Invoicing and taking payment from customers: Invoices – what they must include”: gov.uk/invoicing-and-taking-payment-from-customers/invoices-what-they-must-include.
- HMRC, “Record keeping (VAT Notice 700/21)”, sections 2.4, 3.1, 4.1 and 4.5, last updated 18 March 2024: gov.uk/guidance/record-keeping-for-vat-notice-70021.
- GOV.UK, “VAT registration: when to register” (£90,000 threshold): gov.uk/vat-registration/when-to-register.
- GOV.UK, “Late commercial payments: charging interest and debt recovery”: gov.uk/late-commercial-payments-interest-debt-recovery.
- HM Treasury and HMRC, “Promoting electronic invoicing across UK businesses and the public sector: consultation response”, updated 26 November 2025: gov.uk.
- IRS, “What kind of records should I keep”: irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/what-kind-of-records-should-i-keep.
- IRS, “How long should I keep records?”: irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-long-should-i-keep-records.
- IRS, “Employer ID numbers”: irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/employer-id-numbers.
- IRS, Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (Rev. December 2026), $2,000 threshold for payments made after 31 December 2025: irs.gov/instructions/i1099mec.
- impots.gouv.fr (DGFiP), “Je passe à la facturation électronique” and “Tout savoir sur la facturation électronique” (FAQ): impots.gouv.fr/professionnel/je-passe-la-facturation-electronique.
Also available in Français.