Quick answer
A UK invoice must show a unique invoice number, your business name, address and contact details, your customer's name and address, a clear description of the work, the date of the work (the supply date), the invoice date, the amounts charged, any VAT and the total owed. If you are VAT registered and your customer is too, you need a full VAT invoice, which adds your VAT registration number and the VAT rate and amount for each line. The free template below has a space for every one of them.
What a UK invoice must include
GOV.UK lists the details every invoice must carry, whatever the trade. Miss one and you give a slow payer an easy reason to sit on it, so it is worth checking each box before you press send.
- A unique identification number, usually a running sequence such as INV-0001, INV-0002.
- Your company or business name, address and contact information.
- The name and address of the customer you are invoicing.
- A clear description of what you are charging for.
- The date the goods or services were provided, which GOV.UK calls the supply date.
- The date of the invoice.
- The amount or amounts being charged.
- The VAT amount, if VAT applies.
- The total amount owed.
Sole traders
Put your own name on the invoice along with any business name you trade under. If you use a business name, GOV.UK says you must also give an address where legal documents can be delivered to you.
Limited companies
Use the full company name exactly as it appears on the certificate of incorporation. If you choose to list directors' names on your invoices, GOV.UK says you must list all of them, not just one.
If you are VAT registered
GOV.UK says you must use a VAT invoice when both you and your customer are VAT registered. HMRC's record keeping guidance (VAT Notice 700/21, section 4.1) sets out what a full VAT invoice must show:
- a sequential number that uniquely identifies the invoice;
- the time of supply, and the date of issue if that is different;
- your name, address and VAT registration number;
- your customer's name and address;
- a description that identifies the goods or services;
- for each line, the quantity, the unit price, the VAT rate and the amount excluding VAT;
- the total excluding VAT, the rate of any cash discount offered, and the total VAT charged, in sterling.
HMRC also says you should normally issue a VAT invoice within 30 days of the date you make the supply. The standard rate of VAT is 20%, and some goods and services carry a reduced or zero rate, so check GOV.UK's VAT rates page if you are unsure which applies.
| Invoice type | When you use it | What it must show |
|---|---|---|
| Standard invoice | You are not VAT registered | The GOV.UK list above. No VAT number, no VAT charged. |
| Full VAT invoice | You are VAT registered and your customer is VAT registered too | Everything in section 4.1 of VAT Notice 700/21, including your VAT number and the VAT rate and amount for each line |
| Simplified VAT invoice | You are VAT registered and the supply is £250 or less including VAT | Your name, address and VAT number, the time of supply, a description, and for each VAT rate the total including VAT and the rate charged (sections 4.4 and 4.5) |
Working for a VAT-registered contractor under CIS? HMRC's VAT domestic reverse charge applies to some building and construction services between VAT-registered businesses that are reported under the Construction Industry Scheme, and it changes how VAT is shown and paid. Read HMRC's reverse charge guidance before you invoice that kind of work.
Not registered yet? You must register once your taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000, the current VAT threshold on GOV.UK. Our guide on how to quote an electrical job covers what that means for your prices.
The free electrician invoice template
Fill it in on screen, then print it or save it as a PDF. If you are not VAT registered, leave the VAT number and VAT lines blank or delete them, and do not charge VAT.
Click any grey field to type over it, then print it, save it as a PDF from the print window, or copy it into Word or Google Docs. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.
[Your business name] [Your own name, if you trade under a business name] [Business address] [Phone] | [Email] VAT registration no: [only if you are VAT registered] | INVOICE Invoice no: [INV-0001] Invoice date: [dd/mm/yyyy] Date of work (supply date): [dd/mm/yyyy] Payment due by: [dd/mm/yyyy] |
Bill to [Customer name] [Customer address] | Job address [Where the work was done, if different] [Your job or quote reference] |
| Description of work or goods | Qty | Unit price (£) | VAT rate | Amount excl. VAT (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [e.g. Supply and fit replacement consumer unit] | [1] | [0.00] | [20% or none] | [0.00] |
| [e.g. Labour, first and second fix] | [hrs] | [0.00] | [20% or none] | [0.00] |
| [e.g. Testing, inspection and certificate] | [1] | [0.00] | [20% or none] | [0.00] |
| [Materials] | [qty] | [0.00] | [20% or none] | [0.00] |
| Total excluding VAT | £[0.00] |
| VAT (only if VAT registered) | £[0.00] |
| Total due | £[0.00] |
Five habits that get invoices paid sooner
- Invoice the day the job finishes. The longer the gap, the less urgent your bill feels to the customer.
- Put a real due date on it. GOV.UK says that unless you agree a payment date, the customer must pay within 30 days of getting your invoice or the work. Agreeing a date up front and printing it on the invoice removes any argument.
- Make paying easy. Bank details and the invoice number as the reference, so the money lands and you can match it straight away.
- Describe the work properly. "Electrical work" invites questions. "Replace consumer unit, test all circuits, issue certificate" does not.
- Keep the numbering in sequence. HMRC expects VAT invoices to be numbered in sequence, and a clean run of numbers makes your own books far easier to keep.
If the due date passes and nothing arrives, our guide to chasing unpaid invoices walks through polite reminders, what you can add when a business pays late, and small claims.
Or let Graft'd write the invoice for you
Filling in a template works, but it is another evening job. In Graft'd, the job app for UK tradespeople, an invoice picks up your business details, gets its own reference and a due date, and if you are VAT registered it adds the VAT breakdown and your VAT number for you. The email your customer receives shows the amount due, your bank details with the reference to use, and a pay button if you add your own payment link from a provider such as Stripe, PayPal or SumUp.
If the invoice then goes overdue, you can switch on automatic chasing and Graft'd emails your customer a reminder at 7, 14, 21 and 30 days overdue, getting firmer each time and only ever asking for what is still owed.
Built for the trade, by a tradesman
Stop typing invoices out by hand
Graft'd fills in the invoice from the job, sends it with your bank details and payment link, and chases it for you if it goes overdue.
Graft'd is in beta. Sign up with your name, email and trade and start using it straight away. No card is needed and nothing is charged until launch on Monday 7 December, and founding members keep 35% off for life.
Made for electricians, plumbers, builders, decorators and every other UK trade.
Invoice questions, straight answers
Is this electrician invoice template free to use?
Yes. The template on this page is free to fill in, print, save as a PDF or copy into Word or Google Docs. You do not need to sign up for anything to use it.
What must a UK invoice include?
GOV.UK lists a unique invoice number, your business name, address and contact details, the customer's name and address, a clear description of what you are charging for, the supply date, the invoice date, the amounts charged, any VAT and the total owed. See the GOV.UK page.
Do I need to put a VAT number on my invoice?
Only if you are VAT registered. If you are, a full VAT invoice must show your VAT registration number along with the VAT rate and amount for each line. If you are not VAT registered, leave VAT off completely.
How long does a customer have to pay an invoice in the UK?
Whatever you agreed. GOV.UK says that unless you agree a payment date, the customer must pay within 30 days of getting your invoice or the goods or service, so it pays to agree a date up front and print it on the invoice.
Can a plumber, builder or decorator use this template?
Yes. Nothing in it is specific to electrical work apart from the example lines, which you can type over. The legal requirements are the same for every trade.
Can I add late payment interest to my invoice?
If your customer is a business, the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 lets you claim interest and a fixed sum when they pay late. It does not apply to householders. Our guide to chasing unpaid invoices explains both.
Sources
Sources: every rule on this page comes from the official pages below, opened and checked on 28 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, Invoicing and taking payment from customers: Invoices, what they must include
- GOV.UK, Invoicing and taking payment from customers: Payment obligations
- HMRC, Record keeping (VAT Notice 700/21), sections 3.1, 4.1, 4.4 and 4.5
- GOV.UK, VAT rates
- GOV.UK, Register for VAT: when to register
- HMRC, Check when you must use the VAT domestic reverse charge for building and construction services
This page is general information for UK tradespeople, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules change, so check the linked pages or speak to an accountant or solicitor about your own situation.