Free — no sign-up
Invoicing guides
What to put on an invoice, how to get it paid, and what the rules actually say.
How to invoice
Writing, sending and getting paid for an invoice.
- How to ask a client for a deposit Choosing an amount, wording the request, and invoicing it so the final balance still adds up.
- How to charge late fees on an invoice Wording a late fee so it is collectable, choosing a rate, and deciding when to actually apply it.
- How to follow up on an unpaid invoice A reminder schedule, the wording for each stage, and the point at which chasing stops working.
- How to invoice an international client Currency, bank details and transfer fees — getting a cross-border invoice paid in full.
- How to invoice as a freelancer What to bill for, how to word it, and how to stop being the supplier who gets paid last.
- How to invoice for hourly work Detail, rounding and unexpected hours — billing time without inviting a line-by-line argument.
- How to send an invoice by email Subject lines, recipients and attachments — the email that gets an invoice into the payment run.
- How to write an invoice The nine things every invoice needs, why each one is there, and how to send it so it gets paid on time.
- Invoice numbering systems Sequential, dated and per-client numbering compared, and the mistakes that only show up a year later.
- Invoice payment terms explained Net 30, due on receipt, EOM and early-payment discounts — what each means and when to use it.
- Invoice vs receipt One asks for money, the other confirms it arrived — and each carries different information.
- What is a proforma invoice? A commitment to price rather than a demand for payment — when to send one and what to put on it.
US rules and practice
What US law and practice expect of the document and your records.
- 1099-NEC vs W-9 One collects a contractor's details, the other reports what was paid — and different people file them.
- Does an invoice need a tax ID number? When a US invoice needs an EIN, when it does not, and why an SSN does not belong on one.
- How long to keep invoices The period of limitations, the situations that extend it, and what form records should be kept in.
- Late payment rules by state Which state rules govern late fees and prompt payment, and which ones apply to your work.
- Sales tax on services Whether a service is taxable depends on the state and the service — how to find your own answer.
- What makes an invoice legally valid? No federal format exists — what matters is what the document evidences, and what you kept with it.