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Self-Employed Invoice Template

If you work for yourself without a company, the invoice goes out in your own name, because legally the business is you. That is what sets a self-employed invoice apart from a company invoice: the From block shows your legal name, and your trading name only alongside it. In the UK a sole trader must show their own name and any business name they use, plus an address where legal documents can be delivered if they trade under a business name. In the US the name and taxpayer number your client needs go on Form W-9, sent separately, not on the invoice. This template is laid out for that. It has fields for your legal and trading name, an address for documents, the date or period of the work, a client reference, a tax registration number only if you have one, and reimbursed expenses. It also includes the invoice number, dates, a line-item table and totals. The download is an editable HTML file: fill it in your browser, then print it or save it as PDF. Or type or say what you did, and InvoiceQuickly drafts an editable invoice for you to check before saving.

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Download the HTML file to edit its fields, then print or save as PDF. Totals are entered manually.

What This Template Includes

  • Your legal name, as on your tax return
  • Trading name, if you use one, shown with your legal name
  • Address where documents can be delivered to you
  • Your email and phone number
  • Date or period the work was done
  • Client purchase order or reference number
  • VAT or sales tax registration number, only if registered
  • Tax line, only if you are registered to charge it
  • Expenses reimbursed at cost, with receipt reference
  • Late-payment terms agreed with the client

How to Create Your Self-Employed Invoice

  1. 01

    Describe your work

    Type a plain English description of the services you provided, the client, and the amount.

  2. 02

    AI generates your invoice

    InvoiceQuickly's AI drafts the client, line items, dates, and totals for you to review before saving.

  3. 03

    Review, download, and send

    Check every detail, download the PDF, or use Pro to email the PDF directly to your client.

Recommended Payment Terms

Agree the terms before the work starts and print the actual due date on the invoice, not just 'net 14'. Fourteen or thirty days suit most business clients; 'due on receipt' suits one-off jobs for individuals. If you sell to other businesses in the UK and no payment date was agreed, GOV.UK says payment is late 30 days after the customer receives the invoice or you deliver the work, whichever is later. You can then claim statutory interest at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, unless your contract sets a different rate. In the US, late-fee rules are set by each state, so put any late fee in your contract first and on the invoice second. Pay attention to the payment details: give the exact account name your bank holds, which for a sole trader is often your own name rather than your trading name.

Need help writing payment terms? Read our guide to invoice payment terms for best practices and templates.

Tax Information

United Kingdom: a sole trader charges VAT only once VAT registered, which is compulsory when taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000. A sole trader who is not registered must not add VAT or show a VAT number. Income Tax and National Insurance are paid through Self Assessment, so nothing about them appears on the invoice, and there is no company number, because sole traders are not registered at Companies House. United States: a US business client will usually ask for Form W-9 before the first payment. For a sole proprietor, the IRS instructions say to put your individual name on line 1 and any business or DBA name on line 2, and to give either your Social Security number or your EIN. The W-9 goes to the client privately; the invoice does not need either number. A client that pays you $2,000 or more for services in 2026 generally reports it on Form 1099-NEC. Sales tax depends on your state and what you sell. InvoiceQuickly applies one tax percentage per invoice and stores your tax ID without printing it on the PDF, so put a VAT number in the invoice notes when it must appear. General information, not tax advice.

Industry context (2026)

Three official rules shape this invoice. GOV.UK's invoicing guidance lists what every UK invoice must include: a unique number, your name, address and contact details, the customer's name and address, a description, the supply date, the invoice date, the amounts, VAT if applicable, and the total. For sole traders it adds 'your name and any business name being used' and, when you use a business name, an address where legal documents can be delivered. GOV.UK's business-name rules bar sole trader names that include Limited, Ltd, LLP or plc. In the US, Form W-9 (Rev. March 2024) tells a sole proprietor to put their individual name on line 1 and any business or DBA name on line 2. It says a sole proprietor with an EIN may enter either their SSN or their EIN, and that the IRS encourages the SSN. The IRS says an EIN never costs a fee. Since 2026, a client reports services paid to you on Form 1099-NEC once the total reaches $2,000, up from $600, per the IRS instructions. Neither country prescribes an invoice layout. Sources checked 28 October 2026; this is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Worked example

Worked example, United Kingdom (illustrative prices, not market data): Priya Shah keeps books for small shops and trades as Lantern Bookkeeping. She is not VAT registered. Invoice 0031 is dated 3 November 2026, with 14-day terms, so it is due 17 November 2026. From: 'Priya Shah, trading as Lantern Bookkeeping', with a correspondence address for documents, her email and her phone. To: Fenwick Florist, 12 Market Row. Work period: 1 to 31 October 2026. Line 1: monthly bookkeeping, October, fixed fee, 1 × £320.00. Line 2: catching up on September receipts, outside the monthly scope, 6 hours × £35.00 = £210.00. Line 3: the client's share of a receipt-scanning app subscription, recharged at cost, 1 × £33.00. Total £563.00. There is no VAT line, because she is not registered. Payment by bank transfer to the account in the name 'Priya Shah', the name her bank holds. Worked example, United States: Marcus Reed trades as Reed Mobile Detailing in a state where he works under a filed DBA. He invoices a car dealership $1,200.00 for 16 vehicle details at $75.00 in October, and the same again in November. The From block reads 'Marcus Reed, doing business as Reed Mobile Detailing', and no tax ID appears on either invoice. His W-9 shows 'Marcus Reed' on line 1, the DBA on line 2, and his EIN. Together the two invoices total $2,400.00, which passes the $2,000 Form 1099-NEC line for 2026, so the dealership will report his income for the year. Whether he adds sales tax depends on his state's rules for vehicle detailing, which he checks before the first invoice.

Common mistakes to avoid

Trading name only

An invoice from 'Lantern Bookkeeping' with no personal name breaks the UK sole trader rule and confuses US clients whose W-9 says 'Priya Shah'. Show both names.

SSN on the invoice

Invoices get forwarded, printed and filed in shared folders. Your Social Security number belongs on the W-9 sent to accounts payable, not on the invoice.

Adding 'Ltd' or a company number

A sole trader is not a limited company. 'Ltd' in your name or a made-up registration number is wrong, and in the UK the name rules forbid it.

VAT before registration

Charging VAT, or showing a VAT number, before you are VAT registered is not allowed. Until you register, invoice without a VAT line.

Bank name that does not match

If the account is in your personal name but the invoice only shows your trading name, a payer's bank check may flag the mismatch. Give the exact account name with the payment details.

Invoicing Tips

  • 1Put your legal name first and the trading name with it, such as 'Priya Shah, trading as Lantern Bookkeeping' or 'Marcus Reed, doing business as Reed Mobile Detailing'. The client's records and your bank details then match.
  • 2Never type your Social Security number on an invoice. If a US client needs a taxpayer number, send a completed W-9 to their accounts team. If you would rather not share your SSN at all, an EIN from the IRS is free.
  • 3Write the date or period of the work on every invoice. UK invoices must show the supply date, and it tells a client which month's budget the invoice belongs to.
  • 4Add a tax line only when you are registered for that tax. A 0% line is fine when it is a checked decision; a VAT line from a sole trader who is not VAT registered is not.
  • 5Use one numbering sequence for all your clients (0001, 0002, 0003), even if you trade under two names. You are one business, so it needs one sequence, with no reused numbers.
  • 6Recharge expenses at what you paid and quote the receipt, so the cost is easy to check and easy to keep apart from your own income.

Related Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a self-employed invoice include?

Your name, any trading name and contact details, the client's name and address, a unique invoice number, the invoice date and the date or period of the work, a description of each item with quantity and price, tax only if you are registered to charge it, the total, the due date and how to pay. A UK sole trader who uses a business name must also give an address where legal documents can be delivered.

Can I invoice in my own name if I am self-employed?

Yes. A sole trader or sole proprietor is the business, so invoicing in your own name is normal. In the US you need no name registration to trade under your own legal name; most other names need a DBA filing. In the UK you can use your own name or a business name, but a business name must not include Limited, Ltd, LLP or plc.

Do I put my trading name or my real name on the invoice?

Both, if you use a trading name. GOV.UK says a sole trader's invoice must include your name and any business name being used. In the US, showing your legal name with your DBA keeps the invoice consistent with your W-9 and your bank account, which are in your legal name.

Should I put my SSN or EIN on an invoice?

No. Your client gets your taxpayer identification number from Form W-9, which you send to them separately. For a sole proprietor the W-9 can carry either your Social Security number or your EIN. Keeping your SSN off invoices protects it, and an EIN is free from the IRS if you would rather not share your SSN.

Do I need a UTR or company number on a sole trader invoice?

No. Your Unique Taxpayer Reference is for HMRC and does not belong on invoices, and sole traders have no company number because they are not registered at Companies House. Show a VAT number only if you are VAT registered.

Do self-employed people charge VAT or sales tax?

Only when the law requires it. A UK sole trader charges VAT only after registering, which is compulsory once taxable turnover for the last 12 months exceeds £90,000. In the US, sales tax depends on your state and on whether what you sell is taxable there.

Can I make a self-employed invoice in InvoiceQuickly?

Yes. Save your name or trading name in settings, then type or say what you did, and InvoiceQuickly drafts the client, lines and due date into an editable invoice you review before saving. The From name can be changed per invoice. Your saved tax ID is copied to new invoice PDFs; check the saved IDs and PDF before sending. Free covers 5 invoices, 5 clients and 3 AI drafts in total; Pro is $9 a month.