VAT invoice generator for UK businesses
Set each line to 20%, 5%, 0% or exempt, add your VAT number, and the checklist compares the invoice with HMRC's list.
From: your business
Bill to: your customer
Number, dates and terms
Total due
£1,656.00
including £276.00 VAT
Harbour Design Ltd
12 Quay Street
Bristol BS1 4DB
accounts@example.co.uk
VAT reg. no. GB 123 4567 89
VAT invoice
| Invoice no. | INV-2026-0001 |
| Date of issue | 17 October 2026 |
| Terms | Net 30 |
| Due date | 16 November 2026 |
Bill to
Northgate Bakery Ltd
5 Northgate
Bath BA1 5AS
| Description | Qty | Unit price | VAT rate | Amount excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website design, 3 pages | 1 | £1,200.00 | VAT 20% | £1,200.00 |
| Hosting, 12 months | 12 | £15.00 | VAT 20% | £180.00 |
| Subtotal | £1,380.00 |
| VAT 20% on £1,380.00 | £276.00 |
| Total | £1,656.00 |
Payment details
Bank transfer: sort code 00-00-00, account 00000000 Reference: the invoice number
Thank you for your business.
Full VAT invoice
All required details present
HMRC, VAT Notice 700/21, section 4
- Present: A sequential number that identifies the invoice
- Present: Your business name, address and contact details
- Present: Full company name as on the certificate of incorporation · Limited company
- Present: Customer name and address
- Present: A clear description of what you are charging for
- Present: Date of the invoice
- Present: Time of supply (tax point), if different from the invoice date
- Present: Your VAT registration number
- Present: For each line: quantity, unit price, VAT rate and amount before VAT
- Note: Issue it within 30 days of the supply
Made in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to a server; your business details are kept on this device only, for the next invoice.
Total due
£1,656.00
A UK VAT invoice is the document your business customer needs to reclaim the VAT you charge, so HMRC fixes what it must carry: a sequential number, the time of supply, your name, address and VAT registration number, the customer's name and address, a description, and for each line the quantity, unit price, VAT rate and amount before VAT, with the total VAT shown in sterling. This generator lays the invoice out that way and lets each line carry its own rate, 20%, 5% or 0%, or no VAT when the supply is exempt or outside the scope. The total VAT is rounded down to the whole penny, which VAT Notice 700 allows businesses that issue invoices. A Bristol web designer billing £1,200 for a site and twelve months of hosting at £15 charges £276.00 of VAT on £1,380, £1,656.00 in all. Builders can switch on the domestic reverse charge and the CIS deduction, and the PDF comes out on A4.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Methodology
The rates the generator offers on each line
A single UK invoice can legitimately carry several VAT treatments, which is why the tax is chosen line by line rather than once for the whole document. Each band is totalled separately, so the customer sees how much VAT belongs to each rate.
| Treatment | Rate | Shown on the invoice as |
|---|---|---|
| Standard rate | 20% | VAT 20% with its base |
| Reduced rate | 5% | VAT 5% with its base |
| Zero rate | 0% | VAT 0%, still a taxable supply |
| Exempt | none | No VAT, outside the VAT totals |
| Outside the scope | none | No VAT, outside the VAT totals |
A gift shop invoicing a café for £400 of standard-rated goods, £120 at the reduced rate, £60 of zero-rated items and £80 of an exempt supply ends up with £86.00 of VAT and a total of £746.00. Zero-rated and exempt look alike on the bottom line, but they are not the same thing for your VAT return, so the generator keeps them apart.
HMRC's own example, reproduced
VAT Notice 700/21 prints a sample invoice: six radios at £25.20 and four DVD players at £23.60, all at the standard rate. Typed into the generator, it gives £245.60 before VAT, £49.12 of VAT and £294.72 to pay, the same figures as HMRC's. That example is one of the automated tests the engine must pass before each publication. Read the full list of required details in the VAT invoice requirements guide.
Tax point and date of issue
A VAT invoice has two dates when they differ: the time of supply, also called the tax point, which fixes the VAT period the sale belongs to, and the date the document was issued. If you deliver on the last day of a quarter and invoice a week later, both should appear. The generator prints "Time of supply (tax point)" only when you fill in a date different from the invoice date, so a same-day invoice stays uncluttered.
Builders: reverse charge and CIS on the same invoice
Most construction services supplied between VAT and CIS registered businesses fall under the domestic reverse charge. The supplier does not add VAT to the amount due; the invoice states the VAT and carries wording such as "Customer to pay the VAT to HMRC". A subcontractor registered for CIS also sees 20% deducted from the labour part of the payment, and nothing from materials. On £2,400 of labour and £860 of materials, the generator shows £652.00 of VAT for the contractor to account for, a CIS deduction of £480.00 and £2,780.00 actually paid. The CIS invoice template starts from that case, and the reverse charge guide explains who the end user is.
Invoicing in euros or dollars
A VAT invoice can be in any currency, but HMRC requires the total VAT to be shown in sterling as well. Pick another currency and the generator adds a field for the sterling VAT figure, then prints it beneath the totals. The foreign currency guide shows how to convert it.
Not registered for VAT yet
Switch "VAT-registered?" to No and the document becomes an ordinary invoice: no VAT column, no VAT total, and a line saying no VAT has been charged. GOV.UK still expects a unique number, your name and contact details, the customer's name and address, a description, the supply date, the invoice date and the amounts. The sole trader template is set up that way.
Getting paid
If no payment date is agreed, a business payment is late 30 days after the customer receives the invoice or the goods, whichever is later. From then on you may claim statutory interest at 8% over the Bank of England reference rate, plus fixed compensation. The late payment interest calculator works out the figures for any unpaid invoice.