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Fiscalane

Invoice template

Consulting invoice template

Day rates, retainers and expenses with the references corporate clients ask for.

Use this template

Consultants are usually invoicing a company with a procurement process, and that process is what shapes a good consulting invoice. The finance team does not know you personally; it knows a purchase order number, a cost centre and a contract. If those references are missing, the invoice sits in a queue until somebody emails to ask for them, and your payment slips by a week or more.

Decide early how you charge, and let the invoice reflect it. Time-and-materials engagements should list the period, the number of days or hours and the rate, so the client can sanity-check the total in seconds. Retainers read better when the line names the month and the agreed scope. Expenses belong on separate lines from your fees, because they are often treated differently for tax and for client approval, and attaching receipts is easier when each cost is its own row. Put the contract or statement-of-work reference in the note, add the buyer reference or order number in the dedicated field, and keep the description specific enough that someone who was not in the meetings understands what was delivered.

What to include

  • Client purchase order or buyer referenceCorporate and public buyers often reject or park invoices without one; PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 expects a buyer reference or order reference.
  • Engagement periodStates which weeks or month the fees cover, which stops double billing.
  • Rate and quantityDays or hours multiplied by the rate lets the client verify the net amount quickly.
  • Separate expense linesKeeps travel and materials distinct from fees for approval and tax treatment.
  • Contract or statement-of-work referenceTies the invoice to the agreement that justifies it.
  • Supplier and client tax identifiersNeeded for cross-border billing and reverse-charge scenarios where they apply.
  • Payment terms and bank detailsNet 30 or similar, plus the account to pay into and a payment reference.

Common mistakes

  • Omitting the purchase order number, so the invoice cannot be matched and sits unpaid.
  • Burying expenses inside the daily rate so the client cannot approve them separately.
  • Describing work as "Consulting services" with no period, scope or deliverable.
  • Changing the invoice number format between invoices, which confuses client ledgers.
  • Billing a cross-border client without checking whether a reverse-charge or place-of-supply rule changes the tax treatment.

VAT and sales tax

How to create it in Fiscalane

  1. Open the editor with this template to prefill the lines, payment terms and note. Replace the sample values with your own.
  2. Add your details and your client's legal name and address, then choose the tax category that matches your situation.
  3. Watch the compliance panel and fix anything it flags, then download the PDF or, on Pro, export the UBL e-invoice.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the purchase order number go?

Put it in the order reference field and repeat it in the note if the client asked for it on the document. In a UBL e-invoice it is carried as a dedicated element, which lets the buyer's system match it automatically.

Should expenses be on the same invoice as fees?

Usually yes, as separate lines, unless the contract says otherwise. Separate lines let the client approve and reclaim them independently of your fees.

Do corporate clients accept PDF invoices?

Many still do, but a growing number of large buyers and public bodies prefer or require structured e-invoices. Exporting a validated UBL file means you can serve both kinds of client from the same invoice data.

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