Basics10 July 2026 · 2 min read
How to write an invoice (step by step)
Everything a client needs to pay you, in the right order — with nothing missing.
Guides
Invoicing, explained.
Short, practical guides to the parts of invoicing people actually get stuck on, with no jargon and no fluff. Everything here is free to read, dated, and sourced where it touches the law.
6
invoicing guides
61
country guides
20
glossary terms
5
tool comparisons
What is written here
Six kinds of writing, each with its own job. Nothing is sponsored, nothing sits behind a sign-up, and every regulatory claim links to its source.
Invoicing guides
Plain answers on basics, payment terms, tax & VAT and freelancing, with the official sources linked.
Six guides →Invoicing by country
Plain-English guides for 61 countries: tax rate, tax-ID format, required fields and payment norms.
61 countries →E-invoicing mandates
Who has to send structured e-invoices, from when and in which format, with the date each fact was checked and its source.
See the tracker →Invoicing glossary
IBAN, Peppol, proforma, remittance advice: the terms that turn up on invoices, 20 of them.
Look something up →Invoice templates
Eight starting points: freelance, consultant, contractor, hourly, small business, photography, graphic design and VAT.
Browse templates →Compare alternatives
Invoice Forever next to Invoice Ninja, FreshBooks, Wave, Zoho Invoice and Invoicely.
Five comparisons →Invoicing guides
The six people get stuck on
Payment terms11 July 2026 · 2 min read
What does Net 30 mean on an invoice?
What Net 30 means, when the 30 days start, and how it compares with Net 15 and Net 60.
Basics12 July 2026 · 2 min read
Invoice vs receipt: what's the difference?
An invoice asks for payment and a receipt confirms it. When to send each, and what goes on them.
Payment terms13 July 2026 · 3 min read
Invoice payment terms explained
The short glossary of payment terms, and how to pick ones that actually get you paid.
Tax & VAT14 July 2026 · 3 min read
The VAT reverse charge, explained simply
When your customer accounts for the VAT, not you — and what your invoice must say.
Freelancing15 July 2026 · 3 min read
How to invoice as a freelancer
What a freelance invoice needs, when to send it, and what to do when a client pays late.
Compared
Against the paid tools
Five write-ups of what the paid tools do that this doesn't, and the other way round. I built the free one, which is worth knowing while you read them.
How this is researched: regulatory statements are checked against the primary source, such as the EU directive or the tax authority's own page, and linked so you can check them too. Each guide says when its facts were last checked, and when a rule changes, the page and its date change with it. Nothing here is legal advice; the editorial policy has the details.
Ready to make one?
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